Electronics manufacturers in Osaka and Manchester

As one of the key sectors which was at the heart of the early twentieth-century ‘Second Industrial Revolution’, electrical and electronic engineering provided enormous market possibilities for entrepreneurs who were willing to embark on ambitious production and marketing strategies. Judging from the successes achieved by Japanese electronics manufacturers in gaining a substantial competitive advantage over their American and European rivals, ¹ in the long term firms like Toshiba, Hitachi, Sony, Sanyo and Matsushita have clearly been the most effective in converting these opportunities into real economic benefits. In sharp contrast, especially over the last fifty years, the British electronics industry has had to deal with extensive import penetration and intense competition from multinational subsidiaries, largely as a result of its relatively weak competitiveness in key areas like research and development and marketing. ² By using the case-studies of Matsushita and Ferranti, we intend to discover some of the principal reasons behind these contrasting records. In particular, it is essential to assess the extent to which these firms matched their values and resources to a constantly changing environment, especially as a means of formulating effective strategies which provided the basis for success. ³