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This book discusses continuous improvement strategies of Japanese convenience store operators. The study highlights the efforts of companies operating under lean management systems to identify new, dynamic, firm-specific capabilities in highly competitive markets.

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Introduction Theory and Research Methodology Historical Overview and the CS System New Challenges in a Dynamic Environment New Developments in Recent Years Discussion of Rigidities and New Approaches Conclusion

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DAVID MARUTSCHKE Associate at J.D. Power Asia Pacific in Tokyo, Japan. He graduated in International Business Administration and Japanese Studies at Tübingen University, Germany. For his PhD thesis and research he was based at the German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ), Tokyo, and at Kyoto University, Japan, as a JSPS scholarship holder.

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