Cooperating with Competitors is Good Business in Japan

In the article ‘Cooperating with Competitors is Good Business in Japan,’ Sigrun C. Caspary, Tom A. Rüsen and Arist von Schlippe analyse how traditional family businesses in Japan ensure long-term resilience and economic success by cooperating with competitors. The article was published on the FamilyBusiness.org platform. Using the example of the hotel industry in Kinosaki, the authors show how collaborative action, shared responsibility (‘commoning’) and deeply rooted cultural values can contribute to the sustainable development of an entire business location.

The authors argue that family businesses in Japan that are successful in the long term are less concerned with competition than with collective well-being – for example, when they jointly design tourist infrastructure or even actively support competitors in economic crises.

The article derives practical recommendations for family businesses worldwide: cooperation with competitors, joint projects with local authorities and shared resources can not only create economic benefits, but also strengthen social capital within entrepreneurial networks. The article thus provides valuable impetus for a public welfare-oriented perspective in family business research.