How did Sharp become a successful player in LCD?
Assignment 1 — Sharp Corporation: Beyond Japan
Unit 1: Macro-level Influences on International Business
In Assignment 1, you are required to do a case analysis of Sharp Corporation, a Japanese company. If you haven’t already done so, review the Assignment Tips and Requirements and the Note on Case Analysis (links are on the instructions page for this assignment).
The objective of the case study for Assignment 1 is to expose students to globalization and its impact on operational decisions of companies. Faced with major losses, Sharp Corporation is forced to question its long-standing operating model and to develop a new approach that is more suitable to the environment it now competed in.
Completing this assignment will enable you to see how the key concepts presented in Lessons 1 through 3—globalization, culture, and political and economic risk—are interconnected. You will be able to evaluate interrelationships among issues related to (i) the role of globalization in investment decisions and company operations; (ii) the role of economic environment in creating global companies; (iii) the importance of property rights in international business; and (iv) the role of national culture in company operations.
The Case
To read the case, click the link below (will open in new window).
Sharp Corporation: Beyond Japan
One-time permission to reproduce granted by Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation on Oct. 13, 2011. This permission will expire six months from Jan. 1, 2012.
Case Analysis Questions
The following questions are just a starting point that will help you organize your thoughts and better analyze the case. DO NOT simply answer these questions—rather, you must write a thorough case analysis as outlined in the “Assignment Tips and Requirements.”
- Who is the decision maker in this case? How would you characterize his background? Is he unusual?
- Discuss Sharp’s history. What has it been good at? Less good at? How is the company perceived?
- How did Sharp become a successful player in LCD?
- Describe Sharp’s operating model? What are its pros and cons?
- Should Sharp change its operating model?
Should Sharp move into China no
