Drop shipment-type wooden housing projects utilising locally-produced lumbers: Determination of project leaders

In recent years, wooden houses which utilise domestic lumbers have been built in many parts of Japan through drop shipment-type projects. However, it is questionable whether this type of project greatly contributes to the revitalisation of local forest and housing industries, for in many cases, such projects largely rely on the voluntary initiatives of participating actors. This paper will discuss the system of local wooden housing production in terms of supply chain management which is a chain of sequential interdependences over lumbers. It will also attempt to select actors who can effectively lead projects, and evaluate their potential as well as overt leadership by the system theories and social network analyses. How the difference between leading actors can influence the progress of each project within the community will also be discussed from the standpoint of overcoming the immobilisation of the project members.