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Volume 13
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10.3390/systems13080723
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Strategy, Structure and Systems: Sun Tzu’s Thinking and the Holonic Network of the Toyota Dealer System (TDS)—A Romanian Case Study

by
Aurel Burciu
1,*,
Carla Alexandra Barbosa Pereira
2,3,
Nicolae-Florin Prunău
4,
Rozalia Kicsi
1,
Denisa-Alexandra Chifan
1,2,3,
Camelia Băeșu
1 and
Alexandra Maria Danileț
1
1
Department of Management, Business Administration and Tourism, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, “Ștefan cel Mare” University of Suceava, 720229 Suceava, Romania
2
Department of Management and Economics, Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6200-209 Covilhã, Portugal
3
NECE—Research Centre for Business Sciences, 6200-209 Covilhã, Portugal
4
Department of Communication Sciences, Faculty of Communication and International Relations, Danubius University of Galați, Galați 800654, Romania
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Systems 2025, 13(8), 723; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13080723
Submission received: 19 July 2025 / Revised: 12 August 2025 / Accepted: 17 August 2025 / Published: 21 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Supply Chain Management)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Globally, 93 million cars are currently produced, with Toyota accounting for about 10% of the global market. However, its position is more modest in the Electric Vehicle (EV) industry. The automotive industry in Romania began at Dacia Pitesti in the 1970s, based on a license obtained from Renault. This research explores how a profound strategic vision, inspired by Sun Tzu’s philosophy, can influence a company’s organizational structure over time. In Toyota’s case, this vision resulted in a dealer network that functions not only as a logistics system but also as a holonic system. The study is based on 194 questionnaires administered by the authors, along with 40 interviews with managers and specialists from Toyota Dealers Romania. Its novelty lies in analyzing the Toyota Dealer System (TDS) through the concept of holonic networks. The study concludes that the success of keiretsu groups is explained by combining Sun Tzu’s thinking with the principles of holonic networks. The findings are valuable both conceptually, for future research, and practically, as they offer clear directions for developing strategies and organizing a company’s market relationships.
Keywords: Sun Tzu’s thinking; systems; holonic networks; Toyota Dealer System; Toyota Romania; automotive Sun Tzu’s thinking; systems; holonic networks; Toyota Dealer System; Toyota Romania; automotive

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MDPI and ACS Style

Burciu, A.; Barbosa Pereira, C.A.; Prunău, N.-F.; Kicsi, R.; Chifan, D.-A.; Băeșu, C.; Danileț, A.M. Strategy, Structure and Systems: Sun Tzu’s Thinking and the Holonic Network of the Toyota Dealer System (TDS)—A Romanian Case Study. Systems 2025, 13, 723. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13080723

AMA Style

Burciu A, Barbosa Pereira CA, Prunău N-F, Kicsi R, Chifan D-A, Băeșu C, Danileț AM. Strategy, Structure and Systems: Sun Tzu’s Thinking and the Holonic Network of the Toyota Dealer System (TDS)—A Romanian Case Study. Systems. 2025; 13(8):723. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13080723

Chicago/Turabian Style

Burciu, Aurel, Carla Alexandra Barbosa Pereira, Nicolae-Florin Prunău, Rozalia Kicsi, Denisa-Alexandra Chifan, Camelia Băeșu, and Alexandra Maria Danileț. 2025. "Strategy, Structure and Systems: Sun Tzu’s Thinking and the Holonic Network of the Toyota Dealer System (TDS)—A Romanian Case Study" Systems 13, no. 8: 723. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13080723

APA Style

Burciu, A., Barbosa Pereira, C. A., Prunău, N.-F., Kicsi, R., Chifan, D.-A., Băeșu, C., & Danileț, A. M. (2025). Strategy, Structure and Systems: Sun Tzu’s Thinking and the Holonic Network of the Toyota Dealer System (TDS)—A Romanian Case Study. Systems, 13(8), 723. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13080723

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