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£57.95 / US$99.95  

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This book is about global restructuring and what it actually means for firms in high-wage economies. Its specific purpose is to analyse and assess how firms in one labour intensive industry have responded to the globalisation of production. The increased competitive pressures and lowering of trade barriers have forced many firms to dramatically rethink how they organise production. Some have resorted to off-shore manufacturing, some have looked to new technology to automate key factors in the production process. Still others have exploited local labour market changes and sought a competitive edge through processes of systematic intensification of work effort. The similarities and differences in these strategies are analysed, and explanations for the identified patterns of restructuring are offered. The consequences of these changes for the organisation of work and the structure of the firm are also explored.

Reviews
‘... astonishing ... a valuable contribution to the general debate on restructuring and questions the general applicability of the paradigm of "flexible specialization" to this particular industrial sector.’ Carola Frege, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

‘The strengths of this volume lie in its sharp analysis, and its valuable comparative focus ... workers and union activists reading this book will get a clear idea of the pressure faced by their employers ... this volume is well worth reading by anyone interested in the garment industry ... it provides a useful model of restructuring, refined by empirical cases, that could be applied to many other situations.’ Work and Occupations, International Sociological Journal

‘This collection of papers seeks to analyse and explain these complex restructuring process by investigating the impact of the global changes on the clothing industries ... this is a readers text.’ Economic Outlook and Business Review

Contents
Restructuring clothing; De-regulation, diversity and decline: the UK clothing industry in transition; Backwards into the future: new technologies and old work organization in the US clothing industry; A difficult path to recovery: new strategies for the Finnish clothing industry; Dwarfs and giants maintaining competitive edge: the Italian textile clothing industry in the 1990’s; Production, organization and technological change: the German clothing industry in international competition; In search of competitive advantage: contemporary change in the Japanese apparel industry; Making sense of strategies for survival: clothing in high wage economies.

£57.95 / US$99.95  ISBN: 1 85972 584 8  1997  232 pages  Hardback

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