ABSTRACT

This chapter offers a framework for interpreting the diffusion of work practices associated with Japan to other capitalist societies. We begin by discussing our theoretical perspective, which argues that the organization of the labour process within capitalism is neither entirely context bound nor context free. We argue that the ‘organization versus culture’ (Florida and Kenney 1991) and the ‘Japanization’ versus ‘lean production’ debates (Womack et al. 1990; Oliver and Wilkinson 1992) are needlessly dualistic in their treatment of contextual conditions and/or universalizable work practices. Our argument is that practices identified with Japan are simultaneously the embodiment of general economic efficiencies, culturally specific institutional supports and dominant best practices of a powerful economy (Smith and Meiksins 1991).