岡山大学経済学会Acta Medica Okayama2433-41465712025イノベーションの発生源研究の再検討120ENQiHuangDaijiFujii10.18926/OER/69001 本論文は，イノベーションの発生源に関する先行研究を振り返り，「いつ」「どこで」「誰によって」イノベーションが生み出されるのかを理論的に考察することを目的とする。考察の結果，「B to B」の文脈においては，イノベーションの発生源が企業ユーザーへ移行するメカニズムとして，取引コスト理論，期待利益仮説，情報粘着性の仮説，企業内部の独自能力（吸収能力），および外部の産業構造（製品アーキテクチャ・エコシステム）といった複数の要素からなる経済的合理性の観点から分析されていることが明らかになった。一方，「B to C」の文脈では，エンドユーザーがイノベーションに向かう動機として，「ニッチ市場に対するメーカーの消極的な対応」「創造的活動の楽しさ」「ユーザーコミュニティとの繋がり」「知識・スキルの向上」など多種多様な要素が存在し，中でも創造的活動の楽しさが根源的な動機づけの1つであると確認された。一方で，イノベーターを突き動かす心理的要因をブラックボックス化したまま放置することは，単なる知的好奇心の問題に留まらず，社会科学としての経営学にとっても重要な問題であると考えられる。今後のイノベーションの発生源研究においては，起業家をはじめとするイノベーター個人の心理的側面にいかに目を向け，創造的活動におけるポジティブな感情が働くメカニズムをイノベーションの発生メカニズムにいかに位置づけるか，その研究アプローチの提示が求められる。No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学経済学会Acta Medica Okayama2433-41465622024なぜ中間組織が必要なのか116ENDaijiFujiiTamakoOshima10.18926/OER/67705 This paper challenges a fundamental question, ‘Why is an intermediate organization necessary?’ Due to transaction costs and market failures on the one hand and the limitations of organizational control mechanisms on the other hand, many‘ intermediate organizations’ are observed in the real world. How can we tackle to explain the governance mechanism considered to be‘ intermediate?’
If we are to discuss such socioeconomic orders, this paper assumes that we should not be able to link micro-level explanations and macro-level ones concerning the third mode of governance mechanisms all at once. We need to stick to the meso-level at fi rst. The theoretical elaboration since Ouchi’s（1980） discussion of clan-type governance and cumulative empirical research on industrial agglomerations have allowed us to construct a more sophisticated theory called community capital.
In effective communities, members are ‘embedded as insiders’ who serve the purpose of the community, share experiences of failures and successes, and find and deepen their common identity. This limited membership is bound by‘ mutual trust to rely on each other’ for‘ distribution of short-term risks.’ In contrast to social norms that need to be abstract enough to be widely shared, the communal norms that are concrete enough to allow the members to understand without hesitation how they should behave in localized contexts are cumulatively cultivated along socializing process. Among the norms, sense of mutual obligation to incur intermittent costs for the whole community is a crucial norm for the sustainable development of the community. However, as a practical matter, membership control, mutual trust and short-term risk allocation may serve the communities in the short run, but they do not guarantee long-term accumulation of shared capital. As a result, the limits of community capital may need to be discussed once again, especially today when market liquidity is increasing, and its failures tend to become more apparent in a variety of areas.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学大学院ヘルスシステム統合科学研究科Acta Medica Okayama2436-3227420242023年度における「先進病院実習」の取り組み3139ENMizukiMORITAFaculty of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama UniversityTomoakiMORIFaculty of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama UniversityToshiakiAIDAFaculty of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama UniversityToyohikoWATANABEFaculty of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama UniversityDaijiFUJIIFaculty of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama UniversityNahokoHARADAFaculty of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama UniversityReiHAKAMADAFaculty of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama UniversityYasuyukiYOSHIBAFaculty of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University10.18926/interdisciplinary/66896No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学経済学会Acta Medica Okayama2433-41465522023地方公共サービス革新プロセスの視座の構築114ENDaijiFujiiHiroshiKanaji10.18926/OER/66033 When local governments develop public services, they often experience innovation processes. More often, the innovation processes referred to here seem to be the perceived needs for transformation faced with external pressures and the purposive responses to them. This article tries to depict this discourse from a different viewpoint. One of the perspectives that has been proposed so far is that the external environments are made up of multiple actors, and that the historical backgrounds and the relationships between these actors affect the structure of administrative organizations and the methods of providing public services. The transformation processes could be one-time events no matter how long the processes may take, but this article tries to argue they may connote a circular mechanism where both of the administrative organizations and the external actors feedback to each other. In order to elaborate this direction of theorizing, three steps are employed by applying existent literature of various types developed in rather a broader context of social sciences. First, if one of the goals of postmodern theorization is liberating the psychological energies of actors from the cramped social reality that structuralists postulated, then Actor-Network-Theory may be useful. Second, according to Sarasbathy’s research on entrepreneurial behaviors, the view that we effectuate our future through what we can do now is attractive in order to create a new discourse of social innovations, where we appreciate them as not springing out of nowhere all of sudden. Third, once this article accepts polyphonic views on social realities where congested discourses interact during abovementioned process, the role of civic entrepreneurs on the frontline can never be overstated enough. This is because such civic entrepreneurs could cooperate with minority opinions and raise them into broader contexts of dialogues within societies.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学経済学会Acta Medica Okayama2433-41465512023小田なら著『〈伝統医学〉が創られるとき：ベトナム医療政策史』（京都大学学術出版会，2022年）7787ENHiroshiKinoshitaDaijiFujii10.18926/OER/65686No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学大学院ヘルスシステム統合科学研究科Acta Medica Okayama2436-322722022ビジネスケース：島根県隠岐郡海⼠町の⾏政改⾰19ENToshimitsuTsutsuiSatosho Town Hall, General Affairs Division, ChiefDaijiFujiiFaculty of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University10.18926/interdisciplinary/63465The Oki Islands, located about 60 km off the coast of the Sea of Japan, north of Shimane Prefecture, constitute an administrative division called Oki District. One of the four manned islands, Nakanoshima, which has an area of 33.43 ㎢ and a circumference of 89.1 km, is called Ama Town as a basic municipality, and it is said that about 7,000 people lived around 1950 at its peak time. The number is, however, currently less than 2,300. The population by over 60 reaches 47.73% and the islanders call this situation a "microcosm of Japan." The climate is relatively warm, and it is a semi-agricultural and semi-fishing island. As is often the case, a traditional local food became the detonator of the island revitalization. The recent popular souvenir "Sazae Curry" was once a home-cooked dish for the islanders using turban shells and delivers the exquisiteness particular to the land and nostalgia of a sort. This is, however, memorabilia of the old days when the "Sazae" was a substitute meat for unwealthy fishermen. Today, on the contrary, the island's agriculture, forestry and fisheries has become known to deliver local specialities such as Oki beef of range cattle, farmed rock oysters from the natural coves, and squids that utilize the latest quick-freezing technology, etc. This economic restructuring is not the only achievement that the administrative reform of Ama Town has demonstrated, which also covers local finance and public education. As a business case, this paper provides a clearer picture of the process of the reform that was initiated in 2000s by the former town mayor, Michio Yamauchi.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学大学院ヘルスシステム統合科学研究科Acta Medica Okayama2436-322712021ビジネスケース：しまなみ海道の観光資源化2128ENHikariNakaoJapan Broadcasting CorporationDaijiFujiiGraduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University10.18926/interdisciplinary/61887The Shimanami Kaido Expressway was visioned as a national project in the early 1970s after two tragic maritime accidents in the Setouchi Inner Sea. Since the express way connecting several islands between Hiroshima and Ehime prefecture was placed in use in 1999, it has always been a valuable means of transportation for islanders and commuters to date. In addition, with the proactive efforts made by local governments, such as Imabari City, Onomichi City, let alone with the central and prefectural governments, it has come to be acknowledged to be a sanctuary for sport cyclists. Eventually, it attracts attentions from all over Japan as a successful benchmark for both businesspeople as well as policy makers who are interested in destination management practices as part of promotion policies of reginal economies. This eventual success, however, had not been envisioned as such for a long time since the commencement of its public usage. It would rather seem that the plan had taken on its shape after a long period of many twists and turns. Furthermore, while local governments have been closely cooperating with different types of stakeholders including the actual islanders to promote the development plans, their ways of thinking are still far from unanimous. The purpose of this article is to provide business and policy students with materials that draw lessons for viewing lengthy socioeconomic processes like this case which eventually converted a nation-level, large-scale infrastructure development plan into an area-specific destination management project.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学大学院社会文化科学研究科Acta Medica Okayama1881-1671462018日本型知識創造の理論構築を目指して111ENDaijiFujii10.18926/56341No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学経済学会Acta Medica Okayama2433-41465022018多数派内少数者の影響力：予備的考察110ENKakeruMoriyaDaijiFujii10.18926/OER/56317No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学経済学会Acta Medica Okayama0386-30694822016インタビュー録 ： GaN系青色LED開発の先駆者Herbert Paul Maruska博士 （2）5565ENDaijiFujii10.18926/OER/54707No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学経済学会Acta Medica Okayama0386-30694812016インタビュー録：GaN系青色LED開発の先駆者Herbert Paul Maruska博士（1）6177ENDaijiFujii10.18926/OER/54475No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学経済学会Acta Medica Okayama0386-30694712015資源循環型経済へのパラダイム転換試論： プラスチック製食品用トレーの事例分析1530ENDaijiFujii10.18926/OER/53549No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学経済学会Acta Medica Okayama0386-30694622014社会福祉協議会による災害復旧・復興支援活動：岡山県から宮城県への職員派遣の事例233253ENAkiraYoshidaDaijiFujii10.18926/OER/53106No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学経済学会Acta Medica Okayama0386-30694532013`Flexible Specialization' Revisited: A Case Study of Denim Jeans Production in a Japanese Industrial District1731ENDaijiFujiiGraduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Okayama University10.18926/OER/52079No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学経済学会Acta Medica Okayama0386-30693612004『ファイナル・ファンタジー』の誕生―株式会社スクウェアによる家庭用ゲーム・ソフト開発の事例―4162ENDaijiFujii10.18926/OER/40522No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学経済学会Acta Medica Okayama0386-30693732005研究開発におけるインセンティブ－青色LED 裁判のケーススタディ－1331ENDaijiFujii10.18926/OER/40513The purpose of this paper is to bring an institutional perspective onto the recent debates about incentive planning for R&D workers in Japan. This purpose is fulfilled through a case study of the recent civil trials in which an ex−employee as a plaintiff claimed any compensation for the corporate in−house inventions about blue light emitting diodes (LED). As long as technical achievements are to belong to an individual worker, the incentive planning which his or her employer may design will have to face two difficult tasks. Firstly, marginal analyses commonly applied in micro economics have certain utilities under the strict assumption of decreasing returns to productive inputs, but not applicable, in principle, to R&D activities. It is because such features as experiential learning and teamwork by technical professionals may increase returns to marginal inputs of technical labor. Secondly, negotiation transactions on the arms lengths basis are alternatively applied instead of the first, but incur many transaction costs between opportunistic players. Recent Japan seems oriented toward the second planning arrangement, but this paper suggests that the economic assessments of corporate in−house inventions should be complemented by peer reviews on the
expectation that professional communities of technical experts share certain paradigms to tell us which inventions are more nascent and valuable and which are not. So far, it is said that these peer reviews have been submitted to courts after plaintiffs file complaints for compensations, but preliminary reviews at the time of patent applications may effectively decrease the probability of unexpected lawsuits and reprieve undue legal costs.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学経済学会Acta Medica Okayama0386-30693712005The Birth of “Final Fantasy”: Square Corporation6388ENDaijiFujii10.18926/OER/40488No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学経済学会Acta Medica Okayama0386-30693712005ゲームソフト開発における戦略オプションの選択1934ENDaijiFujii10.18926/OER/40446The purpose of this paper is to examine one of the functions which entrepreneurs may play in the course of industrial development through a case study of Japan’s RPG development race. As Japan’s toy manufacturers often said, their market was characteristic of its small size and considerable demand volatility in comparison to other consumer products. Entrepreneurs must have seen any commitment to a cutting edge product, video games, as only a gamble and therefore behaved in a trial−and−error way. Furthermore, judging from the fact that no one could imagine the video game would come to turn over ¥1500 billion in 20 years, the firm level trial−and−errors and their subsequent variety of strategies on the industry level must have been the key to understand the unexpected market growth and technical evolution. However, recent management thoughts told us that the strategic variety in an industry could be possibly indulged by various pressures towards homogeneity. Such counter powers are referred to as organizational isomorphism, strategic bandwagon effects and so on. To examine those pressures which drive entrepreneurs back and forth towards strategic variety, this paper looks at the structural characteristics which underlie the way entrepreneurs see things in an uncertain environment. The case analysis takes the view that the video game industry was so uncertain that nothing could affect so deterministically entrepreneurs’ behaviours other than their perceptions. As a conclusion here, this paper points out some tradeoffs underlying the two different strategies which the twin peaks of Japanese RPG producers, Square and Enix, employed to meet with the uncertainty of the infant RPG market. It also argues that these tradeoffs based on two different perceptions might have kept their startups from the isomorphic indulgence. As a more prospective argument, questioned is the quality of strategic variety which is often deemed as an unquestionable remedy to industrial stagnation.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学大学院社会文化科学研究科Acta Medica Okayama1880-847682010経営学における比較事例研究法に関する一考察 (2)120ENDaijiFujii10.18926/20307No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学経済学会Acta Medica Okayama038630693842007経営学における比較事例研究法に関する一考察（１）3950ENDaijiFujii10.18926/OER/12408本稿は，経営学の分野で，比較事例分析という研究方法が，どのように理論産出に貢献しうるかを考察することを目的とした作業の一部である。
経営学の文脈では，実証的研究方法として事例研究が頻繁に実施されている。しかしながら，成果として提出される理論がどの程度妥当なものと認められ得るのかについて，常に批判に晒されるリスクを負っている。単純ではあるけれども，もっとも強力な批判の矛先は，ごく少数の事例を見ただけ
では，仮説の検証という意味では心もとない，というその一点に向けられている。確かに事例研究に対する擁護者は存在するけれども，投稿論文でも「仮説」という用語を論文に用いるや否や，匿名査読者から例外なく容赦ない批判を浴びせられるのが現実である。
そもそも事例研究は，仮説の普遍的妥当性を主張するものではない。登場する行為者の目的や動機，さらに行為者間の相互作用過程にまで踏み込んだ，内部一貫した論理展開を行うことのほうが，経営現象をより深いレベルで理解できるはずだという認識が，その主張の根底に流れている。事例分析を行う研究者は，仮説の検証ではなくて，理論産出を目指すのが良いと言い換えられるかもしれない。この目的に照らせば，既存の研究蓄積との対比で問題が提起され，理論的主張に対して事例記述が例証と位置づけられることによって，事例研究は成り立つことになる。
ただしその主張にたどり着くまでの調査過程で，どのような問題を提起し，どのような主張を展開すべきなのかに迷ってしまうことがある。というのは，しばしば事例記述のためのデータ収集には長い時間と多大な労力がかかるために，どこに向かうべきなのか「腹を括る」よりも前に実質的な試行
錯誤を始めざるを得ないからである。
毎日図書館に通って，高度経済成長の最中に出版された（しかも開けばまだ真新しい）新聞の縮刷版をひっくり返したり，やっとの思いでキー・パーソンへのアクセスがかなったにも拘わらず，気の利いた質問のひとつもぶつけられずに悔しい思いをしたり，調査協力者に内容確認を依頼した結果，公表を辞めるよう求められたり，どこに向かうとも知れない憂鬱な作業は続く。さらにその事例については他の誰よりも詳しく通じてしまった結果，理論的な整理が付かないまま膨大な事実を草稿の中で列挙してしまうというのも，多かれ少なかれ誰にでもあり得る。これらのことが定性的な研究方法は「職人仕事」であると皮肉られる理由にもなっており，とくに仮説検証を重視する人々にとっては，追試可能性の低さと結びつけて，格好の批判材料を提供することになる。本稿の意図が，こうした見解に加担することではないのは言うまでもない。しかしながら，筆者自身が事例研究を行う立場だからこそ，それがあまりに感性とか根性論に訴えねばならないもののように思われて，歯がゆい思いをすることも多いのである。
以上のような試行錯誤のプロセスは，研究者として駆け出しの間は当然避けられないものだけれども，標準的とは言わないまでも「何かしら有意義な理論の産出に辿りつくまでに最低限やっておくと良いこと」という意味での研究作法があればこそ，研究者コミュニティ全体での知識の効率的蓄積が可能というものである。その研究作法が，産出された理論の確からしさを一定程度保証してくれる方法論的配慮がなされたものであれば，より望ましい。
ここで有用なアドバイスが，グレイザー・シュトラウス（１９６７）に求められる。理論産出に主眼を置き，「理論的サンプリング」による絶えざる比較法を用いることで，研究者の着眼は理論的にも有
意味な構成概念へと昇華させることができると示唆されている。理論的サンプリングとは，まず十分な分散を確保したデータがあることを前提としたランダムサンプリングとは対照的に，理論的に有意義と考えられる比較対象を分析者が意図的に選択し，比較分析を何度も繰り返すことで，新たな構成
概念を発見するというものである。
ただし残念なことに，この文献は一読して理解できるという性質のものではない。読者が自らの経験や知識を当てはめながら少しずつ解釈を加えていかないことには，著者の豊かな含意を捉え損なうものである。そこで筆者は，いくつか参考になりそうな文献を渉猟しながら，比較作業が理論の産出
という研究作業にどのような指針を与え，最終的な理論的主張に対して方法論的な正当性をどのように与えうるのかを議論することにした。
筆者自身は経営学を専攻としており，グレイザーらは医療現場を分析対象としている社会学者であるので，両者の認識ギャップを埋める作業は容易ではない。いくらか遠回りのようではあるけれども，まず本稿では経営学者としてグレイザーらの所論に依拠しつつ，実際に比較事例研究を実践した
研究者の著作に当たることから始めようと考えている。続いて次稿以降では，グレイザーらの研究領域である医療現場の社会学を対象にして，彼らの意図するところをより深く掘り下げていくことを予
定している。最終的には，筆者自身の立場を明らかにする作業が必要になるけれども，それはもう少し先のこととなろう。
本稿は，いわば先人の研究実践を事例研究することを通じて，筆者なりの研究作法を探る試行錯誤プロセスの一環であり，相撲で言えばぶつかり稽古のようなものである。No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学経済学会Acta Medica Okayama038630693922007産地力の持続メカニズムの探求 ジーンズ製販ネットワークのフィールド調査（１）120ENDaijiFujiiHisaoTomaeTomoyukiYamamotoJiroInoue10.18926/OER/12407本稿は，岡山大学経済学部と(財)岡山経済研究所の共同研究プロジェクトの一環として行われた調査研究の報告書に加筆修正を加えたものである。その報告書は，会員組織である岡山経済研究所の会員向け冊子として配布される予定であり，それとは別に経営学などの研究者に向けて成果を公表することが，本稿の目的となっている。紙幅の制約上，いくつかの独立した論考としての体裁をとりながら連続して掲載する予定であり，その構成は以下の通りである。No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学経済学会Acta Medica Okayama038630693932007産地力の持続メカニズムの探求 ～ジーンズ製販ネットワークのフィールド調査（２）～2342ENDaijiFujiiHisaoTomaeTomoyukiYamamotoJiroInoue10.18926/OER/12400本稿の目的は，産地型集積の維持・発展メカニズムの分析に先立つ予備的作業として，三備地区が他の繊維・アパレル産地に比較して産地力の持続に成功していることをフィールド調査を通じて考察することである。これに必要な作業としてまず，デニム・ジーンズの歴史や，ジーンズの消費財としての特殊性，三備地区がジーンズに出会ってから今日に到るまでの大きな流れなどを掴む。また倉敷市児島地区を中心とした製販ネットワークの現状を具体的に報告する。前稿で述べたように，産業集積にアプローチするうえで比較優位説を展開した「ヘクシャー＝オリン定理」を採用するのと並行して，Porter（１９９０a，１９９０b）が前提するようなプレイヤーの自律的行 為能力を重視したいというのが，本研究の立場であった。ヘクシャー＝オリン定理を適用すると，綿花の産地であった三備地区で綿素材を中心とした繊維・アパレル産業が形成されたことを理解しやすいであろうし，時代の変化に応じて企業が戦略的に経営の舵を切る様子に着目し，児島地区を中心とした製販ネットワークを産地型集積の一例として捉えることもまた有意義な作業であろう。ジーンズ産地の持続・発展のメカニズムを考察するとき，さらに一歩踏み込んで既存の産業集積論では説明しきれない部分を探し出し，より包括的な理解を構築したいと考えている。そこで＜実践コミュニティ＞という新しい視座の導入を試みるのだけれども，具体的には，産地内の企業間の切磋琢磨や競争的な試行錯誤が，ジーンズ産地の持続・発展に影響を与えた可能性を探求したいと考えている。ただしその分析作業は，次章以降の課題である。本章では，既存の理論を若干意識しながら，まずデニム・ジーンズや三備地区の簡単な歴史を振り返り，ジーンズ固有の厚地，芯白，綾織といった特性について説明し，三備地区が綿花の産地から紡績，織物，縫製など繊維産地へ発展した流れを追う（第２節）。続いて，企業が戦略的に経営の舵を切っていく「ジーンズ国産化」の流れを追う（第３節）。すなわち他のアパレル製品と比較してデニム・ジーンズの最大の特徴であり，またアメリカのジーンズには本来なかった洗い加工技術を中心にして，三備地区のジーンズ作りに対する取組みを概観する。続いてインタビューを通じて得られた三備地区に関するイメージを報告する。まず集積の主体である企業群を大きく３つの業態に分割し，それらの特徴を理念型として整理し，それぞれのメリットとデメリットを報告する（第４節）。続いて集積メリットのひとつとして，若手経営者の起業を促す要素を考察し，どのような試みが展開されているのかを報告する（第５節）。No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.岡山大学経済学会Acta Medica Okayama038630693942008産地力の持続メカニズムの探求 ～ジーンズ製販ネットワークのフィールド調査（３）～177187ENDaijiFujiiHisaoTomaeTomoyukiYamamotoJiroInoue10.18926/OER/12383This paper is the final report of our field research of the denim Jeans value chain network in the Setouchi district. Based on the argument delivered in our earlier reports, we now concentrate on the mechanism which underlies the survival of the district under the fierce global competitive pressures. We suggest that local economies such as ours full of small and medium sized producers of denim jeans tend to have individualistic industrial climates. Textile converters and fashion designers and the like do not hesitate to learn from their competitors by imitation. This is because they usually receive training on commercial knowledge and technical skills through their actual daily jobs instead of formal education at professional schools. Imitation is not only an important part of their professional learning, but also one of effective ways to save experimental costs to raise numerous ideas and prototype new products. This tendency creates a certain level of homogeneity of product designs, which also creates certain pressures for the manufacturers to differentiate themselves from their own competitors. Under this anbivalent iudustrial climate, the manufacturers
seek their uniqueness through improvised reinterpretation of the original product designs. This uniqueness which creeps in the imitation process may come from the recent movement where some of young and entrepreneurial startups and the like acquire deserted production capacities that used to be owned by older generations. Faced with the recent fierce competitive pressures, such old generations have lost their motivation to continue their business and deserted their production facilities. The younger generation gives lives to such facilities and receives wider learning opportunities and flexible production capabilities under the new low−volume diversified production paradigm. Under this new circumstance, planned obsolescence of products becomes common and overall design and production capabilities are deemed to evolve quite quickly and effectively.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.