67 research outputs found

    The Effect of Process Improvement Practices on Manufacturing Competitiveness of Apparel Factories

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    Process improvement practices (PIP) are being used as ways to improve manufacturing competitiveness (MC) but their overall effect in apparel factories have not been well quantified. This paper identifies the effects that PIP have on the manufacturing competitiveness of multinational apparel manufacturing plants. The methodology followed uses the Delphi method and exploratory factor analysis for variable selection, the Mann-Whitney test for analyzing the relationship between PIP usage and MC performance and regression analysis for estimating the existing correlation among the variables studied. The results show that factories with a high use of PIP have a higher manufacturing competitiveness and that specific practices related to error detection and waste elimination have a positive effect in cost, delivery time and environmental protection

    Bizarre Love Triangle: The Trilateral Responses to Tame the United States-Mexico Border

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    This article explores the role that multilateral agreements among Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and bilateral agreements between the United States and Mexico, have played along the border. Part I of this article explores the Washington Consensus and the culture of accumulation, plunder, and extractivism that it has engendered. Part II delves into various economic integration pacts that are part of the Washington Consensus starting with the NAFTA, then the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), and finally, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. It concludes that neither agreement make the border safer, nor make its working people more prosperous

    Foreign investment in the Caribbean : multinational enterprise motivation, investment behaviour and corporate strategy

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    Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is playing an increasingly important role in the economies of many less industrialised countries. The Caribbean, specifically Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad-Tobago are excellent examples of this phenomenon. The increased dependence of these countries on FDI calls to question the attractiveness of their business environment to the foreign investor. This study aims to provide answers to this research question. To this end, it examines the factors that influence the motivations, locational choices and market entry mode of multinational enterprises making investment in these three countries. This study also seeks to ascertain the extent to which these factors are influenced by the timing of the investment decision, the type of FDI (market-seeking, resource-seeking and export-seeking) and the country of origin of the investor. It is also concerned with the factors that influence the initial investment decision as well as the decision to continue operations in the countries. Fourteen hypotheses were advanced from the International Business literature. A triangulation approach to research methodology was employed in the study. The hypotheses were initially tested by means of a mailed questionnaire survey which was administered to 299 executives of multinational enterprises that operate in the three Caribbean countries. The hypotheses were further tested using the qualitative method of a case study approach. Twelve core cases of multinational enterprises operating in the export sectors of the three Caribbean countries were analysed. This study demonstrated the non-applicability of several of the FDI theories to the realities of small, developing economies. These theories were developed largely to explain the behaviour of firms originating in industrialised countries and making investments in these countries. Hence, several did not seem to fully explain the FDI process undertaken in the Caribbean. One notable exception was that of the "Double Diamond" model. The study showed that the "Double Diamond" model is a powerful framework for analysing the business environments of the three Caribbean countries studied. This study also illustrated the importance of government implementing strategies to ensure that the business environment is supportive of the foreign investor. Further, the study suggests that investments need to be made in human resource development, and institutional and infrastructural improvements. It also revealed that the investment incentive package needs to be revised and a nexus created between the government and the foreign investor. Finally, the study suggests that support needs to be given for the development of the locally owned firm

    The Clothing Curse: Institutional Causes And Political Consequences Of Clothing Export Dependence In Developing Countries

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    Readymade garments (RMG) or clothing industry is the most important manufacturing export for poor and developing countries. Low capital requirement, high labor intensity and simple technology make the industry a natural starting base for internationally competitive manufacturing. In the last seventy years of growth in RMG exports, many formerly underdeveloped countries embarked on manufacturing export-led economic development with a start in RMG exports. These countries rapidly expanded and diversified their manufacturing sectors and climbed up the ladder of economic development. However, in recent decades, some of the leading clothing exporting countries seem to be stuck in long-term concentration in clothing exports without expected diversification and upgrading in industries. These clothing export-dependent countries also witnessed increasing authoritarianism in their ruling political regimes. This dissertation seeks to explain these phenomena in political economy of developing countries with theoretical arguments, cross-country empirical analysis and case studies. The main argument of the paper has three basic parts. First, distinctive sectoral characteristics of the RMG export industry make the sector a less suitable launching pad for industrial upgrading and diversification. Second, if a developing country where RMG export industry has become established, lacks state capacity to implement industrial policy, then the country is likely to fall into extended dependence on RMG export. Third, extended apparel export dependency changes the distribution of power among political and economic elites to the extent that democracy reversal by incumbent takeover becomes more likely. Although the dissertation focuses on RMG industry, the building blocks of the arguments are generalizable to characteristics of all mainstream manufacturing and service export sectors, and institutional quality in developing countries. Thus, the arguments and explanations have extensive ramifications in political economy of development for poor countries

    Proposta de estruturação de um sistema de qualidade para redução de leves defeitos: um estudo de caso numa indústria têxtil de Santa Catarina

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    TCC (graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Blumenau, Engenharia Têxtil.A globalização e o avanço da tecnologia proporcionaram ao mundo inúmeras mudanças, e em relação às indústrias, não foi diferente. A competitividade e as exigências dos consumidores estão cada vez mais elevadas. Assim, esse trabalho teve como objetivo estruturar um sistema de controle da qualidade visando reduzir a quantidade de produtos de leves defeitos produzidos em uma indústria têxtil localizada na região do Vale Europeu/SC. A metodologia foi composta por duas etapas: revisão de literatura, que consistiu em analisar artigos que obtiveram resultados positivos ao implementar ferramentas da qualidade e, estudo de caso, em que a coleta dos dados foi por observação in loco do processo. Primeiramente, realizou-se uma análise de Pareto para definir o produto piloto da aplicação. Após, os defeitos foram coletados, analisados e classificados. A partir disso, foi estruturado um passo a passo para começar a implementar um sistema de qualidade, baseado na abordagem enxuta que utiliza o pilar jidoka como uma de suas premissas. As ideias foram quantificadas em ganhos para a empresa, comparando-se melhorias simples e que impactam na qualidade e seus custos. A comparação de trabalhos na literatura e a estruturação do plano são replicáveis não somente às indústrias têxteis, mas para todas as que estão iniciando a gestão da qualidade de forma estratégica. Por fim, foi possível determinar o passo a passo para a implementação de um sistema de qualidade, obtendo resultados significativos como: determinação dos defeitos que ocorrem com maior frequência na organização e proposições para solucionar estes defeitos. Com a mudança proposta, obteve-se que o índice de segunda qualidade do produto edredom microfibra/plush caiu de 8% para 5%, trazendo um faturamento de R250.800,68maiorqueovigente.Globalizationandtheadvanceoftechnologyhaveshownmanychangestotheworld,theindustrysectorwasnotanexception.Weliveinascenariowherecompetitivenessandthecustomerneedsareincreasingeachday.Takingthecustomerexpectanciesintoaccount,asstandingoutinahighlycompetitivemarket,thisresearchstructuresaqualitycontrolsystem,wherethegoalistoreducefaultyproductsinatextileindustrylocatedintheregionknownasValeEuropeu,SantaCatarina.Withthisinmind,thispaperwasdividedintwostages:literaturereview,whichconsistsofanalyzingarticlesthatobtainedpositiveresultswhenimplementingqualitycontroltools,andastudycase,inwhichdatawasobtainedthroughprocessobservation.AParetoanalysiswascarriedouttoverifywhichcomforterhasthehighestproductionvolume,sothatanyresultwillbesignificant.Afterwards,thedefectswerecollected,analyzedandclassified.Fromthis,astep−by−stepprocesswasstructuredtostartimplementingaqualitysystem,basedontheleanapproachthatusesthejidokapillarasoneofitspremises.Theideaswerequantifiedintogainsforthecompany,comparingsimpleimprovementsthatimpactqualityandcosts.Thecomparisonofworksintheliteratureandthestructuringoftheplanarereplicablenotonlyforthetextileindustries,butforallthosethatarestartingqualitymanagementinastrategicway.Finally,itwaspossibletodeterminethestepbystepfortheimplementationofaqualitysystem,obtainingsignificantresultssuchas:determinationofthedefectsthatoccurmostfrequentlyintheorganizationandpropositionstosolvethesedefects.Withtheproposedchange,itwasobservedthatthesecondqualityindexofthecompany’sproductfellfrom85 250.800,68 maior que o vigente.Globalization and the advance of technology have shown many changes to the world, the industry sector was not an exception. We live in a scenario where competitiveness and the customer needs are increasing each day. Taking the customer expectancies into account, as standing out in a highly competitive market, this research structures a quality control system, where the goal is to reduce faulty products in a textile industry located in the region known as Vale Europeu, Santa Catarina. With this in mind, this paper was divided in two stages: literature review, which consists of analyzing articles that obtained positive results when implementing quality control tools, and a study case, in which data was obtained through process observation. A Pareto analysis was carried out to verify which comforter has the highest production volume, so that any result will be significant. Afterwards, the defects were collected, analyzed and classified. From this, a step-by-step process was structured to start implementing a quality system, based on the lean approach that uses the jidoka pillar as one of its premises. The ideas were quantified into gains for the company, comparing simple improvements that impact quality and costs. The comparison of works in the literature and the structuring of the plan are replicable not only for the textile industries, but for all those that are starting quality management in a strategic way. Finally, it was possible to determine the step by step for the implementation of a quality system, obtaining significant results such as: determination of the defects that occur most frequently in the organization and propositions to solve these defects. With the proposed change, it was observed that the second quality index of the company’s product fell from 8% to 5%, bringing a turnover of R 250.800,68 higher than the current one

    Measuring Globalization: Better Trade Statistics for Better Policy

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    Understanding the impacts of globalization requires good data, and national statistical systems were not designed to measure many of the transactions occurring in today’s global economy. The chapters in this volume and its companion volume identify biases and gaps in national statistics, examine the magnitude of the problems they pose, and propose solutions to address significant biases and fill key data gaps.https://research.upjohn.org/up_press/1250/thumbnail.jp
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