This book, first published in 1983, offers a new explanation for the poor performance of British manufacturing since 1950. Rather than invoke orthodox economic theory or general social factors, the book analyses four national conditions – enterprise control over the labour process; market structure and the composition of demand; the relation of manufacturing enterprise to financial institutions like banks and stock exchanges; and the relation of manufacturing enterprise to government.

This work represents a documentary sourcebook on British economic development during the postwar years. The author provides a balanced overview of contentious themes relating to the context, dimensions, pace and consequences of Britain's relative economic decline since 1945.

First published in 1985, Capitalism and Public Policy in the UK provides a comprehensive account of the development, contemporary character and impact of public policy in the UK. It relates public policy to the distinctive features of capitalism, class relations and the state. The first chapter is used to outline the theoretical framework adopted throughout the book. This sees public policy as strongly influenced by the requirements of the capitalist mode of production, the balance of class forces, historical influences, gender divisions and international relations. Each of the subsequent chapters focuses on a particular area of policy. The relevant theoretical concepts are first introduced followed by an historical account of the development of policy with particular emphasis on the post-1945 period. Where appropriate the impact of a particular area of policy on inequalities of class, gender, race and age is examined. Finally, the impact of each area of policy and the state to the process of economic change, to class relations and to other social divisions. It will be of interest to all those studying the state, public policy and political economy generally.

The West German "economic miracle," Simon Reich suggests, may be best understood as a result of the discriminatory economic policies of the Nazi regime. Reich contends that ideological and institutional characteristics originating under fascism were sustained despite Germany's return to democracy and heavily influenced the economic success of its automobile industry. By contrast, the liberal economic policies of the British state led in time to the decline of an industrial sector that in 1930 had closely resembled its German counterpart. Through detailed comparative histories of German and British automobile firms, Reich challenges traditional explanations of the divergent performances of the two nations' economies and sheds new light on the relationship between state policy and economic success in pre- and postwar Europe. Liberal, nondiscriminatory British policies favorable to multinational investment contributed significantly to the decline of domestic firms, he argues, so that eventually multinationals could threaten the health of the entire British economy by investing elsewhere. The Nazi state, however, thwarted the development of American subsidiaries and fostered a core of producers, government officials, bankers, and labor union leaders.

Britain remains mired in the most severe and prolonged economic crisis that it has faced since the 1930s. What would it take to find a new, more stable and more sustainable growth model for Britain in the years ahead? This important volume written by a number of influential commentators seeks to provide some answers.

This comprehensive and versatile reference source will be a most important tool for anyone wishing to seek out information on virtually any aspect of British affairs, life and culture. The resources of a detailed bibliography, directory and journals listing are combined in this single volume, forming a unique guide to a multitude of diverse topics - British politics, government, society, literature, thought, arts, economics, history and geography. Academic subjects as taught in British colleges and universities are covered, with extensive reading lists of books and journals and sources of information for each discipline, making this an invaluable manual.

This book addresses the widespread concern regarding British industry's ability to compete internationally. Through an analysis of the UK automotive components sector, the author examines the central issues at the core of the competitiveness debate and outlines why there has been such a widespread and severe decline in the performance of British manufacturing. It draws on findings from visits to thirty British manufacturers and also to thirty overseas manufacturers in Germany, the USA and Japan, matched on a product basis to allow comparisons and a genuine international perspective. The author concludes that competitive decline is due, in part, to a weakness in the strategic management capability of many UK companies, and also to the lack of adequate co-ordination and co-operation between customer and supplier industries. Dr Carr identifies the remaining areas of vulnerability and priorities for action, and finally considers the implications for Britain's overall competitiveness.

This book provides a comprehensive study on the development of the British economy from early eighteenth century onwards.

Many people in the UK, and in other mature economies, are bewildered by the erosion of indigenous manufacturing that has taken place since the 1980s, and before. While a number of economic historians have examined this decline, to reveal the economic causes, little has been made of the underlying national and corporate cultures affecting a single corporation, in this case one comprising all of UK indigenous volume motor manufacturing. John Fenton studied the writings of researchers who have observed manufacturing decline since the Industrial Revolution, to make a case for the redirection of the culture (ways-of-life) of national and industrial leaders in order to help bring about industrial revival. New Ways for Indigenous Manufacturing recognizes the very positive contribution to the UK economy of foreign direct investment (FDI) transplants, but past applications of FDI have also yielded negative effects on native industry. The book reminds politicians of some of these dangers, and hopefully restores public confidence in them, with a promise that some patented technologies could be held by start-up companies, for national rather than overseas exploitation.

First published in 1989, The Competitiveness of European Industry helps in developing our understanding of the process of improving and measuring industrial competitiveness. The contributors focus on the competitiveness of European industry. Three main topics are discussed: the concept of competitiveness itself; what can be learned about competitiveness at the level of an individual national economy; and processes and strategies in forms which might contribute to improved competitive performance. The first two papers critically assess concepts and measures of national competitiveness and review the performances of the economies of Britain, France, and the Federal German Republic. Then follow accounts of industrial competitiveness in three smaller economies (Belgium, Switzerland, and Sweden), which develop a series of methods and techniques for the analysis of industrial structures and indicate significant policy implications. The three concluding papers look at the competitiveness of British industry at the firm level, focusing on the strategic changes, the competitive process, and technical innovation. This book will be of interest to policy makers, business school teachers, and researchers in the area of strategy, industrial economics, organization behaviour, and innovation management.