Sumitomo 3M (A)

In describing the evolution of a US-Japanese joint venture between 1960-95, the cases illustrate the difficulties associated with the transfer of a strong culture and entrepreneurial practices from one country to another. They show how the partners resolve differences in management, organisation, culture, marketing, production, etc. in order to build a successful business in Japan.

The teaching objectives of the cases are many fold, which is why these cases were chosen for development:To illustrate how a very successful and long-standing joint venture can be formed and how it can be sustained, even in the face of open competition with one of the parent companies To involve conducting business in Japan The expansion of an entrepreneurial corporation and how it has maintained a different style of corporate entrepreneurship in a new culture