Hyperrationality

Historical antecedents and contemporary outcomes within Japanese manufacturing

Bibliographic Data

ID2155231
AuthorsTerm L Lemoyne (University of Maryland, College Park), William W Falk (University of Maryland, College Park), Alan Neustadtl (0000-0002-8497-3226, University of Maryland, College Park)
Year1994
Volume14
Issue3
Pages221-240
Publication date1994-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSociological Spectrum (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0273-2173 • E-ISSN: 1521-0707
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/02732173.1994.9982065
OpenAlexW2063763060
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited49

After World War II, the Japanese began to rebuild industrially by importing American formally rational technologies and fusing them with indigenous ones. Most importantly, they integrated formal rationality with practical, theoretical, and substantive rationalities to produce a “hyperrational” system. The synergy between these four types of rationality produced a level of rationality exceeding that found in formally rational American industry. It is argued that the growth in Japanese manufacturing can be traced to hyperrationality. In this paper, the existence of hyper‐rationality, its implications for the Japanese manufacturing sector, and possible avenues for future sociological research are demonstrated

Economics · Epistemology · Indigenous · Labour economics · Manufacturing sector · Positive economics · Rationality · Sociology · Economic Theory and Institutions · Global trade, sustainability, and social impact · Philosophy · Political Economy and Marxism