This research clarifies the multiple relationships maintained by "geiko" (Kyoto dialect for geisha) and "maiko" ("geisha" -in-training) as they develop into service professionals who are highly skilled at entertaining customers. Their multiple and strong relationships are embedded in a...

This paper investigates how a corporation effectively used local staff in order to realize its business model in its expansion into an emerging market and to obtain a competitive advantage. The case study is of Heiwado, a retailer with the majority of its stores in Shiga prefecture, and its...

The purpose of this study is to examine how businesses confront lack of market institutions when entering an emerging market and building and implementing a business model to realize a corporate business strategy, in addition to how those businesses respond to the lack and establish competitive...