A survey of the development of the automobile industry from its origins to the present in a perspective informed by current upheavals in markets, technology and work organization. The volume examines the international diffusion of the Fordist model, Fordism being the manufacture of standardized products using special-purpose machinery and unskilled labour. The book goes on to consider how far the recent changes in the industry mark a break with Fordism and draws on the implications for industrial relations and trade union strategy.

This important collection presents in two volumes the most significant papers on the history of mass production and highlights crucial debates in the attempt to understand the phenomenon and its social and economic effects. The selection focuses on six important themes. Volume I opens with an exploration of the antecedents to mass production and an investigation of the mechanical, economic and social roots of the transformation in production methods at the beginning of the 20th century. The following section examines the emergence of 'Fordism' and the fundamental elements of the new system. The final section describes the extent to which mass production has spread through the wider economy and the ways in which it has changed in the process. In Volume II, the first section covers the impact of mass production on work and the workers. The second section looks at how Japan has exploited the principles of mass production and may indeed have evolved a new form of productive organisation. The concluding section raises the question of whether in the late 20th century the dominance of mass production is in decline.

First published in 1991. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Recent years have seen intense debates among management and academics on the rise of `lean production' and `Japanization'. This book examines in detail the actual practice of transfer and adaptation of productive models into the auto industry. Case studies cover in detail the Japanese transplant experience in North America, and the global experience of hybrid production systems in Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

This important collection throws light on the historical development and evolution of the economy, society and institutions in post-war Japan. It covers trends in economic development and looks at areas such as the debate on the role and significance of industrial policy; the evolution of financial and banking systems; the changing patterns of labour relations; land reform and agricultural change; and the broader economic and social structures of modern Japan. This two-volume set brings together the significant articles around these themes, including less well-known work first published in Japan. It will be an essential reference work for scholars and students of history, economics, political science and Asian studies.

This annotated bibliography contains over 4,000 entries providing detailed information on books, journal articles, and theses in Business History worldwide. The coverage includes works published in the United States, England, France, Germany, Japan, Sweden and Italy; all are annotated in English. Entries cover a wide range of industries, from agricultural engineering to toys, weapons engineering, and wholesale distribution. Specific companies mentioned are indicated at the bottom of each annotation. Using the Standard Industrial Classification System, the book details:
*Exploitative Industries
*Traditional and Heavy Industries
*Light Industry
*Trade and Distribution
*Financial Services
*Other Services (including Health and Transportation)
*Corporate Structures
*Management and Entrepreneurship
The works listed in the "International Bibliography of Business History" will be found in almost any college library and will be used by every student, teacher, and librarian working in the field of Business.

The crucial role of employers and managers in the development of industrial relations has been the focus of much recent research. However, there remains little consensus on key issues such as the determinants of managerial strategies, or employers' contributions to differing national patterns of industrial relations. "The Power to Manage" argues that many of these difficulties stem from the limitations of the theoretical frameworks within which the research has been carried out. Both functionalist and evolutionary perspectives subordinate managerial choices to the pressures of the market or the broader patterns of business development. In consequence, these approaches cannot explain the persistent diversity of employers' labour policies or the prevalence of contradictory and incoherent strategies. Taking the characteristic features of British industrial relations as a point of departure, the contributors to this volume present detailed empirical studies of employer labour policies in a variety of countries. These establish a comparative-historical framework within which the characteristics of British developments can be evaluated and explained. This book should be of interest to ad

First published in 1985, this multi-author volume discusses the contentious issue of the relationship between shop floor bargaining and the state. Previous studies of this area tended to focus on macro-economic concerns and labour legislation, avoiding a more empirical approach that would draw out specific examples of the relationship. The seven essays in this text attempt to redress the balance through rigorous analysis of historically particular circumstances and events. In doing so, they show that the state is not always the defender of managerial centralisation and give examples of government intervention to the benefit of shop floor autonomy. This highly informative volume draws attention to the contradictory and ambiguous nature of industrial relations, and will be of value to anyone with an interest in politics and economics.

This authoritative collection presents the key contributions on the economic history of Japan from the Meiji Restoration to the Second World War. It covers broad patterns of economic development and also focuses specifically on the zaibatsu and Japanese management techniques; technology transfer; banking and financial systems; labour, education and human capital; the economic role of Japanese women; and the economic dimensions of imperialism and war. This two-volume set brings together important texts around these themes, including less well-known work first published in Japan. It will be a valuable reference work for scholars and students of history, economics, political science and Asian studies.

During the 1920s, the "black decade" of British steel, nearly everyone agreed that the industry's revival depended on replacing obsolete equipment and instituting modern technologies that would increase production and decrease costs. Despite consensus, these goals were not reached and, even after wartime and postwar reconstruction needs were met, the industry continued its steady decline. Steven Tolliday advances three hypotheses for this stagnation. First, the problems of British steel, Tolliday suggests, were embedded in the structures of individual firms and of the industry as a whole-both unchanged since the prosperous years of the nineteenth century-and after World War I fractured by conflicting interests (share holders, managers, family members, bankers, creditors). Second, the two external institutions that might have enforced reorganization and modernization-the banking system and the government-were overcautious, had complex and contradictory goals, and lacked the management skills to exploit their potential financial leverage. Third, the many attempts at reform by banks and government collapsed because these establishments, like the industry itself, were constrained by traditions and antiquated structural rigidities. This excellent example of a new direction in business history-analysis of a given industry by conveying the interaction of technology, markets, companies, financial institutions, and government-brings many important theoretical questions into focus and also contributes substantially to the scrutiny of specific problems, such as why the British economy appears to be in irrevocable decline.