Learn about small and medium-sized enterprises with the motto of "on-site, on-site materials, and with local people."
Research Themes
Small and medium-sized enterprises, which account for the majority of Japanese companies, play an important role in supporting the Japanese economy. They are also the place of work for many of us, and support our everyday lives and local social activities. However, in recent years, Japanese small and medium-sized enterprises have been in a difficult situation, with problems such as a lack of successors that make it difficult to continue business, and competition with Asian countries such as China. Even in this situation, there are many small and medium-sized enterprises that are demonstrating their competitiveness by leveraging their unique products and technological capabilities. In this seminar, we will learn about the flexibility and diversity of small and medium-sized enterprises, their management issues, their relationships with the local community, and entrepreneurial spirit by studying a wide variety of small and medium-sized enterprise case studies.
Activities
In the seminar, under the motto of "on-site, on-site with real things," students learn about small and medium-sized enterprises from both theoretical and practical perspectives, placing emphasis on what they learn and feel by actually going to the site, seeing the real thing, and listening to what people have to say. Therefore, in the first half of the seminar, students learn about the theory, current situation, and issues of small and medium-sized enterprises by reading basic textbooks on small and medium-sized enterprise theory in a group. In the process, students also acquire basic skills such as how to give presentations and how to put together a resume. In the second half of the seminar, students set a research theme based on their interest or concerns, collect basic data, conduct field surveys, and compile the results into their graduation research.