The New Division of Labor as Lean Production

Abstract

This issue of the International Journal of Sociology (IJS) focuses on lean production in the global economy. Given the muted reception of lean production in sociology, in this introduction I describe structural changes that led to lean production, how different versions of the division of labor have emerged, and how lean production has been implemented in different industries around the world. The four articles in this issue examine as-yet unanswered questions about this new division of labor. They investigate a combination of three important processes: (1) the spread of lean production beyond the United States and Japan into France, Canada, Mexico, and China; (2) the use of lean production in the services industries; and (3) an assessment of whether lean production is good for workers, society, and management.

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