Taylor, Bill (1993) Work organisation and management strategies in consumer electronics : theoretical issues and case study evidence. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This thesis is concerned with the patterns of work and employment within foreign
owned multinationals operating in the UK's consumer electronics industry. The focus
is on evaluating current debates on whether there has been any changes or shifts in
relations between capital and labour, which constitute a new paradigm.
There is a growing set of literature which argues that Japanese capitalism is providing
new paradigms for work relations which result in highly cooperative associations
between worker and employer. Much of the evidence for such claims comes from
studies of Japanese owned plants operating in the UK and US. However, there is little
depth to such studies, which mainly consist of interviews with managers or
questionnaires. Through selection of a case study methodology and by critically
assessing the nature of Japanese managerial techniques, this research challenges
fundamentally the 'Japanisation' school. Moreover, the thesis provides contradictory
findings concerning 'flexibility'. More tentatively, the thesis contributes to debates
on labour segmentation based on gender, and on the wider debate around 'new
industrial relations'.
The research was based on four case studies, three Japanese and one European, but
not British, owned plants of large multinational corporations. The headquarters of the
Japanese plants were also visited, as were plants in Japan. More than 50 taped
interviews were conducted with over 100 managers, workers and trade union officials
from the UK and Japan. In addition, factory visits were made at each plant more than
once and often with a almost a year between visits.
The main findings are that the plants did not display any of thefeatures attributed to
'Japanisation', except with the marginal exception of the European plant. Techniques,
such as 'just-in-time' and direct participation between employees and management to
the exclusion of unions, were not in evidence. Instead, management was concerned
with maximising production runs, minimising change and constantly trying to control
workers, who were themselves conscious that for most of them, their work was
repetitive boring and, especially for the women, deskilled.

Item Type:	Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	International business enterprises -- Great Britain -- Management, Business enterprises, Foreign -- Great Britain -- Management, Household electronics industry -- Great Britain -- Management, Industrial relations
Official Date:	November 1993
Dates:	Date Event November 1993 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of Sociology
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Fairbrother, Peter
Sponsors:	Science and Engineering Research Council (Great Britain) (SERC) ; Japan. Monbushō
Extent:	viii, 404 leaves
Language:	eng

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