ABSTRACT
In the thirty years 1960–90, the Japanese steel industry moved through a situation of organic compatibility in management to one of contrived compatibility as from the late 1970s. Throughout this period, the British steel industry was experiencing contrived compatibility, but although delayed in terms of technological innovation, its corporate structure was already relatively advanced, owing to the changes it had undergone in its corporate development. Despite its condition of contrived compatibility, the BSC established a production system similar to that in Japan in the late 1970s, and also made certain institutional adjustments, all of which resulted in convergence towards the situation of the Japanese steel industry.
