Olympus fiasco strengthens case for Japan reform 17 Oct 2011 Naming foreigner Michael Woodford to run the company was part of a grudging shuffle toward accountability. Firing him six months later suggests an allergic reaction. It’s a setback for Olympus, whose shares have plunged, but will only increase the heat on Japan’s conservative boards.
Japan’s LCD bailout puts state in reformist role 1 Sep 2011 Its big manufacturers have long placed job security over profits. So Tokyo has devised a face-saving way for Hitachi, Sony and Toshiba to spin off their ailing LCD units. A state-funded joint venture subsidizes R&D - and the social cost of consolidation that companies fear most.