Journal of Management Research

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

The Beginning and End of Primitive Flexible Manufacturing System


Affiliations
1 Faculty of Management Studies University of Delhi, Delhi
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Industries of developed market economies experienced a structural transformation in the form of a shift from the use of methods of mass-production or Fordist methods to modern flexible method of production. The shift in the organization of production led to several studies, which examined the historical process, which reduced the popularity of methods of mass-production and paved the way for the adoption of flexible methods of production. However, there is a paucity of studies, which describe and analyze the method of organization of production that existed prior to the emergence of methods of mass-production. Present study is a modest attempt to expose the students and researchers of management to that system and explain the historical process, which led to its origin and subsequent decline. The system has been defined here as primitive flexible system of production, because the only characteristic which distinguishes the modern flexible methods of production from primitive flexible method of production is the level and the complexity of the technology being used.

Keywords

Fordism, Modern Flexible Production System, Proto-industry, Premitive Flexible Production System
User
Notifications

  • Amin, Ash (ed) (1995), Post Fordism-A Reader; oxford Blackwell

  • Ashton, T.S. (1925), Ricords of Pin Manufactory 1814-1821, Economica Vol. 5: 279-299.

  • Ashton, T.S. (1926), The Domestic System in Early’s Lancashire Tool Trade, Economic History Review 1: 120-145.

  • Babbage, C (1971), Economics of Machinery and Manufactures, Kelly Fairfield, New Jersey

  • Bayer R and Yves Saillard (eds) (2002), Regulation Theory State of Art Introduction; Routledge, London and New York.

  • Berg M. et al (1980), Manufacturing in Town and Country Before the Factory; Cambridge University Press, UK.

  • Berg, Maxine (1993), Small Producers Capitalism in the 18th Century England; Business History 35(1): 17-39.

  • Boyer R (1990), The Regulation School – A Critical Introduction, Columbia University Press, NY.

  • Braverman, Harry (1974), Labour and Monopoly Capital – The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth century, Monthly Review Press, New York.

  • Braverman, Harry (1989), The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth century; Monthly Review 41(5): 35-47.

  • Brisco, S (1982), Emilian Model-Productive Decentralization and Social Integration; Cambridge Journal of Economies 6(2): 210- 233.

  • Burke, Peter (1979), The New Cambridge Modern History, Vol.XIII (Companion Volume), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England.

  • Burt, Roger (1998), Proto-Industrialization and “Stages of Growth” in the Metal Mining Industry, Journal of European Economic History 27(1): 85-104.

  • Caton, Hiram (1985), Pre-Industrial Economics of Adam Smith; Journal of Economic History 45: 833-853.

  • Chaynov, A. V. (1968), The Theory of Peasant Economy (Edited by D.Thornen, B. Kerblay and R.E.F. Smith); Homewoo. Ill.

  • Cippola, Carlo M (ed) (1974), Fontana Economic History of Europe Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century; Fontana Books, Glasgow, UK.

  • Coats, A W (1958), Changing Attitude to Labour in Mid Eighteenth Century; Economic History Review (2nd Series) 11: 46-58.

  • Coleman, D.C. (1983), Proto-industrialization – A concept Too Many; Economic History Review 36: 435-448

  • Coriat, B (1980); The Restructuring of Assembly Line – A New Economy of Time and Control; Capital and Class 11: 34-43.

  • Dobb, Maurice (1956), Studies on the Development of Capitalism, Routledge and Kegan Paul, London

  • Dundas, Nola Hewitt (1997), Corporate Flexibility – A comparative Analysis of Small Firms in Northern Irland and Massachusetts; Avebury, Aldershot

  • Earle, Peter (ed) (1974), Essays in European Economic History 1500-1800, Oxford University Press, London.

  • Fei, John and Gustav Ranis (1989) Economic Development in Historical Perspective, American Economic Review, Paper and Proceedings 49:366-400

  • Frenderberg, Herman and Redlick Fritz (1964), Industrial Development of Europe – Reality, Symbols and Images, Kyklos 17: 372-402.

  • Harrison B. (1994), Lean and Mean – The Changing Landscape of Corporate Power in the Age of Flexibility, Basic Books, New York.

  • Harvey, Daniel (1989), The conditions of Post Modernity- An Enquiny into the Nature of Cultural Change, Basil Blockwell, Oxford.

  • Hicks, J.R. (1965), Capital and Growth; Oxford University Press, London

  • Hill, Chritopher (ed) (1967), Reformation to Industrial Revolution, Vol. 11, Penguin Books, Harmondworth, UK.

  • Hirst, P and J Zeitlin (1991), Flexible Specialization versus Post Fordist Theory, Evidence and Policy Implications, Blackwell, Oxford

  • Hobsbawn, E.J. (1954), The General Crises of European Economy in the Seventeenth Century; Past and Present 5: 33-53.

  • Houston, R. and K. Snell (1984), Proto-industrialization, Cottage Industry, Social Change and Industrial Revolution, Historical Journal 27: 473-492.

  • Jorberg, Lennart (1975), Proto-Industrialization an Economic Historical Figment, Serial and Economic History Review 5: 33-52.

  • Kenny M and R Florida (1993), Beyond Mass Production; Oxford University Press, London

  • Kindleberger Charles P(1976), Historical Background: Adam Smith and Industrial Revolution, in Thomas Wilson and Andrew

  • Skinner (eds), The Market and the State-Essays in Honour of Adam Smith, Oxford University Press, U.K.,

  • Knudsen Daniel C.(1996), The Transition to Flexibility; Kulwer Academic Press, Harwell, Mass

  • Kriedite, P, Medick, H. and Schlumbohem J. (1981), Industrualization Before Industrial Revolution (Translate from German by Beate Schenpp) Cambridge University Press, UK.

  • Landes, David (1998), The Wealth and Poverty of Nations, Abacus, New York.

  • Lewis , W.A. (1954), Economic Development with Unlimited Supply of Labour; Journal of Manchester School of Economics and Social Studies 22:139-192

  • Lewis, Gwynne(1994), Proto-Industrialization in France; Economic History Review 47:150-164.

  • Markusen, A.R. (1994), Sticky Places in Slippery Space: The Political Economy of Post-war Fast Growth Region, State University of New Jersey, Brunswick, NJ.

  • Mathias, Peter (1959), The Brewing Industries in England 1700-1830; Cambridge University Press, UK.

  • Medick, Hans (1994), Proto Industrial Family Economy –The Structural Function of Household and Family During Transition From Peasant Society to Industrial Capitalism, in Church R.A. and E.A. Wrigley (Generral Edtions), Industrial Revolution, Blackwell, Oxford.

  • Mendels, Franklin F (1972), Proto-Industrialization – The First Phase of Industrialization Process, Journal of Economic History 32: 241-261.

  • Miller, J.R. (1969), A Reformulation of A.V. Chaynov’s Theory of Peasant Economy; Economic Development and Cultural Change 28: 209-220.

  • Nelson, Elvyn Gibson (1930), The Putting out system in English Framework-Knitting Industry; Journal of Economics and Business History II: 480-492.

  • Piore, M.J. and Sable C.F. (1984), The Second Industrial Divide, Basic Books, New York.

  • Pollard, Sidney (1968), The Gensis of Modern Management, Penguin Books, U.K.

  • Postan M.M. and E.E.Rich (1952), Cambridge Economic History of Europe, Vol. II, Cambridge University Press, London.

  • Ricardo, David (1963), Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, Irwin, Honewood, Ill.

  • Rosenberg Niathan (2000), Charles Bebbage in Conplex World, in David Colander (ed), Complexity in History of Economic Thought, pp. 37-57, Routledge, London and New York.

  • Rosenberg, Nathan (1976), Perspectives on Technology; Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (Mass).

  • Schremmer, Eckhart (1981), Proto-Industrialization – A Steps Towards Industrialization, Journal of European Economic History 10: 660-690.

  • Schumpeter, J.A. (1954), History of Economic Analysis, New York.

  • Seth, Vijay K (2001), Flexibility Paradigm and Restructuring of Labour Markets in Developed Market Economies, Journal of Management Research 3: 223-248.

  • Seth, Vijay K (1998), Structural Adjustment Programme and Restructuring of Corporate Sector in India, Paper Accepted for Presentation at the annual conference organized by the IABS at San Francisco, USA.

  • Seth, Vijay K (2001a), Crises in Fordism and Post Fordist Scenarios (Mimeo); Faculty of Management Studies; University of Delhi, Delhi.

  • Seth, Vijay K. (2002), Primitive Flexible to Modern Flexible Manufacturing and the Process of Skilling and Deskilling of Labour, The Indian Journal of Labour Economies 44(4): 1175-94.

  • Seth, Vijay K.(1987), Industrialization in India - Spatial Perspective; Commonswealth Publication, Delhi.

  • Seth, Vijay K.(1994); Labour Market Restructuring and Structural Adjustment Programme in India; Indian Journal of Labour Economies 37(4): 523-534.

  • Smith, Adam (1961), An Inquiry into the Nature and causes of the Wealth of Nations, Methuen, London

  • Thirsk, Joan (1994), Industries in the Country side, in church and Wrigley (eds) above.

  • Tilly, C. and R. Tilly (1971), Agenda For European Economic History in 1970’s, Journal of Economic History 31: 186-210.

  • Weber, Max (1927), General Economic History (Translated by Frank Knight), Greenberg, NY.

  • West E.G. (1976), Adam Smith: The Man and His Work; Liberty Press, Indanapolis, Indiana.

  • William K. et al (1987), The End of Mass Production, Economy and Society 16: 405-439.

  • Wilson Charles (1994), Entrepreneurship in the Industrial Revolution, in Julian Huppit and E.A. Wrigley (eds), The Industrial Revolution in Britain, pp. 305-321, Blackwell, Oxford, UK.

  • Womack J.P. and D. J. Jones (1996), Lean Thinking-Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation; Simon and Schuster, New York.

  • Womack J.P. et al (1990), Machines That Changed The World –The Story of Lean Production; Rawson Association, USA.


Abstract Views: 360

PDF Views: 1




  • The Beginning and End of Primitive Flexible Manufacturing System

Abstract Views: 360  |  PDF Views: 1

Authors

Vijay K Seth
Faculty of Management Studies University of Delhi, Delhi

Abstract


Industries of developed market economies experienced a structural transformation in the form of a shift from the use of methods of mass-production or Fordist methods to modern flexible method of production. The shift in the organization of production led to several studies, which examined the historical process, which reduced the popularity of methods of mass-production and paved the way for the adoption of flexible methods of production. However, there is a paucity of studies, which describe and analyze the method of organization of production that existed prior to the emergence of methods of mass-production. Present study is a modest attempt to expose the students and researchers of management to that system and explain the historical process, which led to its origin and subsequent decline. The system has been defined here as primitive flexible system of production, because the only characteristic which distinguishes the modern flexible methods of production from primitive flexible method of production is the level and the complexity of the technology being used.

Keywords


Fordism, Modern Flexible Production System, Proto-industry, Premitive Flexible Production System

References