A Multi-Attribute Product Life-Cycle Approach to Replacement Decisions: An Application of Saaty's System-With-Feedback Method

The lack of investment in new manufacturing technology compromises the long-range competitiveness of a manufacturing company. The choice of appropriate manufacturing equipment is an extremely important management decision. This paper presents a multi-attribute approach to equipment replacement decisions based on the product life-cycle. The problem is formulated using the System-With-Feedback (SWF) model developed by Saaty [10]. Saaty's model is particularly suitable tor the modeling of time-dynamic and tnieraciive elements of such replacement situations.     

Relating strategy and structure to flexible automation: A test of fit and performance implications

This study analyzed various strategy and structure choices to determine their fit relationship with flexible automation (FA). ¹Using the moderator hypothesis, we proposed that the more strategy and structure choices complemented FA's competences, the higher would be the performance impact of FA. Data from 87 FA users indicate that quality and flexibility strategies, described as complementary to FA's strengths, interact positively with FA. Low cost strategy, described as conflicting with FA, interacts negatively. Organic structure, viewed as complementary to FA, has only main effects whereas a mechanistic structure interacts negatively. At the manufacturing level, skill diversity and team approaches, considered as complementary to FA, interact positively. While a subgroup analysis of high-low performers lends additional support to these relationships, analysis of industry subgroups indicates that some relationships are industry specific. We discuss the implications of these findings for research and practice.     

The effects of the keiretsu on the export performance of Japanese companies: help or hindrance?

This study investigates the effect that membership in a financial keiretsu has on the export performance of Japanese manufacturing companies. Companies that belong to one of the six major financial keiretsu are found to have lower export ratios than similar companies who are not members. The negative effects of keiretsu membership appear confined to producer goods companies where intergroup linkages such as preferential trading relationships are tightest. Additional evidence from the producer goods sector showing that keiretsu members do less well on other measures of company performance supports the argument that the cartel-like properties sometimes ascribed to the keiretsu actually reduce competitiveness, thus dampening export performance. In general, the data do not support recommendations that non-Japanese companies might look to keiretsu-type alliances as an organizational strategy that will lead to competitive advantage in global markets. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

加入WTO以来中国制造业国际竞争力的实证分析

本文利用最新的统计数据对中国加入WTO以后国际竞争力的现状及变化趋势进行了实证研究，得出如下结论：加入WTO以后中国制造业的国际竞争力有较大程度提升．这主要是由于中国制造业的竞争优势在不断提升。比较来看，制造业的比较优势在加入WTO后提升则不明显。     

Capacity decisions and supply price games under flexibility of backward integration

A key issue in supply chain design for manufacturing firms is how to make a trade-off between strategies of vertical integration and outsourcing. A two-echelon supply chain model with one supplier and one manufacturer is set up to study this issue. The manufacturer makes decisions on two types of capacities, one is core capacity that cannot be outsourced, the other is non-core capacity on which the manufacturer implements a strategy that includes three options—complete, partial or no outsourcing. Such a strategy is referred to as “flexibility of backward integration”. Optimal capacity decisions of the manufacturer are given and the supplier's pricing strategies are discussed. Managerial implications of partial outsourcing are investigated. The impact of the flexibility of backward integration is presented and finally, supply chain coordination is analyzed.     

A marginal analysis guided technology evaluation and selection

Making decisions on strategic investments, such as early stage manufacturing technology (MT), is a complicated task. Early stage technologies are usually costly, and surrounded by uncertainty. The potential benefits are often hard to quantify prior to implementation. Thus, how could managers make good decisions in a high-risk, technically complex business when the information they need to make those decisions comes largely from the project champions who are competing against one another for resources? Traditionally, in this problem domain, decisions are made based upon gut-feeling and past experience, sometimes with the support of some multi-criteria decision-support tools. The criteria evaluation process is very subjective and relies heavily on managers’ experience, knowledge, as well as intuition. Thus, the evaluation approach is often not effectively carried out as there is lack of visibility and traceability in the decision making process. The impact of this scenario is that managers are not confident that resources are being optimised and applied to a mixed portfolio of projects to maximise benefits. This paper proposes a marginal analysis directed branch and bound approach for evaluating and selecting early stage manufacturing technology (MT) projects. A case study is used to demonstrate the application of the proposed approach. Implications of the proposed approach to practitioners and academia are discussed and future research outlined.     

European Economic Community industrial research priorities for the early 1980s

Respondents claimed that European effort on basic research rnay have so diminished that the long-term competitiveness of its industries is endangered. They saw a major role for the Commission in redressing this imbalance. There was little support for Commission sponsorship of applied industrial research. Some respondents felt that this could even be counter-productive by diluting effort in areas seen as important by industrial management. A role was seen for the commission in supporting more research on the legislative context and general environment in which industry operates ('contextual research'). The need for such research imposes a growing burden on industry and diverts scarce resources from work directly related to competitiveness.
A study sponsored by the Commission of the European Communities aimed to identify the types of R & D activity in aid of European industry that the Commission might support over the next three or four years. The findings are based on interviews with senior managers from some fifty firms, representing eight sectors of manufacturing industry in five European countries.     

Manufacturing strategy: Defining the missing link

The primary objective of strategy is to develop and support a lasting competitive advantage. In manufacturing industries, substantial focus has been given during the early eighties to the importance of the manufacturing function's contribution to overall corporate success, and yet the apparent lack of attention (historically) to achieving that potential contribution. In this article, characteristics of competitive advantage in manufacturing firms are described, a general framework for relating such advantage to corporate, business and functional levels of strategy is given, and an approach for pursuing that potential is outlined.     

评价中国制造业国际竞争力的实证方法研究--兼与波特指标及产业分类法比较

本文应用内容分析法,对近年来发表在国内权威和核心期刊上有关中国制造业国际竞争力评价的重要实证文献进行了回顾与综述,分析了这些实证研究中存在的问题和可取之处,并就两个关键点进行了探讨一是在进行产业国际竞争力的评价时,应该如何选取方法和指标;二是在对中国制造业的国际竞争力进行实证研究时,应当采用何种产业分类法。经过对产业竞争力四个层次的划分及与波特方法的比较,得出对中国制造业的国际竞争力进行评价的方法结论以产业利润率、全球市场份额和劳动生产率/平均工资率三者为评价指标;用相当于ISIC二分位的国内28个制造业部门进行产业分类。     

面向低收入群体的商业模式创新

对企业的BOP战略与面向BOP市场的商业模式创新问题的研究，不仅具有重大且长远的经济意义和社会意义。而且还有重要的理论价值。本本从战略目标的视角将企业的BOP战略划分为市场开发型BOP战略、资源开发型BOP战略和资源一市场开发型BOP战略三种基本类型．且每种BOP战略都对应着相应类型的商业模式创新。同时．三种BOP战略与企业的基本竞争战略之间也存在着对应关系。通过对企业能力的界定。初步构建了企业关键能力与BOP战略之间的匹配模型。进而建立起竞争战略、企业能力与面向BOP市场的商业模式创新三者之间的逻辑关系。     

长三角资本密集型制造业集聚与FDI的互动关系研究

结合长三角资本密集型制造业集聚与FDI分布的现状,以产业竞争力为关键切入点,逐次分析长三角资本密集型制造业集聚对FDI的影响路径以及FDI对长三角资本密集型制造业集聚的影响路径,并以日企在苏州电子信息产业的投资为例,对长三角资本密集型制造业集聚与FDI互动关系进行分析,研究结果表明,长三角资本密集型制造业集聚程度较高的行业,外资分布也较多;在长三角资本密集型制造业发展的成长阶段,FDI的进入对于产业集聚的形成起到了关键作用;随着该产业的发展进入成熟阶段,产业集聚效应进一步吸引了FDI的进入,长三角资本密集型制造业集聚与FDI之间通过产业竞争力这一间接导体产生了一种"良性循环"。     

基于节能减排的制造企业竞争力研究

对我国制造企业发展节能减排的必要性和制约因素进行了分析,以山东省淄博市纺织制造企业为例,设计了基于节能减排的制造企业竞争力评价指标体系,收集了该地区规模以上纺织企业近13年的发展状况和节能减排情况的整体数据,并采用因子分析法进行了实证研究,研究结果表明节能减排对纺织企业竞争力的提高具有促进作用。最后在分析上述研究的基础上得出节能减排与企业竞争力增强的双赢发展是可能的,并提出了具有可行性的对策和措施。     

Harnessing marketing automation for B2B content marketing

The growing importance of the Internet to B2B customer purchasing decisions has motivated B2B sellers to create digital content that leads potential buyers to interact with their company. This trend has engendered a new paradigm referred to as ‘content marketing.’ This study investigates the organizational processes for developing valuable and timely content to meet customer needs and for integrating content marketing with B2B selling processes. The results of this single case study demonstrate the use of marketing automation to generate high-quality sales leads through behavioral targeting and content personalization. The study advances understanding of the organizational processes that support content marketing and shows how content marketing can be combined with B2B selling processes via marketing automation in ways that achieve business benefits.     

The pursuit of original equipment manufacturer strategy: insights from an Asian country

The automotive sector is the major industry of Thailand's economy. This paper discusses the national strategy of Thailand toward the Detroit of Asia. In particular, the study analyses the pursuit of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) strategy in the Thai automotive industry, based on Porter's Diamond Model. A qualitative approach was adopted, using semi-structured interviews to understand the reasons behind Thailand's adoption of OEM strategy and its decisions in not following other strategic approaches. The findings provide important lessons to other developing economies in terms of adopting the right strategies to improve the national performance and competitiveness. The case of Thailand is clearly evident that the Thai government chooses not to develop its own brand (OBM strategy) but pursue the OEM path to strengthen its automotive industry.     

Technological capabilities and international competitiveness in the engineering industries

While it has often been argued that the machine tool industry is a ‘nodal’ industry as supplier of technology to other industries, this relationship has never been tested empirically. In this paper we analyze and find empirical support for the following two hypotheses: 1) The U.S. engineering industries have been negatively affected by the relative decline in the technological capabilities of the U.S. machine tool industry in the last decade. 2) The use of flexible manufacturing technologies has become one of the most influential factors for competitiveness in the last decade as a result of recent changes in the world economy.     

中国制造业的国际竞争力——基于网络型产业组织的分析

最近十多年来,外商直接投资(FDI)极大地促进了中国制造业的发展,制造业的快速扩张对行业国际竞争力的影响受到了越来越多的关注。本文运用网络型产业组织理论和实证方法,研究了中国大陆28个制造业行业国际竞争力及其决定因素。在2001—2007年间,网络型产业组织能够通过外资企业技术外溢效应和产业集聚提升中国大陆制造业行业国际竞争力。外商直接投资具有明显的外溢效应,产业集聚对国际竞争力也存在积极影响,但是人民币汇率、企业平均规模、经济开放度和研发支出未能增强国际竞争力,劳动力成本的上升没有削弱制造业行业国际竞争力。     

A REAL OPTIONS DESIGN FOR QUALITY CONTROL CHARTS

We develop a financial model for a manufacturing process where quality can be affected by an assignable cause. We value the real options associated with applying a statistical process control chart using the Black-Scholes equation, binomial and pentanomial lattices, and Monte Carlo simulation methods. This valuation gives decision makers a way to choose the appropriate quality control strategy based on an integrated view of the market dynamics with the manufacturing operational aspects. An industry case is used to demonstrate the application of real options to value control chart decisions. Web based programs are given to value the alternatives in the case study, making the valuation task accessible to other users.     

The Effects of Decentralization in Strategy‐Making and National Culture on NPD Portfolio Planning

Traditionally, the understanding among scholars and practitioners has been that a portfolio of NPD projects is the expression of a firm's strategy and thus it must support the strategy. In keeping with this view, the current study focuses on new product development (NPD) portfolio planning, which is defined as a firm's effort to formulate portfolio decisions using a defined innovation strategy. Connecting portfolio decisions to a defined innovation strategy has been associated with higher innovation success. Surprisingly, empirical research indicates that portfolio decisions do not always support the company's innovation strategy. Furthermore, during recent years, an increasing number of authors underscore the importance of responsiveness and adaptability in portfolio decision‐making. The current study addresses these two issues by examining a direct effect of decentralization in strategy‐making on NPD portfolio planning, and a moderating effect of decentralization in strategy‐making on the relationship between NPD portfolio planning and NPD program success. The study also examines the influence of national culture on the proposed relationships. The theoretical model was tested using data from the 2012 PDMA Comparative Performance Assessment Study. Findings indicate that NPD portfolio planning positively influences NPD program success. Also, results revealed inverted U‐shaped direct and moderating effects, respectively, of decentralization in strategy‐making on NPD portfolio planning, and of decentralization in strategy‐making on the relationship between NPD portfolio planning and NPD program success. With regard to the moderating effect of national culture, results indicate that uncertainty avoidance does not moderate the relationship between NPD portfolio planning and NPD program success. Nonetheless, we found significant moderating effects of individualism and power distance on the curvilinear relationship between decentralization in strategy‐making and NPD portfolio planning.     

The Impact of the Corporate Mind‐set on New Product Launch Strategy and Market Performance

In the last decade, there has been an increasing interest in the link between new product launch strategy and market performance. So far, new product launch research has focused on this performance relationship without giving much attention to background factors that can facilitate or inhibit successful launch strategies. However, investigating such antecedents that set the framework in which different strategic launch decisions enable or prevent the market performance of new products is useful for enhancing the current state of knowledge. Drawing on the concept of a firm's orientation, the present study discusses the influence of the corporate mind‐set on new product launch strategy and market performance. It is hypothesized that the capability to successfully launch new products is based on the interplay between a firm's mind‐set (i.e., an analytical, risk‐taking, and aggressive posture) and its strategic launch decisions on setting launch objectives, selecting target markets, and positioning the new product. A research model with mediating effects is proposed, where the corporate mind‐set determines the launch strategy decisions, which in turn impact market performance. The model is tested with data on 113 industrial new products launched in business‐to‐business markets in Germany using a multiple informant approach. The results support the mediated model as the dimensions of the corporate mind‐set have a significant impact on most strategic launch decisions, which in turn significantly contribute to market performance. It is found that while an analytical posture relates to all three strategic launch decisions, risk taking and an aggressive posture have a significant impact on two, respectively one, launch strategy elements. These findings confirm the importance of investigating antecedents for a successful new product launch, as the corporate mind‐set serves as a background resource that sets the framework for successful new product launch decisions. In the final section implications for research and managerial practice as well as limitations of this research are provided.     

Digital divide or digital opportunity in the Mississippi Delta region of the US

This study analyzes the interdependence of telecommunications manufacturing, services, and user industries in the Mississippi Delta region of the US to understand the social and economic prospects of poorer rural areas of the US as advanced technologies rapidly proliferate. An underlying assumption is that telecommunications industries should not be viewed only by the employment they directly support; they should also be analyzed in terms of their linkages to other industries and how those linkages influence the competitiveness and growth prospects of businesses and public institutions in the region by building a capable community of technology users. The absence of leading telecom manufacturing and service firms in rural Delta counties together with low levels of connectivity suggest that digital divide problems are very real for the region. The central economic development challenge should be to ensure that rural businesses, government, health care, education, and non-profit institutions gain access to an advanced telecommunications infrastructure and that they develop the capacity to leverage this access to enhance their performance and expand their reach.