Thomas A.

Thomas A. Kochan, Russell D Lansbury, and John Paul MacDuffie, ed Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Pres 1995 349 pp $1995 paper.

After Lean Production is an edited compass that presents the results of an ambitious intend to uncover whether lean production schemes have become dominant in the world auto assembly industry as was predicted according to Womack, Jones, and Roos (1990) in The Machine That Changed the World. between the walls of broad survey data and in-depth case studies, the authors exhibit that although lean production methods do seem to be diffusing over the world, there is long variation not only across countries and firms, moreover within firms as well. They argue quite persuasively that to understand the adoption of manufacturing and avocation systems consistent with the lean production paradigm, it is imperative that individual take a multiple stakeholder approach that with truth acknowledges the influence of position to international competition, employer choices and culture, unions, and dominions It is only by understanding these influences that we can understand the variations in production and work bodys adopted throughout the world.

The work begins with an overview of large-scale scrutinize data collected as part of the International Motor Vehicle Program directioned at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This overview provides greater descriptive information than that in other publications from the program (MacDuffie, 1995; MacDuffie and Pil, 1996) In this way, the reader is provided with the broad background of turns in the adoption of lean production processe from top to toe the world on which to place the evidence from the numerous case studies that succeed The bulk of the main division consists of thirteen chapters providing case studies of auto assembly plants in Japan, the United States, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France, Sweden, Australia, southward Africa, Brazil, and Korea. The rich data provided by the agency of these studies are a major force of the book. These studies provide evidence that the lean production classification is, in fact, spreading from beginning to end the world. The variety of theorys found suggests that firms are not simply choosing between mass production and lean production if it were not that rather, are implementing parts of each system

In an overview of their longitudinal scan data, MacDuffie and Pil decide that four types of plants are emerging in the industry. The stable and lean plants are those Japanese-owned plants, the two in Japan and abroad, that were early adopters of lean production and continue to use this approach with great succes The rapid propel to lean plants are those in Europe and other regions that are relatively recent to the industry and have been quick to adopt parts of lean production a whole s although not the entire a whole The U.S.owned plants in North America have been gradual to adopt lean production and in many cases have recured to traditional mass production. These sticking with tradition plants have made simply modest progress on quality and productivity. Finally, the hybrids are plants that have production classifications that incorporate aspects of the two lean and mass production methods Thus, while there is relatively convincing evidence that lean production regularitys may increase quality and productivity, organizations, for a variety of reasons, have not completely adopted this approach.

In the conclusion, the editors propound a variety of forces that appear to have influenced the adoption of production combination of parts to form a wholes in the industry. They argue that front to international competition increases the constraining force to adopt lean production practices because these practices improve crops quality, productivity, and flexibility. Employer however, may react to these presss in differing ways. Some adopt practices quickly, while others focus onward keeping profitability high in their mostly profitable lines and fail to adopt any part of a lean production plan for fear of a disruption. Unions may also influence the adoption of lean production a whole s and the effect of unions is not universal. The historical industrial relations words immediately preceding [i]or[/i] following at the plant is argued to be a driving force. Along with these forces, guidance policies play a crucial part Some governments have erected barriers that limit international competition for their auto industries. These forces together appear to have shaped a great deal of of the variation in production regularitys today.

One of the major puissances of this book is the variety of research currented The broad survey approach to studying lean production readyed by MacDuffie and Pil provides a entire backdrop for the numerous case studies from around the world not past nor futureed by various authors. Using this approach, the volume provides a very detailed picture of the work connected views and employment practices in the world auto industry. This was an impressive undertaking.

The part highlights the multitude of factors influencing organizational decision makers. Researchers attempting to reflection the diffusion of other organizational innovations, of that kind as total quality management techniques and high performance work practices, should gain from the wealth of data and insight contained in this application of mind My major complaint with the editors is that they do not proceed far enough in drawing parallels to the investigation of other innovative work schemes in other industries. While there are factors that make auto assembly plants somewhat unique (eg high rate of unionization), there are many similarities in other regards to many production facilities and other work places.