ABSTRACT
This paper aims at focusing on critical factors in the evolution of the 'Japanese Model' of production management and industrial relations, against the background of recent trends in technology and the market. The assessment of continuity or change in manufacturing practices will mainly refer to a 'paradigmatic' case, represented by the so-called 'Toyota Production System'. A preliminary discussion of its main features and its representativeness, with respect to a more general framework of Japanese industry, will thus be briefly considered.
