Abstract:

The paper presents an example of a case study of in-depth competitor analysis in the Japanese pharmaceutical industry. Prior to outlining the case study, and to place it in perspective, a brief overview is provided of key points of difference between the Japanese health care system and that of Western countries. The case study outlines the types of information obtained when a competitor's mode of operation is researched, and provides some camouflaged examples of actual data. The depth of information obtained in such case studies is quite detailed, and the point is made that knowing as much as one can about one's competitor is a basic tenet of Japanese business practice.