67 research outputs found
The Effect of Process Improvement Practices on Manufacturing Competitiveness of Apparel Factories
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
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
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
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
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 possÃvel 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 Ãndice de segunda qualidade do produto
edredom microfibra/plush caiu de 8% para 5%, trazendo um faturamento de R 250.800,68 higher than the current one
Measuring Globalization: Better Trade Statistics for Better Policy
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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