Global performance strategies in leading Japanese automotive organisations

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the correlation between the evaluation of performance strategies in leading automotive organisations located in Japan during four economically significant periods. Furthermore, the article aims to determine key performance factors that have had an influence on automotive organisations in the most recent and current period. The sample group includes 14 large and very large corporations. This paper draws on both theoretical and empirical research. A questionnaire was created as part of the research and was pre-tested in order to increase its internal validity. The actual survey was conducted through semi-structured interviews with managers at the top management level. To address the aim, non-parametric statistical methods have been used (Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman correlation), mainly due to the relatively small testing sample of companies and the Shapiro-Wilk test failing at the five percent level of significance. Additionally, exploratory data analysis methods have been applied. Despite the noticeable deviation in the period of economic recession, the results indicate an increase in the significance of the individual factors in the periods in question. Another interesting finding is the growing power of factors oriented at innovation and the future environment. This means that, for the companies, measuring these factors will be crucial henceforth.