Includes bibliographical references and index.

Four factories: a first look -- The workers: who they are, how they are recruited and trained -- Wages -- Unions: membership and organization -- Industrial relations: mainly England -- Industrial relations: mainly Japan -- Industrial relations: a summ ary -- The enterprise as community -- Authority, function and status -- Two employment systems -- Some implications -- The 'Japanese employment system' and recent trends of change -- Britain catching up? -- The origins of the Japanese employment system -- Late development.