Varieties of Digitalisation?

It has been observed that automotive firms in Japan follow a distinct approach of using digitalisation, especially in comparison to the German approach towards “Industry 4.0.” Theoretical explanations for the distinct way in which Japanese automotive firms deploy digital technologies in Japan will be explored and contrasted with the case of Germany. As firm strategy appears to differ between different locations, the Varieties of Capitalism (VoC) approach is one analytical lens that may help to understand different firm behaviour and different skill formation approaches towards the use of digital technologies in both countries. While VoC provides some insights, it is nevertheless concluded that more empirical research is needed to link theoretical constructs and actual use cases.