IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/regstd/v32y1998i7p653-671.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Governing the Workplace: The Workplace and Regional Development Implications of Automotive Foreign Direct Investment in Hungary

Author

Listed:
  • Adam Swain

Abstract

SWAIN A. (1998) Governing the workplace: the workplace and regional development implications of automotive direct foreign investment in Hungary, Reg. Studies 32, 653-671. This paper examines the connections that exist between the workplace implications of automotive foreign direct investment in Hungary and the unfolding uneven development of capitalism in East-Central Europe. It develops a conceptual framework in order to critically analyse the role played by foreign direct investment in the restructuring of the Hungarian space-economy. Drawing on ideas about the governance of socio-economic systems, the paper argues that foreign investments can be conceptualized as a 'site' where the interaction between competing institutions operating at different spatial scales is translated and instantiated in the material and discursive practices which constitute work. In this way factory regimes are nested in a web of interactions which govern industrial and regional change. This approach is used to analyse the different ways in which Magyar Suzuki and Ford Hungaria sought to establish hegemonic factory regimes in their greenfield manufacturing plants by instantiating mechanisms of control in corporate-centred practices such as recruitment procedures, training, and the organization of work and learning. At Magyar Suzuki attempts to establish a hegemonic factory regime were characterized by coercion and were met by workers' resistance whilst, at Ford Hungaria, management sought internalization through consent. The paper suggests that the hegemonic factory regimes which emerged in both plants were constituted by, and constitutive, of an increasingly fragmented Hungarian industrial economy which could constrain the governability of the space-economy. SWAIN A. (1998) Gouverner le lieu de travail: le lieu de travail et les consequences eventuelles pour l'amenagement du territoire de l'investissement direct etranger dans l'automobile en Hongrie, Reg. Studies 32, 653-671. Cet article examine les liens qui existent entre les consequences eventuelles pour le lieu de travail de l'investissement direct etranger dans l'automobile en Hongrie et le developpement irregulier du capitalisme qui se devoile dans l'est de l'Europe centrale. On developpe un cadre conceptuel afin d'analyser d'un oeil critique le role joue par l'investissement direct etranger dans la restructuration de l'economie spatiale hongroise. Puisant dans des idees a propos du 'gouvernement' des systemes socio-economiques, cet article soutient que l'investissement etranger peut etre conceptualise en tant qu'un 'lieu' ou l'interaction des institutions rivales qui fonctionnent ades niveaux spatiaux differents se traduit et se repere par les pratiques materielles et discursives qui constituent le travail. De cette facon, les regimes au sein des usines s'embo L tent dans une toile d'interactions qui gouverne le developpement industriel et regional. On se sert de cette facon pour analyser les diverses manieres dont Magyar Suzuki et Ford Hungaria ont chercheaetablir une hegemonie dans leurs usines situees dans des 'terrains vierges' par la mise en oeuvre des mecanismes de controle dans les pratiques d'une societe, telles les methodes de recrutement, la formation, et l'organisation du travail et de l'apprentissage. A Magyar Suzuki les tentatives d'etablir une hegemonie se sont caracterisees par la coercition et ont eteopposees par les ouvriers, alors qu'a Ford Hungaria la direction a demandel'interiorisation par consentement. Cet article laisse supposer que l'hegemonie qui s'est fait jour dans les deux etablissement a eteconstitutee par et constituante d'une economie industrielle hongroise de plus en plus morcelee, ce qui pourrait entraver la capacitede 'gouverner' l'economie spatiale. SWAIN A. (1998) Auswirkungen auslandischer Direktinvestitionen der Automobilindustrie am Arbeitsplatz und in der Regionalentwicklung Ungarns, Reg. Studies 32, 653-671. Dieser Aufsatz untersucht die Verbindungen, die in Ungarn zwischen Auswirkungen auslandischer Dirktinvestitionen der Automobilindustrie am Arbeitsplatz und der aufkommenden ungleichen Entwicklung des Kapitalismus in Ostmitteleuropa bestehen. Es wird ein konzeptueller Rahmen entwickelt, um die Rolle auslandischer Direktinvestitionen in der Umstrukturierung der Ungarischen Raumwirtschaft einer kritischen Analyse zu unterziehen. In Anlehnung an Gedanken uber die Herrschaft sozialokonomischer Systeme wird die These aufgestellt, dass auslandische Investierungen als 'Standort' aufgefasst werden konnen, an dem die Wechselwirkung zwischen konkurrierenden Firmen, die auf verschiedenen raumlichen Ebenen operieren, in Material und weitreichende Verfahren, welche die Arbeit darstellen, ubersetzt und in ihnen vergegenwartigt werden. Fabrikordnungen werden damit in ein Gewebe von Wechselleitungen eingebettet, die industriellen und regionalen Wandel bestimmen. Dieser Ansatz wird dazu benutzt, die verschiedenen Wege zu analysieren, auf denen Magyar Zuzuki und Ford Hungria versuchen, hegemoniale Betriebsordnungen in ihren "im Grunen errichteten" Produktionsstatten einzufuhren, indem sie Kontrollmechanismen in korporativ verwurzelte Gewohnheiten wie Rekrutierungsverfahren, Ausbildung und die Organisation von Arbeit und Ausbildung unmittelbar einsetzen. Bei Magyar Zuzuki waren Versuche, eine hegemoniale Betriebsordnung einzufu¨hren, durch Zwangsmassnahmen charakterisiert, und stiessen bei den Arbeitern auf Widerstand, wa¨hrend die Betriebsleitung bei Ford Hungria Internalisation durch Zustimmung zu erreichen suchte. Der Aufsatz weist darauf hin, dass die hegemonialen Betriebsordnungen, die sich in beiden Niederlassungen ergaben, Bestandteil der zunehmend fragmentierten Industriewirtschaft Ungarns und sie herbeifuhren, eine Tatsache, welche die 'Regierbarkeit' der Raumwirtschaft stark einschranken konnte.

Suggested Citation

  • Adam Swain, 1998. "Governing the Workplace: The Workplace and Regional Development Implications of Automotive Foreign Direct Investment in Hungary," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(7), pages 653-671.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:regstd:v:32:y:1998:i:7:p:653-671
    DOI: 10.1080/00343409850119535
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00343409850119535
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/00343409850119535?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hans-Werner Sinn & Alfons J. Weichenrieder, 1997. "Foreign direct investment, political resentment and the privatization process in eastern Europe," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 12(24), pages 178-210.
    2. Elmar Altvater, 1998. "Theoretical Deliberations on Time and Space in Post-socialist Transformation," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(7), pages 591-605.
    3. Attila Havas, Attila, 1995. "Hungarian car parts industry at a cross-roads: Fordism versus lean production," MPRA Paper 79305, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. J Hatzius, 1997. "Foreign Direct Investment," CEP Discussion Papers dp0336, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    5. Hatzius, J., 1997. "Foreign direct investment," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 20351, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. David Bartlett, 1996. "Democracy, Institutional Change, and Stabilisation Policy in Hungary," Europe-Asia Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(1), pages 47-83.
    7. Kevin Morgan, 1997. "The Learning Region: Institutions, Innovation and Regional Renewal," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(5), pages 491-503.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Elina De Simone & Marcella D’Uva, 2017. "Social Support, Industrial Parks and FDI Location Choice Across Hungarian Counties," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 133(3), pages 1031-1045, September.
    2. Andrew Hopewell, 2001. "The Changing Spatial Structure Along the Austro-Hungarian Border," NEURUS papers neurusp14, NEURUS - Network of European and US Regional and Urban Studies.
    3. Havas, Attila, 2007. "The Interplay between Innovation and Production Systems at Various Levels: The case of the Hungarian automotive industry," MPRA Paper 52744, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Havas, Attila, 2006. "Private Sector R&D in the New Member States: Hungary," MPRA Paper 55786, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Petr Pavlinek & Adrian Smith, 1998. "Internationalization and Embeddedness in East-Central European Transition: The Contrasting Geographies of Inward Investment in the Czech and Slovak Republics," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(7), pages 619-638.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Enrico Pennings, "undated". "How to Maximize Domestic Benefits from Irreversible Foreign Investments," Working Papers 205, IGIER (Innocenzo Gasparini Institute for Economic Research), Bocconi University.
    2. Brada, Josef C. & Kutan, Ali M. & Yigit, Taner M., 2004. "The effects of transition and political instability on foreign direct investment inflows: Central Europe and the Balkans," ZEI Working Papers B 33-2004, University of Bonn, ZEI - Center for European Integration Studies.
    3. Enrico Pennings & Carlo Altomonte, 2006. "The Hazard Rate of Foreign Direct Investment: A Structural Estimation of a Real‐option Model," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 68(5), pages 569-593, October.
    4. Andrzej Adamczyk & Tomasz Tokarski & Robert W. Włodarczyk, 2009. "Przestrzenne zróżnicowanie płac w Polsce," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 9, pages 87-108.
    5. Engelbert Stockhammer & Stefan Ederer, 2008. "Demand effects of the falling wage share in Austria," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 35(5), pages 481-502, December.
    6. Kirsi Zongo & Mahamadou Diarra, 2022. "Exchange Rate Misalignments, Foreign Direct Investment and Industrial Performance in Sub-Saharan Africa [Désalignements du taux de change, investissements directs étrangers et performances industri," Working Papers hal-03649887, HAL.
    7. Ahmad Seyf, 2001. "Can Globalisation and Global Localisation Explain Foreign Direct Investment? Japanese Firms in Europe," International Journal of the Economics of Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(1), pages 137-153.
    8. Schroder, Philipp J. H., 2001. "On the speed and boundaries of structural adjustment when fiscal policy is tight," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 345-364, December.
    9. Davenport, Sally, 2005. "Exploring the role of proximity in SME knowledge-acquisition," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 683-701, June.
    10. Rehák Štefan & Hudec Oto & Buček Milan, 2013. "Path dependency and path plasticity in emerging industries: Two cases from Slovakia," ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, De Gruyter, vol. 57(1-2), pages 52-66, October.
    11. Kean Birch & Andrew Cumbers, 2010. "Knowledge, Space, and Economic Governance: The Implications of Knowledge-Based Commodity Chains for Less-Favoured Regions," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 42(11), pages 2581-2601, November.
    12. Alexander Cordes & Ulrich Schasse, 2015. "The firm's evaluation of local research institutes and universities - an empirical analysis for Germany," ERSA conference papers ersa15p933, European Regional Science Association.
    13. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Fabrice Comptour, 2010. "Do clusters generate greater innovation and growth? An analysis of European regions," Working Papers 2010-15, Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados (IMDEA) Ciencias Sociales.
    14. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Michael Storper, 2006. "Better Rules or Stronger Communities? On the Social Foundations of Institutional Change and Its Economic Effects," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 82(1), pages 1-25, January.
    15. Emil Evenhuis, 2017. "Institutional change in cities and regions: a path dependency approach," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 10(3), pages 509-526.
    16. Doloreux, David & Parto, Saeed, 2005. "Regional innovation systems: Current discourse and unresolved issues," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 133-153.
    17. Ron Boschma & Ron Martin, 2010. "The Aims and Scope of Evolutionary Economic Geography," Chapters, in: Ron Boschma & Ron Martin (ed.), The Handbook of Evolutionary Economic Geography, chapter 1, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    18. Piotr Zientara, 2008. "Polish Regions in the Age of a Knowledge‐based Economy," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 60-85, March.
    19. Blind, Knut & Grupp, Hariolf, 1999. "Interdependencies between the science and technology infrastructure and innovation activities in German regions: empirical findings and policy consequences," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(5), pages 451-468, June.
    20. Jesús Peiró-Palomino & Andrés J. Picazo-Tadeo, 2018. "Assessing well-being in European regions. Does government quality matter?," Working Papers 2018/06, Economics Department, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón (Spain).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:regstd:v:32:y:1998:i:7:p:653-671. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/CRES20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.