During the last couple of decades, Japan, Korea, and China have undergone a highly dynamic process of economic development, which enabled them to occupy highly influential positions in the global community. Globalization had been one of the key drivers of East Asia’s rise, but eventually, East Asia also became a key force for the evolution of ever more complex global value chains and a highly interdependent global economic system. In the early years of the 21st century, however, when a global de-coupling rather than increasing globalization appears to have become the paradigm of the day, East Asian countries need to re-define their role in the global system, re-calibrate their societal models and adjust their socio-economic development structures appropriately. This Festschrift brings together a selected group of world-renowned scholars committed to the analysis of contemporary socio-economic developments in East Asia, and the changing roles and attributes of firms, institutions and the state in East Asia. Their contributions provide a kaleidoscope of insights from various disciplines in how these developments unfold, what development trends are being set up, and how these may affect European interests and the global system as a whole. Preface Part I: Firms, Leadership and Management Mark Lehrer and Stefan Schmid Personalizing Perceptions of the Mittelstand Business: German Family Firms in Comparative Context Ralf Bebenroth Alienation Effects on Managers of a German Target Taken Over by a Japanese Firm Tim Goydke Embracing a New Perspective on Japanese Culture and Corporate Leadership Nele Noesselt Leadership Reloaded: Conceptual Reflections and Recent Constellations Martin Hemmert Japanese-Style and Korean-Style Management Revisited: Strengths, Weaknesses and Perspectives Thanos Fragkandreas and Cornelia Storz Knowledge Diffusion in Management: Kaizen in Sub-Saharan Africa Markus Taube Taking Stock of East Asia’s Emerging World Market Leaders: Colossi Close to the State, Innovative Start-Ups and Globally Oriented Guerrilla Entrepreneurs Part II: Network, Sectors and Technologies Sven Horak Are Informal Networks Predominantly an Emerging Market Phenomenon? Integrating Yongo (Korea) and Jinmyaku (Japan) into the Current Discourse Dieter Cassel and Jörg Mahlich What Shapes the Pharmaceutical Market in Japan? Institutional Framework and Challenges of the Japanese Drug Industry Florian Coulmas Nursing Robots on the Rise in Japan: Culture or Demographics? Yveline Lecler The Promotion of Micro-Mobility in Japan: The Challenge of Ultra-Compact Electric Vehicles Part III: State and Diplomacy Simon Ahrens and Joachim Ahrens The Concept of the Developmental State: Towards a New Approach to Development Cooperation in Sub-Saharan Africa? Michael Jakobsen Exploring Key External and Internal Factors Affecting State Performance in Southeast Asia Flemming Christiansen China’s Political Economy since 1978: Intentionality and Ideology Thomas Heberer Decoding the Chinese Puzzle: Rapid Economic Growth and Social Development Despite a High Level of Corruption Seán Golden 70 Years of the Peoples Republic of China: The Risks in Question Friederike Bosse 160 Years of Diplomatic Relations between Germany and Japan: What Lies Behind the Celebrating? Sunkung Choi Economic Diplomacy and Influence on Stock Market Expectation: A Case of the EU and Chinese Summit Talks’ Influence on the Aviation Industry Roger Greatrex Recent Issues in Trademark Adjudication in Japanese Courts Part IV: Economic Policy, Discourse and Demographic Changes Markus Heckel and Franz Waldenberger Deflation – Japan’s Endless Battle Karen A. Shire Employment Transformations, Social Inequalities and Identification with the Middle Class in 21st Century Japan Rüdiger Frank Challenging the Korean Fear of High Costs: German Unification as an Economic Win-Win Situation Carsten Herrmann-Pillath Japan on the Way Towards Post-Capitalism? Reflections on an Ongoing Discourse Among Japanese Scholars Ibrahim Öztürk The Case of Middle-Income Trap in China and its Institutional Links to the Belt and Road Initiative Jörg Raupach-Sumiya Applying Regional Value-Added Analysis of Renewable Energy to Policy Formation on Municipality Level: Implications from Case Studies in Japanweiterlesen