Resistance and adaptation to globalization: Case studies of the Japanese textile industry

Abstract

Abstract In the age of economic globalization, industries and corporations are increasingly faced with new market realities owing to the intensification of international competition. This study posits that corporations either use resistance through political voice or decide to restructure to adapt to these realities. Three Japanese textile industries with poor competitiveness were selected as case studies and were observed from the perspective of corporate survival strategies. The towel industry in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, implemented resistance through a voice strategy; the glove industry in Higashikagawa City, Kagawa Prefecture, chose to move manufacturing overseas as an adjustment strategy; and the uniform industry in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, chose to utilize foreign workers as another adjustment strategy. These findings address the gap between prior research on ‘adaptation’ and research on political ‘resistance’ and demonstrate that variations exist in the strategies employed by less competitive industries.