Introduction: beyond Japan, beyond consensus? From Japanese management to lean production, Paul Stewart; a fallen idol? Japanese management in the 1990s, Colin Haslam et al; the changing nature of Japanese production systems in the 1990s and issues for labour studies, Koichi Ogasawara, Hirofumi Ueda; working conditions under lean production - a work-based benchmarking study, Wayne Lewchuk, David Robertson; a new model Ford? Steve Babson; new manufacturing strategies and labour in Latin America, John Humphrey; Volvo - a force for Fordist retrenchment or innovation in the automobile industry? Kajsa Ellegard; the competitivity of the automobile industry - the French way, Jean-Pierre Durand; reactions to the crisis - job losses, shortened working week, income losses and business, re-engineering in the German auto industry, Ulrich Bochum, C. Dorrenbacher; Taylorism, lean production and the automotive industry, Mike Rawlinson, Peter Wells.