Culture versus organization: Toward the formation of a multi-skilled and self-managed labor force at Honda de Mexico

The research presented here seeks to answer the question of whether Japanese Production Management (JPM)--a system often referred to as a "lean production system"--is transferable into a less-developed economy such as the Mexican automobile industry. If so, then the question of the effectiveness of the transfer of technology, know-how and skills to the Mexican workers and Mexican suppliers will be examined as well. With regard to the transferability of JPM into different socioeconomic settings there are two hypotheses, both of which are inconclusive. Some scholars emphasize the unique social and cultural attributes of the Japanese economy as the basis for the success of Japanese multinational corporations. They suggest that JPM, which is closely bound to its domestic environment, is not adaptable to outside transfer and diffusion. Others attribute the achievements of Japanese multinational corporations to the organizations themselves, which effectively create motivation, responsibility and commitment among the work force. In this view, JPM can be transferred internationally.;This thesis evaluates the latter hypothesis and examines the transfer of JPM to different cultures within advanced capitalist countries and to developing countries. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).