Globalization and Employment Relations in the Auto Assembly Industry: A Study of Seven Countries

Marc Notes: Bibl. ref.; Pub. in assn. with Kluwer Law International. Table of Contents: Notes on Contributors -- Introductory Chapter Globalization, Varieties of Capitalism and Employment Relations in the Automotive Assembly Industry / Nick Wailes, Russell D. Lansbury, Jim Kitay, Anja Kirsch -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Varieties of Capitalism Approach and Employment Relations -- 3. The GERAB Project: Towards a More Dynamic View of Varieties of Capitalism -- 4. The Global Auto Industry -- 5. The Case Studies from Seven Countries -- 6. References -- Chapter 1. Globalization and Employment Relations in the Australian Automotive Industry / Russell D. Lansbury, Jacob Saulwick, Chris F. Wright -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The State and the Australian Automotive Industry -- 3. The Changing Nature of Product Markets in the Australian Automotive Industry -- 4. Production Processes and Productivity in the Australian Automotive Industry -- 5. Labour Regulation in the Australian Automotive Industry -- 6. Work Organization -- 7. Staffing Practices -- 8. Skill Formation -- 9. Wages and Remuneration -- 10. Enterprise Governance -- 11. Conclusions -- 12. References -- 13. Acknowledgements -- Chapter 2. The Changing Nature of Employment Relations in the Chinese Automotive Industry / Shuming Zhao, Jie Zhang, Wei Zhao, Wei Huang, Chris F. Wright, Russell D. Lansbury -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Growth of Chinese Automotive Manufacturing -- 3. The Evolution of Chinese Employment Relations -- 4. A Comparison of Two Auto Companies in China -- 4.1. Work Organization -- 4.2. Skill Formation -- 4.3. Pay and Remuneration -- 4.4. Staffing Arrangements -- 4.5. Union Representation -- 5. Discussion and Conclusion -- 6. References -- Chapter 3. Globalization and Employment Relations in the German Auto Industry / Ulrich Jurgens -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Change Dynamics -- 2.1. Structure of the Industry -- 2.2. Product Markets -- 2.3. Globalization -- 2.4. Costs and Productivity -- 3. Labour Regulation and Employment Relations -- 3.1. Basic Institutional Arrangements -- 3.2. Production System and Work Organization -- 3.3. The Impact of Globalization on Employment Relations -- 3.3.1. Work Organization -- 3.3.2. Skill Formation -- 3.3.3. Wage and Incentive System -- 3.3.4. Agency Work -- 3.3.5. Collective Bargaining -- 3.4. Employment Security and the Spread of Concession Bargaining -- 4. Conclusions -- 5. References -- Chapter 4. The Automotive Industry in Japan / Mitsuo Ishida, Akiko Ono, Naoki Mitani, Yoshinori Tomita, Anja Kirsch -- 1. Introduction: The Japanese Variety of Capitalism -- 2. Staffing Arrangements -- 3. Compensation -- 3.1. The Pay Grading System -- 3.2. The Composition of Pay -- 3.3. Performance and Competency Evaluation -- 3.4. Pay Rises and Promotions -- 3.5. Conclusion: A Paradigm Shift -- 4. The Effects of Globalization on Production -- 5. Enterprise Governance -- 5.1. Union Representation -- 5.2. Labour-Management Consultation -- 6. Skill Formation and Internal Labour Markets -- 7. Work Organization -- 7.1. Project Organization in Development -- 7.2. Module Organization in Production -- 7.3. Quality Management -- 7.4. Improving Efficiency -- 8. Conclusions -- 9. References -- Chapter 5. Globalization and Employment Relations in the Korean Automotive Industry / Byoung-Hoon Lee, Young-bum Park -- 1. Overview of the Korean Auto Industry -- 2. Employment Practice -- 3. Work Organization -- 4. Training and Development -- 5. Compensation -- 6. Enterprise Governance -- 7. Conclusion -- 8. References -- Chapter 6. Lean Production and Employment Relations in the Swedish Auto Assembly Industry / Goran Brulin, Olle Hammarstrom, Tommy Nilsson -- 1. Introduction -- 1.1. Swedish Auto Companies -- 2. Volvo Cars, Torslanda -- 2.1. Car Assembly -- 2.2. Production Teams -- 2.3. Recruitment and Training -- 2.4. Industrial Relations -- 2.5. Pay System -- 2.6. Working Hours -- 2.7. Health and Safety/Work Environment -- 3. Saab Cars, Trollhattan -- 3.1. Production System -- 3.2. Production Teams -- 3.3. Industrial Relations -- 3.4. Pay System -- 3.5. Personnel Policy -- 3.6. Health and Safety -- 3.7. Comments -- 4. Conclusions -- 5. Interviewed Persons -- 6. References -- Chapter 7. Recent Developments in US Auto Labor Relations: The Decline of the Big Three and the United Automotive Workers / Harry C. Katz -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Union Representation -- 3. The Companies -- 4. The Evolving Competitive Environment -- 5. The Recent Downturn at the Big Three -- 6. The Implications of the Recent Declines in Employment at the Big Three -- 7. References -- Concluding Chapter Globalization, Continuity and Change: The Automotive Assembly Industry / Russell D. Lansbury, Nick Wailes, Anja Kirsch -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Case Studies of Employment Relations in the Auto Industry -- 2.1. Work Organization -- 2.2. Skill Formation and Development -- 2.3. Remuneration Systems -- 2.4. Staffing and Job Security -- 2.5. Employee and Union Involvement in Enterprise Governance -- 3. The Impact of Globalization on Employment Relations: Preliminary Conclusions from the Auto Assembly Studies -- 4. References. Contributor Bio:  Blanpain, Roger Roger Blanpain is a Professor at the University of Leuven and Katholieke Universiteit Brussels and is the Editor in Chief of the International Encyclopedia of Laws. Contributor Bio:  Kitay, Jim Kitay is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Industrial Relations, Faculty of Economics, University of Sydney, Australia.