A feminist critique of Japanization: Employment and work in consumer electronics

The debate over lean production and Japanization has now matured, with a broad range of perspectives and analysis. Through analysis of the central role women's labour plays in Japanese-owned enterprises, this article will provide a critical discussion of Japanization. Japanization is neither a sufficient explanation of the nature of workplaces in which women work, nor a necessary goal for labour management in Japanese-owned enterprises. Using extensive ethnographic field research drawn from studies in Japan and the UK in Japanese-owned enterprises and a European-owned enterprise engaged in television assembly, this article argues that there is no aspect of it which it would be appropriate to label Japanization. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2006.