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maquiladora |
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factories built by U.S. companies in Mexico near the U.S. border, to take advantage of much lower labor costs in Mexico |
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Industrial Revolution |
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a series of improvements in industrial technology that transformed the process of manufacturing goods |
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bulk-reducing industry |
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an economic activity in which the final product weighs less than the inputs |
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bulk-gaining industry |
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an economic activity in which the final product weighs more than the inputs |
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break-of-bulk point |
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a location where transfer among transportation modes is possible |
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labor-intensive industry |
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an industry for which labor costs make up a high percentage of total expenses |
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textiles |
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a fabric made by weaving, used in making clothing |
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cottage industry |
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manufacturing based in homes rather than in a factory, commonly found before the Industrial Revolution |
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right-to-work laws |
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require a factory to maintain a so-called "open shop" and prohibit a "closed shop" |
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new international division of labor |
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transfer of some types of jobs, especially those requiring low-paid, less-skilled workers, from more developed to less developed countries |
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outsourcing |
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turning over much of the responsibility for production to independent suppliersF |
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Fordist production |
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form of mass production in which each worker is assigned one specific task to perform repeatedly |
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post-Fordist production |
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adoption by companies of flexible work rules, such as the allocation of workers to teams that perform a variety of tasks |
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