10 Introduction
residential strategies aiming to act in response to vital environmental protection issues.
This study gives an overview of the strategic approach that involves different
instruments implemented by Karuizawa decision-makers, including diverse tax rates,
management fees and prices addressed respectively to local residents and vacation
homeowners. It is worth emphasizing that this approach is based on the cooperation
of residents and non-residents. Furthermore, the author compares the Japanese resort
with Martha’s Vineyard, a US island, which represents the opposite approach, where
the local residents play a crucial role in the island’s environmental issues.
The final chapter of the monograph examines communication issues related to the
cultural diversity of clusters, starting with a presentation of crucial assumptions that
clusters are nowadays a specific combination of enterprises, science, and local
authorities, which is considered a determinant of innovation and competitiveness
growth involving associated companies and the hosting regions. Moreover, the
clusters stimulate the information flow and the exchange of experience and
knowledge between the participants. However, efficient communication may be
potentially disrupted since the involved companies originate from culturally diverse
regions and countries. This chapter aims to present these communication issues
related to the existence of cultural differences in clusters by giving the example of
the Toyota cluster – a Japanese cluster located in Poland.
The composition of the chapters reflects the complexity of tendencies that take place
in a globalized world economy. The presented deliberations, studies, conclusions,
and recommendations are the results of scientific research conducted by Polish and
Japanese economists. Moreover, this monograph could not be developed without the
international cooperation between researchers from the Asia-Pacific Research Centre
at the Wroclaw University of Economics and Business and the Takasaki City
University of Economics.
Being a mosaic of diverse research subjects, this book is dedicated to readers who
look for multidimensional insights into the modern trends and phenomena occurring
in the global economy. Considering the broad spectrum of the discussed issues, this
monograph is recommended to students of economics who want to acquire
knowledge about the selected tendencies, to researchers who would like to broaden
their knowledge in the area of current trends in the globalized world economy, as
well as entrepreneurs and business practitioners seeking information about the
cultural aspects of the global economic phenomena.
The authors of the introduction firmly believes that this monograph will provide
readers with valuable information about the events and trends observed in this
century and contribute to deepening the debate about the influence of selected
aspects of globalization on the modern world economy.
Bogusława Drelich-Skulska
Mami Hiraike Okawara
