Human centred systems in the global economy : proceedings from the International Workshop on Industrial Cultures and Human Centred Systems, held by Tokyo Keizai University in Tokyo, 1990

The arrival of the information society in Japan has radically altered the industrial structure, work patterns and cultural values of its society. The innovation and implementation of information technology has accelerated this change and made its effects more profoundly felt. Because of this, there is now a need to widen the debate on human-centred manufacturing systems to include broader issues such as industrial culture, international economies and global knowledge. **Human Centred Systems in the Global** **Economy** contains the proceedings of an international workshop held at Tokyo Keizai University which looked at the design of human-centred systems in the context of these technological and social changes. The workshop attracted contributions from internationally known researchers in Europe, Japan, the USA, South East Asia, Eastern Europe and the USSR. The resulting volume is unique in that it addresses the relationship of information technology to Japanese society as a whole, rather than concentrating on technical issues. The papers have been divided into three areas, covering the structure, dimensions, and policies and perspectives of the information society. Specific areas covered include: social and cultural shaping of technology, economic interdependence, technology and knowledge transfer, computer-aided design, management culture and communication technologies. **Human Centred Systems in the Global Economy** provides a comprehensive assessment of the debates on human-centred systems and will be of interest to people in a wide variety of disciplines including information technology, economic development, management science and related studies of social science and humanities. Front Matter....Pages i-xv Front Matter....Pages 1-1 The Use of New Technologies in the Development of Social Citizenship and of the Welfare State....Pages 3-10 Working Women in Japan — After Enforcement of the Equal Opportunity in Employment Law....Pages 11-20 Adjustment in Foreign Assignment: A Comparative Study of Japanese and American Expatriates in Australia....Pages 21-42 Intercorporate Relations in Japan....Pages 43-49 Social Structure under the New Information Technology....Pages 51-57 Can the Family Survive the New Communications Media? ‘Human Centredness’ and the Challenge of Consumer Technologies....Pages 59-69 Anthropocentric Production Systems in the Context of European Integration....Pages 71-81 The Beginning of the Third Industrial Revolution and Changes in Industrial Sociology: Towards a Better Environment for Man....Pages 83-87 Industry, Culture and Technology Transfer: Contemplation on Recent Changes in China’s Consumption Culture....Pages 89-97 Front Matter....Pages 99-99 The New Shape of Industrial Culture and Technological Development....Pages 101-107 The Coming New Age of Politico-Economic Interdependence in the Global Economy....Pages 109-112 High-Tech Development, Competition, and Industrial Culture in the Age of the Global Economy....Pages 113-121 New Trends in the Producer-Consumer Relationship: A Vital Aspect of Industrial Cultures....Pages 123-130 Impacts of Information Technology on Japanese Industrial Culture....Pages 131-139 Japanese Human Resource Management in the Cross-Cultural Interface: A Case Study of US-Sited Japanese Subsidiaries....Pages 141-151 Industrial Cultures in the Age of the Global Economy....Pages 153-161 Front Matter....Pages 163-163 Theoretical Reflections from Experiences with Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing....Pages 165-178 Human Centredness: A 21st Century Paradigm for Industrial Cultures....Pages 179-198 The Evolution of Information in Human and Artefactual Systems....Pages 199-212 A Conceptual Framework for the Concept of the Artificial....Pages 213-216 Front Matter....Pages 163-163 Dialogue and Design of Computer-Based Technology....Pages 217-228 Applying Human Centred Concepts to the Development of Expert Systems in Manufacturing....Pages 229-247 Anthropocentric Principles - Tools and Organisation of Industrial Design....Pages 249-260 Skill in Software Production - The Deskiller is Deskilled....Pages 261-271