SOCIO-ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT FOR JAPANESE AUTOMAKERS IN NAFTA

(1)日本在20世纪50年代的产业政策是通过加强电子电器和机械等汽车配套产业来培育汽车工业。不幸的是，日本企业受到了严重的商业环境的打击，如20世纪70年代的两次石油危机，20世纪70年代至80年代日元的快速升值，自愿出口限制（VER）和形成区域一体化，北美自由贸易协定。(2)日本汽车制造商为应对这些变化，通过技术创新和技术开发，降低对投入的需求，扩大对外直接投资，在北美自由贸易区建立自己的移植地。另一方面，它通过提高生产力、减少对投入的需求和通过质量控制圈提高生产力以及创造新的就业机会，对东道社区产生了建设性影响。(3)目前，世界汽车制造商面临着开发先进的回收和再利用材料技术、智能交通系统（ITS）和燃料电池电动汽车技术等更艰巨的目标。这些目标需要大量的投资来发展，任何制造商都很难单独完成这些目标，即使它是一个占主导地位的寡头汽车制造商。汽车制造商寻求战略联盟或战略合作来克服这些困难。(4)本研究之发现与分析，可为面临更激烈竞争压力之企业界提供参考。

(1) Japan's industrial policy in the 1950s was to foster the automobile industry by strengthening the auto supporting industries like the electric ＆ electronics appliances and machinery. Japanese firms, unfortunately, were hit by severe business circumstances such as twice oil crises in the 1970s, rapid appreciation of the yen in the 1970s-1980s, voluntary export restraint (VER) and forming regional integration e.g., NAFTA.(2) Coping with these happenings, Japanese automakers have innovated and developed new technology to reduce demands for inputs and expanded FDI to build their transplants in NAFTA.The transference of the Japanese management brought some difficulties in management in the host country in one hand. On the other hand, it gave constructive impacts on the host communities by improving productivity reducing demands for inputs and improving the productivity through quality control circles, and creating new employment.(3) Now automakers in the world face some more difficult objectives of developing the advanced technology of recycling ＆ reuse materials, the intelligent transport systems (ITS), and the fuel cell electric vehicle technology. These objectives need so huge amount of investment for development that it is rather hard for any manufacturer to accomplish any of those objectives by itself even though it is a dominant oligopolistic automaker. Automakers look for a strategic alliance or strategic(CONTINUE TO NEXT PAGE)collaboration to overcome any of those difficulties.(4) Findings and the analysis of this research can contribute to the business world that is under the pressure of fiercer competition.