Small and medium sized manufacturing companies in Brazil:is innovativeness a key competitive capability to develop?

Small and medium sized manufacturing companies are important both to economic growth and to supply chains. Yet only limited research has focused on this type of organization – this includes in the area of manufacturing strategy. Using a large scale survey of 149 firms across three States in Brazil, this paper examines the competitive capabilities of small and medium sized manufacturing companies; and the link between their capabilities and performance. Our results show that the best-performing firms are those that lead on capabilities like quality and innovativeness rather than on cost. Much of the available literature on manufacturing strategy emphasizes only four key competitive priorities: cost, flexibility, quality and delivery. Consequently, our results confirm innovativeness as an important, fifth capability for small and medium sized firms in Brazil to maintain or develop. The findings are of relevance both to small and medium sized manufacturing companies in emerging economies and to international firms looking to relocate or outsource to Brazil

Corporate strategy in turbulent environments: Key roles of the corporate level

This paper analyzes the evolution during the period 1986-2002 of the corporate strategy of Lujan, a highly successful car components manufacturer headquartered in Spain, as a way to explore how the corporate level influences the successful evolution of a company exposed to a "turbulent" environment over a long period. We find that the corporate level plays three key roles. First, it drives a firm's evolution by developing a cognitive representation of the firm's competitive landscape. Second, it paces the company's evolution by alternately shifting the balance of organizational initiatives between static efficiency-based "local search" strategies, chosen in times of stability or economic slowdown, and dynamic efficiency-based "long jump" strategies, adopted during periods of major environmental turbulence. Long-jump corporate strategies, carried out through limited downside strategic initiatives such as real options and strategic alliances ("off-line long-jumps"), are particularly frequent in these circumstances. The third role consists of developing an organizational architecture that frames the self-organized coordination of the different business divisions. The Lujan story clearly illustrates the important role of corporate strategy in a firm that must undergo radical transitions as a result of major environmental changes.corporate strategy; turbulent environments; complexity theory; car components;

The role of supply chain integration in achieving competitive advantage: A study of UK automobile manufacturers

The competitive nature of the global automobile industry has resulted in a battle for efficiency and consistency in supply chain management (SCM). For manufacturers, the diversified network of suppliers represents more than just a production system; it is a strategic asset that must be managed, evaluated, and revised in order to attain competitive advantage. One capability that has become an increasingly essential means of alignment and assessment is supply chain integration (SCI). Through such practices, manufacturers create informational capital that is inimitable, yet transferrable, allowing suppliers to participate in a mutually-beneficial system of performance-centred outcomes. From cost reduction to time improvements to quality control, the benefits of SCI extend throughout the supply chain lifecycle, providing firms with improved predictability, flexibility, and responsiveness. Yet in spite of such benefits, key limitations including exposure to risks, supplier failures, or changing competitive conditions may expose manufacturers to a vulnerable position that can severely impact value and performance. The current study summarizes the perspectives and predictions of managers within the automobile industry in the UK, highlighting a dynamic model of interdependency and interpolation that embraces SCI as a strategic resource. Full commitment to integration is critical to achieving improved outcomes and performance; therefore, firms seeking to integrate throughout their extended supply chain must be willing to embrace a less centralized locus of control

Private Label and Manufacturing Strategies: A Case Study of Brazilian Suppliers From the Food Industry

The private label strategy has been adopted by retailers who seek a competitive advantage through the commercialization of products sold under their brand names. This strategy has created a new demand for suppliers, who need to reevaluate their manufacturing structures in order to decide whether or not they should produce such goods. Aiming to analyze the manufacturing strategy adopted by suppliers of private labels, we conducted a qualitative research based on six case studies with private label manufacturers and classified them according to their reported competitive priorities. All the companies considered quality as their top priority, but diverged between flexibility, cost and service as their secondary and third priorities. We highlight the fact that private label strategies do not determine, but rather influence decisions on manufacturing strategy

Recent mobile telecommunications alliance formation

During the year to end-January 2005, the resurgence of takeover activity in the mobile telecommunications industry 1 has attracted media attention. However, by focusing on takeovers, the willingness of companies in the sector to collaborate through alliance and joint venture formation is in danger of being overlooked. These alliances, none of which are more than two years old, can be variously interpreted. They could signify a return to expansionary behaviour by operators motivated by the desire to capture lucrative roaming traffic or retain key customers. Alternatively the alliances may be motivated by the desire to compete more effectively with Vodafone, which is arguably the only mobile operator with a global footprint. This paper is structured as follows. In the initial section, the six alliances that have been formed are described. Particular attention is paid to the membership and resulting scale of these alliances, as well as to the motives for their formation. The first sub-section focuses on those alliances that are largely scale orientated in motivation, while the second concentrates on those that are more technologically orientated. These alliances are then discussed in detail and conclusions are drawn

The Doha Round after Hong Kong

Trade ministers from member countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO) convened in Hong Kong in December 2005 to jump-start the flagging Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations. The ministerial accomplished more in spirit than in substance and placed more emphasis on negotiating process than on policy reform. The industrial countries offered up kernels of subsidy reform and development assistance, but all the big-ticket items were studiously deferred to future meetings. Progress on nonagricultural market access and services was microscopic. Without substantive offers in these areas, the United States and European Union will not be able to augment their offers on farm reforms. Developing countries are skeptical that the European Union will up the ante in agriculture even if they offer concrete reforms on goods and services trade. In any event, most developing countries are reluctant to lower their own market access barriers. So neither side moves. Trade ministers do not have the political authority to break this "Alphonse and Gaston" routine and approve reforms in sensitive areas that are needed to produce a comprehensive package of accords acceptable to all WTO members. To succeed, the Doha Round needs a political jolt. A trade summit involving heads of state of countries whose policy reforms are crucial to the success of the WTO talks must be convened to break the impasse.

East Midlands food & drink sector strategy

The food & drink sector is one of four priority sectors identified in the regional economic strategy, A Flourishing Region. This document sets out a strategy for maximising the contribution of the food & drink sector to the economic development of the East Midlands

Upgrading strategies in global furniture value chains

Abstract not available