A Sociology of Work in Japan

The emergence of Japan as an economic superstate in the 1970s was regarded as a miracle by western governments. How could a country so severely beaten in 1945 have achieved so much within twenty-five years? Clearly there was much to learn from the Japanese about industrialisation and labour relations. Work and Economic Organisation in Japan provides a comprehensive, introductory overview of the 'world of work' in Japan. It looks back at post-war Japan to analyse the development of industrial relations and the Japanese style of management. It then moves on to consider the changes that took place in the early nineties when disillusionment set in and unemployment and economic insecurity became facts of life. Underlying the discussion is a challenge to the celebration of Japanese management practices which has dominated the literature for the last three decades. This is an important and groundbreaking book for students of sociology and economics.