The Labour Impact of Globalization in the Automotive Industry. A Comparison of the Italian, German, Spanish and Hungarian Motor Industries

The automotive industry led the world to a new production paradigm twice in the course of the twentieth century. It switched from crafts to mass production in the 1920s and to lean production in the 1980s and 1990s. Although a large number of key elements in the lean production system have been identified (teamwork, zero buffer principle, total quality control, simultaneous engineering, integrated supply chain, etc.), still lacking is general agreement on the implications for employee relations policies and practices. Consequently, questions about the lean production system require further investigation and different answers. Our comparative analysis reveals an industry in constant evolution. Yet the changes are not restricted to the automotive industry, for they invest the entire productive system: the capitalist use of technology; the close connection between material and immaterial production; the delocalisation process which highlights the importance of the local context in the success of firms; changes in industrial relations and human resource practices, etc. Our research findings allow us to stress that, despite the generalised adoption of lean production techniques, there are marked differences in their implementation among different firms and countries. Nevertheless, not to be disputed is the existence of common tendencies and features emerging from the global competition.