Introduction: ‘Flexibility’ at Work. Critical Developments in the International Automobile Industry

It is sometimes tempting to describe labour and organisational relations in the international automobile industry as having undergone significant transformations in recent years as if there were ever a period of calm in the sector. Workers and researchers of the industry understand well that the sector has always been a hot bed of technological and social change. The ramifications of changes have always spread widely beyond the reach of the sector. This is true whether we consider the early impact of Ford’s production philosophy or more recent developments associated initially with so-called ‘Japanisation’ and the more recent, and associated ‘lean production’ paradigm. Whether it is education, health or for example, the UK civil service, ideas from the automotive sector have had a controversial impact.1 Yet in stating this by now fairly well accepted observation we would want also to emphasise the notion that the management of labour relations is arguably, the critical factor drawing the interest of actors from a range of other sectors. More than this, we also want to make the point that the major ideas, which arguably defined the progress of the sector from the standpoint of work and employment relations, have carried significant political and ideological consequences.