IWASAKI Yoko
| IWASAKI Yoko |
| [Belonging・Position] | Middle Eastern Studies Group, Area Studies Center ・Director |
| [Research Field] | Iran, Economics (mainly on Iranian economic institutions and markets) |
| researchmap | Profile Information (Research history, education, papers & publications) |
Previous research
Since joining the Institute of Developing Economies in 1991, I have been focusing on the economic practices of ordinary people in Iran. My research themes include the inherent state of Iran’s industrial organizations, the functions of the external traders that support it, the characteristics of domestic distribution systems, and the usufruct trading practice in commercial areas. My major interest is studying the business conventions and customs of owners of small and medium-sized enterprises, intermediaries, and merchants, with the aim of elucidating their socio-economic functions and significance as well as their historical and cultural backgrounds. By combining the knowledge gained from fieldwork with literature research on related legal systems and the like, I try to be observant of both spontaneously generated economic systems and formal frameworks.
Current research projects
Globalization is driving the integration of industries and markets worldwide, accompanied by vulnerability in terms of fairness and sustainability of resource allocation. Although Iran has failed to keep up with the global trend because of political circumstances, we can nonetheless find institutional clues and ideas within its local, self-sufficient economic system that curbs excessive competition and wasteful consumption. From that perspective, this study focus on topics such as (1) the analysis of “isolationist” behavior patterns in the management strategy of typical Iranian enterprises, (2) factors of market openness in the Iranian economy, and (3) the relationship of Islamic commercial ethics with monopolies, oligopolies, and cartels. Through these investigations, I will continue to consider the new corporate images and economic systems of the 21st century.