| Abstract: | Just-In-Time manufacturing has been subjected to numerous studies both empirical and methodological. This work attempts to measure the impact of JIT on accounting measures of performance. Most technologies and investments are justified on the basis of their impact on financial and accounting measures which are not easily quantified. Our empirical methodology, simultaneous equation estimation, allows us to isolate the partial effects of JIT on various accounting measures thus gauging the true impact of this method on firm performance. Our results show that after JIT adoption firms reduced the labor content in facilities, increased inventory turnover and enhanced earnings. There was no significant impact on prices charged by the firm. These results support the anecdotal evidence on JIT and the theoretical work done by various authors. Even though the firms studied experienced a downturn in their performance our empirical methodology could identify positive benefits resulting from JIT adoption. |
