oothold in the United States. To launch its American start-up, Mazda, unlike its larger Japanese competitors, required a solid American customer base which Ford provided. For Ford, the local manufacture by Mazda of Ford Probes to be marketed by Ford promised to satisfy a growing market niche which Ford could not then supply at reasonable cost. The price of Ford's cooperation was Mazda's acceptance of Ford's union, the United Auto Workers ("UAW"). The UAW viewed Mazda's entry as an opportunity to prevent further erosion of its membership base. The UAW and Mazda struck a deal which afforded Mazda the flexibility it needed before it would transplant its production practices to the United States.
All sides to the controversy which ultimately developed stood to benefit from the smooth and relatively painless adaptation of Mazda's system of production to the United States. Under such propitious circumstances, the problems which Mazda encountered at Flat Rock might be viewed as temporary "start-up" difficulties which will work out over time. However, the book convincingly argues that the Flat Rock experience exemplifies a deeply rooted conflict of societal values, philosophies and customs c
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