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Michael J. Smitka
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| Professor of Economics | | Telephone: (540) 458-8625 |
Williams School of Commerce | | Fax: (540) 458-8639 |
Washington and Lee University | | Email: MSmitka@wlu.edu |
Lexington, Virginia 24450 USA | | http://www.wlu.edu/~smitkam/ |
On Leave Academic 2006-7
(return mid August 2007)
Visiting Researcher and Fulbright Fellow
Chiba University Faculty of Law & Economics
1-33 Yayoi-cho Inage-ku Chiba 263-8522 Japan
cell 080-5440-3702
Education
- Ph.D. in Economics: Yale, 1989.
- A.B. cum laude in East Asian Studies: Harvard, 1975.
Grants and Work Experience
current
- Faculty, Washington and Lee University, 1986-present.
- Fulbright Research Fellowship, Chiba University Faculty of Law and Economics, Chiba, Japan, 2006-7.
- Member, ASIANetwork Fulbright-Hays Pearl River Delta Project, Guangdong China, Summer 2005.
- Keizai Koho Center Knowledge Leaders Trip, Japan, December 2002.
- Japan Foundation Short Term Research Grant, July 2002; Visiting Researcher, Gakushuin University Faculty of Economics, Tokyo.
- Participant, NEH Economic History Seminar, Universität München, Munich, Summer 1997.
- Visiting Professor, School of International Relations, International University of Japan, Niigata, Winter 1997.
- W&L Glenn/Mellon Summer Research Grants, Summers 1993-1996, 2001.
- Researcher, MIT International Motor Vehicle Program, 1992 -1994.
- Visiting Prof. & Japan Foundation Fellow, Faculty of Law, Rikkyo University, Tokyo, 1991-92.
- Monbusho Joint International Research Project, Kyushu Univ., April 1991-July 1992.
- Fulbright Dissertation Fellowship, Hitotsubashi University, September 1983-January 85.
- Intern, Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, Tokyo, Summer 1982.
- Banker, International Finance Center (New York), Bank of Tokyo, 1978-80.
Select Publications
Books:
- Author, Competitive Ties: Subcontracting in the Japanese Automotive Industry, Columbia University Press, 1991.
- Editor, Japanese Economic History, 1600-1960, 7 volumes, Garland Publishing, 1998.
Articles and Book Chapters
- "Japan, Economy." The Far East and Australasia 2007. London: Routledge, 2007. substantially lengthened and updated
- "Japan, Economy." The Far East and Australasia 2006. London: Routledge, 2006.
- "Japanese Macroeconomic Dilemmas: The Implications of Demographics for Growth and Stability," Working Paper No. 226, Center on Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia University, 2004.
- "The End of Growth in Japan: Three Simple Models for Undergraduate Economists." ASIANetwork Exchange, 11:1 Fall 2003, 26-31.
- "Japan: The Nation Without Nationalism,"Virginia Review of Asian Studies v. 5, 2003.
- "The Asian Automotive Industry," Encyclopedia of Asia, Berkshire Publishing, 2002.
- "Foreign Policy and the US Automotive Industry: By Virtue of Necessity?" Business and Economic History, 2nd series, v. 28:2, Winter 1999.
- "Automobiles and U.S. Foreign Policy," in Bruce W. Jentleson and Thomas G. Paterson, editors, Encyclopedia of U.S. Foreign Relations, Oxford University Press for the Council on Foreign Relations, 1997.
- "Contracting without Contracts: How the Japanese Manage Organizational Transactions," Chapter 4 in Sim Sitkin & Robert Bies, eds., The Legalistic Organization, Sage, 1994.
- "Opinion: Are U.S. Auto Exports the Growth Industry of the 1990s?" Sloan Management Review, 35:1, Fall 1993.
- "Economy, Japanese," leading entry for economy topics in revised edition, Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, Tokyo: Kodansha, 1993.
- 「日本の自動車産業の没落」 (Decline of the Japanese Automotive Industry), 『週刊東洋経済』(Toyo Keizai), January 11, 1993.
- "Business-Business Relations: Auto Parts Sourcing in Japan," Japan's Economic Challenge. U.S. Congress, Joint Economic Committee, December 1990.
- "The Invisible Handshake: The Development of the Japanese Automotive Parts Industry," Business and Economic History, 2nd series, v. 19, 1990.
Recent Book Reviews: (the following is a select list)
- Review of Hugh Patrick, Takatoshi Ito and David Weinstein, eds., Reviving Japan's Economy: Prospects and Prescriptions, Cambridge: The MIT Press, 2005 for Social Science Japan (forthcoming 2007).
- Review of Princes of the Yen by Richard Werner and Japan's Fiscal Crisis: The Ministry of Finance and the Politics of Public Spending, 1975-2000 by Maurice Wright for Journal of Japanese Stuies, 2005.
- Review of Japan's Economic Dilemma: The Institutional Origins
of Prosperity and Stagnation by Bai Gao. Reviewed for
Journal of Japanese Studies, 2003.
- Review of Britain and Japan: A Comparative Economic and Social
History Since 1900 by Kenneth D. Brown, H-Net Review,
November 1999.
- Review of Knowledge Works: Managing Intellectual Capital at Toshiba
by W. Mark Fruin, Journal of Japanese Studies 25:2,
Summer 1999.
- Review of Small Firms in the Japanese Economy
by D. H. Whittaker, American Journal of Sociology,
March 1999.
- Review of Japan Works: Power And Paradox In Postwar Industrial
Relations by John Price, Journal of Japanese Studies,
25:1 (Winter 1999).
- Review of Made in Japan by the Japan Council on Industrial
Productivity, Japan Quarterly, 45:4 (October-December
1998).
- Review of Bargaining with Japan: What American Pressure Can and
Cannot Do by Leonard J. Schoppa. H-Japan Book Review,
June 1998.
- Review of Friends or Rivals? The Insider's Account of U.S.-Japan
Relations by Michael H. Armacost. H-Japan Book Review,
1997.
- Review of Divided Sun: MITI and the Breakdown of Japanese High
Tech Industrial Policy, 1975-1993 by Scott Callon.
Journal of Asian Studies, 56:1, (February 1997).
- Review of The Japanese Automobile Industry: A Business History
by Koichi Shimokawa. Journal of Japanese Studies,
22:2 (Summer 1996).
- Review of World War II and the Transformation of Business Systems
edited by Jun Sakudo & Takao Shiba, Journal of Asian
Studies , 55:1, (February 1996).
- Review of The Japanese Iron and Steel Industry, 1850-1990: Continuity
and Discontinuity by Seiichiro Yonekura. Journal
of Asian Studies, 54:3 (August 1995).
- Review of Reconcilable Differences?--United States-Japan Economic
Conflict by C. Fred Bergsten and Marcus Noland, Journal
of Economic Literature, 33:2 (June 1995).
- Review of Strategic Capitalism: Private Business and Public Purpose
in Japanese Industrial Finance by Kent E. Calder, Business
History Review, 1995.
- Review of Alliance Capitalism: The Social Organization of Japanese
Business by Michael Gerlach, Journal of Economic
Literature, 32:3 (September 1994).
- Review of Japan: Facing Economic Maturity by Edward Lincoln,
Journal of Economic Literature, 27:1 (March), 1989.
Translations:
- Ryutaro Komiya, Masahiro Okuno and Kotaro Suzumura (eds.), Industrial Policy of Japan, Academic Press, 1988 (Co-translator).
Recent Interviews:
- Interviews in Fall 2008 - Spring 2009 for the Lexington News-Gazette, WVPT Blacksburg Public Radio (22 minutes), WTOP Wisconsin Public Radio (1 hour talk show), CQ Press, Oriental Economist Japan Report, Op/Ed Richmond Times-Dispatch (February 18, 2009), Roanoke Times and several others. (I lost count...!).
- Various interviews in Japan in 2006-7, including citations in the Financial Times and Associated Press.
- "Deep Flaws Plague Ford, GM." The Oriental Economist, June (Part I) and July (Part II), 2006. (Structured Interview with Richard Katz, editor)
- "Toyota Ignored Harrassment Charge Against Otaka, Attorney Says." Bloomberg news, May 4, 2006. (Interview with Alan Ohnsman, Bloomberg LA Bureau)
- "Professor Says Gas Boycotts Do Not Work." WDBJ Channel 7 (Roanoke, VA), April 25, 2006. (Interview with Alex Lawson, archived at: http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?s=4772106).
Recent Papers and Conferences
Professional Service and Consulting
- Board of Advisors, Daikin Corporation, Japan. Daikin is the leading residential HVAC firm in Japan and in the EU, and has a strong presence in most of the rest of the world.
- Board of Advisors, Daikin US. Daikin's largest US operations are in the commercial HVAC sector through its subsidiary McQuay International. One of their primary production facilities (for commercial chillers) is in Staunton VA, a half hour north of W&L.
- "A Relational Contracting Analysis of Supplier-Purchaser Interaction in the Japanese Corrosion-Resistant Steel Industry." Consultant Report for Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher for the US International Trade Commission Sunset Review on Antidumping Tariffs on Corrosion Resistant Steel. Expurgated public version available on the ITC web site. October 2006.
- Judge, Automotive News PACE “Supplier of the Year” Award, 1994-present. Visit finalists to evaluate their innovation and prepare associated judging summaries for selection meeting. Attend selection meeting, award ceremony. Finalists visited include [* indicates winner]:
- 2005-6, Federal-Mogul* (Monosteel diesel piston), CogniTens* (OptiCell non-contact CMM system);
- 2004-5, Siemens VDO* (Deka VII gasoline fuel injector), Goodyear (TripleTred all-weather tire);
- 2003-4, DuPont* (TuTone wet-on-wet paint system), Intertec (Integral sealing instrument panel);
- 2002-3, Delphi (Forewarn radar backup assist), Perceptron* (Autogauge inline CMM system), Federal-Mogul* (ThermoQuiet brake pad series);
- 2001-2, SupplySolution (i-Supply supply chain inventory & order system), BASF (SCM UV sealer);
- 2000-1, Dana (Roboclamp hydroforming press), Hayes-Lemmerz (full-face cast aluminum wheel);
- 1999-2000, McCord Winn Textron* (Ritec one-shot integrated fan shroud), Guide Corporation (plastic injection molding valve gate process);
- 1998-9, TTC [Spicer/Desc] (AMT-7 automatic manual truck transmission), Benteler* (Windstar torson bar / crossmember)
- 1997-8, Gentex* (Aspheric electrochromic exterior mirror), Cooper Industries* (sealed headlight module);
- 1996-7, Delco [Delphi] (SDM-R airbag crash sensor module), Midwest Acoust-a-Fiber (heat shield system);
- 1995-6, Gentex (Integrated compass mirror), Brown & Sharpe (adjustable gauging fixture);
- 1994-5, United Technologies (warranty improvement process / quality diagnostic), TRW (airbag "mistake proofing" techniques)
- President, Virginia Consortium of Asian Studies (2003-); Conference Chair (2003-4); Vice President (1999-2003); webmaster, 2000-present.
- Council Member, National Coordinating Committee on Japanese Library Resources, 2004-. Currently Executive Committee Member and Regional Training Network Co-chair. I am one of two faculty members on the board of this consortium of libraries with Japan collections.
- Treasurer, Washington and Southeast Japan Seminar, 2005-present.
- Journal Referee: Journal of Japanese Studies, Sloan Management Review, Administrative Science Quarterly, Asian Business and Management, Organizational Science and others.
- Conference Referee: Association of Japanese Business Studies presentation proposals, 3-9 papers annually, 1992-present.
- Book Referee: Yale University Press, Chicago University Press, Johns Hopkins Press, Lexington Books, Dryden Press and assorted textbook chapters for various publishers.
- Board of Advisors, Journal of Japanese Studies (Summer 2001-Spring 2004).
- Board of Advisors, Japanese Economic Studies (Summer 2002-present).
- Member, editorial board, H-US-Japan discussion list (part of the H-Net system).
- Research Associate, Center on Japanese Economy and Business, Graduate School of Business, Columbia University.
Community Service & Activities
- Project Reviewer, United Way of Lexington-Rockbridge, 1996, 1999-2006.
- Advisor, Venture Crew 180, Boy Scouts of America. District Venturing representative. I am the senior adult working with the Crew and also teach rock climbing. (Venturing is the co-ed end of scouts, ages 14-21.) District Scouting Award, 2005.
- Member and past webmaster, Rockbridge Choral Society, 2001-2006.
- Member and webmaster, Kendo Club, Waynesboro VA YMCA, 2002-2006.
- Member, Chiba Community Center Kendo Club, 2006-7.
- Member, choir, R.E. Lee Memorial Church, Lexington, 2005-.
- Member, choir, St. Alban's Anglican Church, Tokyo, 2006-7.
- Secretary-Treasurer, The EMBA Foundation, Inc., 1987-present. Handle all tax filings and financial affairs for a small foundation that works with Baptist churches in the northern Philippines.
Updated June 2007.