Japan's Technical Standards

Japan's Technical Standards draws on the experiences and knowledge of an international group of academics and business professionals. Based on presentations given at a 1995 conference at the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Research Center, the book's twelve chapters provide an expanded and up-to-date study of the vexing problem of technical standards in international commerce. Technical standards govern the design, operation, manufacture, and use of nearly everything humankind produces, but they generally go unnoticed. With the evolution of global markets, however, standards have evolved as important means to facilitate international trade flows - but they can also be impediments used by countries to gain advantage over foreign competitors. In fact, says Dr. McIntyre, they often define whether or not a product will be approved for entry and use in a given national market. The first book-length English-language discussion of the dynamics of the Japanese system of setting technical standards, this volume provides cogent analysis for professionals in manufacturing, quality, and operations management, as well as for executives concerned with the legal aspects of international trade.