JPS2190

Japanese management and the economy

David Askew

8 points - 3 hours per week - Second semester - Clayton - Prerequisites: First-year Japanese language, Japanese studies, economics or management related disciplines, or at the discretion of the coordinator

Objectives Students completing this subject should gain an understanding of Japanese management and the economic history and political economy of contemporary Japan. Students should be able to develop insights into the basic characteristics of Japanese management, become acquainted with the modern history of the Japanese economy, become familiar with various contemporary aspects, trends and problems of the modern Japanese economy and sharpen analytical skills through discussions of contending theoretical perspectives which attempt to explain the character of Japanese management and the economy.

Synopsis This subject introduces students to the historical background of the Japanese economy, the postwar development of the Japanese economy, various aspects of contemporary Japanese management, the Australia-Japan relationship, the problem of trade friction and various theoretical perspectives of the relationship between state and market.

Assessment Major essay (2000 words): 30% - Tutorial participation and presentation (1000 words): 20% - Mid-semester exam (1 hour): 15% - Final exam (2 hours): 35%

Prescribed texts

Nakamura T The postwar Japanese economy: Its development and structure, 1937-1994 U Tokyo P, 1995

Recommended texts

Koike K The economics of work in Japan LTCB International Library Foundation, 1996
Mito T Contending perspectives on the Japanese 'economic miracle' Working Papers in Japanese Studies No. 2, Japanese Studies Centre, Monash U, 1992
Nakamura T Lectures on modern Japanese economic history, 1926-1994 LTCB International Library Foundation, 1994
Shigeto Tsuru Japan's capitalism: Creative defeat and beyond CUP, 1993

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