Beyond mass production : the Japanese system and its transfer to the U.S.

During the 1980s and continuing into the 1990s, more than 1,000 Japanese firms established `transplant' manufacturing operations in the US. Many of these have been in mature industries like steel and automobiles, but many have also been in high technology industries as well. The success of these ventures is the result of the sweeping revolution in the organization of technology, work, and production that lies at the heart of the Japanese model of production. This book explores the rise of the Japanese model and provides a detailed examination of the processes which have brought about its transfer to the US. It presents new and original data on the extent of Japanese investment in both US heavy industry and high technology. It suggests that Japanese capitalism has developed a new world-class standard of production organization which is transferable and is in the process of being transferred to other advanced industrial nations.