VW's modular system and workers' organization in Resende, Brazil
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4817014 |
|---|---|
| Authors | José Ricardo R Ramalho (0000-0002-4855-6687, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro), José Ricardo Ramalho, Marco Aurélio Santana (0000-0002-3181-6964, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro) |
| Year | 2002 |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 756-766 |
| Publication date | 2002-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Urban and Regional Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0309-1317 • E-ISSN: 1468-2427 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/1468-2427.00416 |
| OpenAlex | W2090381719 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 6 |
| References cited | 3 |
This article discusses the changes taking place in the Brazilian vehicle assembly industry of the 1990s with particular reference to the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It focuses upon a case study of Volkswagen's bus and truck assembly plant, opened in 1996, and its workers at Resende. The experience of the `modular system' of production has been presented as a major development in vehicle assembly. The article analyses the originality of VW's new form of organization of production and the strategy of the firm to look for localities with weak labour unionism. It also argues that despite the difficulties the local union faced in its attempts to intervene in the process of wage bargaining and to influence the management of aspects of production, there has been a rapid process of mobilizing the new workers for effective labour union action.L'article traite des transformations intervenues dans l'industrie automobile brésilienne dans les années quatre-vingt dix, avec une attention particulière pour l'Etat de Rio de Janeiro. Il s'attache à l'usine d'assemblage que Volkswagen ouverte en 1996 à Resende pour y assembler des véhicules industriels. Cette expérience de production modulaire a été présentée comme une innovation organisationnelle majeure dans l'industrie automobile mondiale. Le texte met en évidence les spécificités de la nouvelle organisation de la production et la stratégie de localisation de la firme fondée sur la recherche d'espaces d'implantation à faible activisme syndical. Il montre que malgré sa faiblesse initiale et une intervention réduite dans la négociation salariale et l'organisation du travail, une mobilisation rapide des nouveaux travailleurs a permis la reconstitution d'un mouvement syndical actif
Art · Economics · Economy · Humanities · Political science · Asian Industrial and Economic Development · Global trade and economics · Labor Movements and Unions
Novas Fábricas, Velhas Práticas
Administrando Parques Industriais De Autopeças No Brasil
The changing geography of the European automobile system
Regional Restructuring of the Škoda Auto Supplier Network in the Czech Republic
Mobile Professionals and Metropolitan Models
Modeling firms in the global economy
| Unique citing works | 6 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,27 |
| Citation span | 2004 - 2020 (17) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |