respect for partners' markets. Strategic alliances help U.S. corporations penetrate foreign markets, with help from local experts. Such alliances also turn potential competitors into allies. By sharing research and development costs and increasing return through market expansion, the risks of competition in the global economy can be minimized (Williams 89).
U.S. computer and software companies can gain a significant share of the Japanese market only if they tailor their sales and distribution strategies to that market. For example, Apple Computer Japan, Inc. did not customize strategies to the Japanese market and were unsuccessful. Conversely, Lotus Development Japan, Ltd. and Nippon-Ashton-Tate used such strategies, and now do successful business in Japan. IBM-Japan Ltd. has also been successful (Stoll, 1988, p. 96).
Until the 1970s, Japanese firms had avoided direct competition with IBM, which was allowed the large mainframe market. J
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