Global Perspective Archive

Telecommunications is key to the growth of Latin America's Southern Cone. But to get the most growth, centralized national networks must give way to regional systems that ignore borders.

Inside the Kaisha:Demystifying Japanese Business Behavior by Noboru Yoshimura and Philip Anderson (259 pages, Harvard Business School Press, 1997)

If Japan is to be a front-runner in the era of innovation it must demonstrate leadership in developing new industries and products. To do so requires managers to adopt a new "hands-on" approach and to take greater risks.

The European Union is the largest single market in the world, and among the most affluent. Does that mean companies should be poised for expansion into the EU? It may take another three to four years before the market stabilizes enough for global players to think about establishing new EU locations.

One World, Ready or Not: The Manic Logic of Global Capitalism by William Greider (397 pages, Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1997)

As one of the world's most dynamic regions, Latin America's tranforming economies offer large-scale opportunities and challenges for multinational players.

Japan's extraordinary postwar industrial success was defined by lean production, consensus and continuous improvement. But lately it has been the country's perceived weak points, such as lifetime employment and over-regulation, that have come to the forefront of the debate on Japanese management. But new ideas are emerging with the younger, more flexible generation of Japanese managers, which means there will still be plenty for the outside world to learn from Japan. Adapted from "The Witch Doctors" (Times Books, 1996).

The relationship between Xerox and Fuji Xerox, its joint venture in Japan, is the centerpiece of this commentary on how alliances among companies are forging new units of economic power known as "constellations." Internal rivalry can put constellations at a disadvantage against single-company rivals, and the ability to manage the balance of competition and cooperation is critical to success.