Global Restructuring and Non-Standard Work in Newly Industrialised Economies: The Organisation of Flexible Production in Hong Kong and Taiwan

Abstract

The post-war economic performance of the East Asian newly industrialised economies — Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan — has been remarkable. This so-called ‘East Asian miracle’ has sparked off a race among observers — academic and journalist — to find the winning formula behind their success. Many different accounts have been offered, including macro-level analysis of global economic restructuring, micro-level discussion of economic culture, the role of the capitalist developmental state and the forces of the market.¹ Yet, despite the fact that research on East Asian development has come to constitute a growing industry of its own incorporating a wide array of research areas, few attempts have been made to look at the organisation of production in these societies.² This neglect is problematic and reflects the lacunae in the existing literature on East Asian development. Very often, the focus of discussion is placed on mechanisms external to the organisation of economic activity, such as the developmental state, economic culture, global division of labour or the market. The implication is that one can unravel the secrets of economic success in the East Asian economies without knowing the organisational basis of the economic activities on which competitiveness rests.