The transformation of manufacturing activities in the United States and the rest of the world has engendered profound changes in the location of industrial activity. Similarly, changing patterns of foreign investment have been documented and analyzed. Relatively little effort has been made to merge these two themes, however, thereby shedding new light on how investments by foreigners have altered production patterns in the U.S. and elsewhere. This doctoral dissertation research proposal will analyze two facets of Japanese investment in U.S. manufacturing. First, data on Japanese investment in different states will be statistically analyzed in order to provide a more detailed description and theoretically based explanation of those patterns. Second, an analysis of the ways in which U.S.-based Japanese manufacturers have used materials transfers to integrate themselves into the economy at a number of geographic scales will be based on data gathered through a survey of manufacturing executives. This project will provide direct and indirect benefits. It will contribute to general scientific understanding by providing an empirical analysis of some relevant theories. It will have practical implications through its examination of the geographic patterns of investment and materials linkages of Japanese industrial firms operating in the U.S., and it will provide an excellent opportunity for a promising graduate student to expand and refine his basic research skills.
