This book sheds insights on GM's failed attempt through the analysis of work organization reforms and labor-management relations on production-system efficiency. The book will be a useful reference for those interested in comparative study of management styles and better understanding of Japanese manufacturing practices.

Kenichi Shinohara is Professor at the Division of Business Administration, Kyoto Sangyo University, Japan.

1. Achievements and problems in American work organizational reform: A case study of the automobile industry 2. The development of seniority rights and establishment of rules for job transfer and promotion in the United States: General Motors Corporation 3. Work organization reform (1): The case of General Motors Plant A 4. Work organization reform (2) 5. GM's Global Manufacturing System (GMS) and the union 6. Conclusion