| The primary object of this dissertation is to examine the effect of national industrial policies on competition between advanced industrial nations. The methodology is that of a case study of U.S.-Japanese competition in the television receiver manufacturing industry. This industry was chosen for several reasons: it was the site of an intense competitive struggle between U.S. and Japanese firms in which the Japanese emerged as clear victors; the industry has been the object of conscious coordinated industrial policies in Japan; and it has been affected by various uncoordinated "de facto" policies in the U.S.;The fourth chapter examines the relationship between the Japanese industrial policy system and these sources of advantage. It concludes that the system has made a significant contribution to Japanese competitiveness. Industrial policy directly encouraged the development of key technologies, it encouraged vigorous competition between domestic firms, it facilitated high levels of investment in production facilities, and it reduced uncertainty in the industry.;The fifth chapter examines the relation between U.S. decline in the industry and "de facto" industrial policy. It concludes that, on balance, these policies contributed to decline. Particularly important were policies affecting the structure of the industry and the development of semiconductor technology and its adaptation to the television receiver manufacturing industry.;The first chapter examines theoretical justifications for industrial policies and the historical background to the current interest in industrial policy. The second examines the development of this industry in the U.S. and Japan, and the dynamics of international competition. The third analyzes the sources of the Japanese competitive advantage. It concludes that the advantage was rooted in the more rapid and thorough adaptation of semiconductor technology to television receivers. This permitted Japanese firms to improve product quality and reliability, and to reduce production costs by reducing the cost of parts, and by reducing production costs through automated assembly. |
