chapter 20
....................................................................................................................................................HRM AND
CONTEMPORARY
MANUFACTURING
....................................................................................................................................rick delbridge
20.1 Introduction
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
Therelative importance of manufacturing to advanced mature economies has
become one of intense debate. There are those of the view that the very marked
decline in employment numbers in manufacturing in countries such as France,
Germany, Japan, the UK, and the USA is an appropriate and eYcient response to
the increasing globalization of the supply of manufactured products.^1 Nevertheless, it
remains the case that the world’s leading economies retain strengths in key industrial
sectors and are actively seeking to further develop their presence in emergent markets
such as, for example, biotechnology and communications technologies.
The world’s major industrial companies are increasingly hybrid enterprises,
providing a range of services but retaining control over the manufacture of
goods. Multinational corporations have sought out cheaper locations for their
Thanks to the editors and colleagues, in particular Paul Edwards and Jon Morris, for comments and
advice. The support of the ESRC/EPSRC Advanced Institute of Management Research is also
gratefully acknowledged.
(^1) Figures for OECD countries show that two thirds of employees work in the service sector (OECD
2000 ). Fewer than one in seven UK workers is employed in manufacturing.