An empirical study of future changes in the European car industry

The automotive supplier industry and the relationship between car manufacturers and suppliers has been confronted with major changes resulting from OEMs' strategy of stronger product integration and the building of so-called systems, sub-systems and components and segmentation of the supplier industry. Former valid work processes, division of work, organisational structures and also, the general manufacturer-supplier relationship has been subject to intensive evaluation and appropriate adaptation to the changed circumstances. This research project aims to investigate these changes in the European car industry in greater detail, particularly: The OEMs' system-building strategy What requirements OEMs must meet at the individual supplier levels (system, sub-system, component) and The main factors involved in the development of a more efficient relationship between OEMs and suppliers. To achieve this object, various activities were undertaken including the collecting of information from previous studies, preparing standardised questionnaires and performing investigations within the European car industry and also at a major automotive supplier. The work is based on empirical investigations and personal interviews conducted with key persons in automobile companies and automotive suppliers with the aim of painting a picture of the future situation and developing a proposal based on the information compiled. Finding answers to the above-mentioned issues may be very important and useful in determining internal organisational structure and resource allocation and in making strategic decisions in respect of alliances and collaborations when preparing one's own business for the even fiercer competition that will face automobile suppliers in the future

Alternative employment and training projects in Berlin

The research presented in the thesis is a case-study of attempts to develop socially useful and environmentally sound technology (suest), products or services, as undertaken by alternative employment and training projects in West Berlin. The research is important for the exploration of several issues: the limits of training as a process of changing employment patterns and technological practices; the role of the voluntary / alternative sector; the role of "suest" generally. The initiator group and the eight member groups of the Kooperationsverbund Entwicklungswerkstatt comprised the focal point of the research. Findings from the study suggest that the "training" focus has nearly as many limits as the "products" focus: there were internal problems which in part reflect the confusion about the role of training as a social / technological change agent. The fate of these initiatives will depend largely on what happens to the German economy: will it re-expand conventionally or will "alternative" models prevail

Cotton, Rice & Water : The Transformation of Agrarian Relations, Irrigation Technology and Water Distribution in Khorezm, Uzbekistan

This study is about the organisation of agricultural production and the distribution of water for agriculture in the post-soviet context of a slowly reforming authoritarian regime. The study is based on 12 months of field research conducted between February 2005 and October 2006 in the irrigation and drainage network of Khorezm province, Uzbekistan. Four WUAs were selected as case studies. The concrete methods deployed for the fieldwork were (1) direct observations of objects, events, procedures, and social interactions; (2) semi- and non-structured interviews with key informants; and (3) a household survey. The studied situation is characterised by reforms that echo the sound of privatisation and neo-liberal reform, while in practice central planning and state control have shown to be persistent, though not unchanging. By moving from collective farming to household-based fermer enterprises, for the individual risks and benefits in agricultural production have increased. The logics of agricultural production are further discussed along the lines of the three forms of production that were distinguished in this study. They are the state-ordered form of production (of cotton and wheat), the commercial form of production (of mainly rice and fodder) and the household form of production (of a variety of food products for home consumption). Each form of production has its specific form of organisation of inputs, labour, state control, distribution of benefits, and marketing. The main question addressed in this study is how the implemented land and water reforms affect the distribution of water. In Khorezm water is relatively abundant available, which eases the task of water distribution. In combination with a historic trajectory of collective agriculture and the continuation of a restrictive political regime this created a situation in which social dynamics between water users are not strongly articulated. The three forms of production each have their own ‘logic’ as regards water management; for state-ordered cotton fermers call on the state organisations, for commercial rice fermers depend on their personal connections, and for household production water uses are small and informal. The household production water users are politically ‘untouchable’ in a way as household production provides for the basic livelihood security of the majority of the rural population. The Uzbek government has top-down established WUAs in place of the former collective farms. Formally they are user-managed organisations, but in practice they are strictly controlled by the state. Among other things the WUAs fulfil important roles in the implementation of (state) control over water distribution and agricultural production. Farmers strategise in different ways to secure their access to water, in which they makes use of their socio-political status and ties and of the spatial and technological situation of the field. The way the irrigation system has been designed and constructed during the period of the USSR expresses the existence of unquestioned centralised managerial control and singularity of purpose, allowing a fully pragmatic and instrumental approach to layout and hydraulic design. The strict state control over cropping patterns and agricultural practices at field level, combined with authoritarian control of society and minimal personal interests in increased water use, and an abundance of water created a situation in which there was no need for irrigation technology that restricted water use. In the context of increased dynamics over water distribution at the WUA level, the role of technology is gaining in importance, not only in the dynamics between farmers, but also in that between the state on the one hand and farmers on the other.</p

Measuring work and workers: Wearables and digital assistance systems in manufacturing and logistics

The smart glove or smart data glasses: Digitalization of work means that technology is moving closer to the bodies of employees. It can make movements, vital signs and even emotions visible. Technologies which many people use privately to monitor their sporting activities or health opens up a new dimension of control in the workplace, but also the possibility of supporting employees in complex work processes. Based on case studies of companies in manufacturing and logistics as well as a survey of employees, this study provides insights into operational use cases of wearables and the assessments of employees. It reveals contradictory experiences and a high importance of co-determination and co-design of new technologies by employees and works councils as a condition for using new technologies for improving work quality

Training in europe: Second report on vocational training research in europe 2000: background report, Volume 2

Bibliogr. à la fin des v

Upgrading the System of Innovation in Late-Industrialising Countries: The Role of Transnational Corporations in Thailand's Manufacturing Sector

The objective of this thesis is to investigate the potential contribution of transnational corporations (TNC) to the upgrading of systems of innovation in late-industrialising countries. This study looks specifically at TNC-affiliierter in Thailand’s manufacturing sector and compares them with firms in Penang (Malaysia) and Singapore. It examines the technological capabilities of TNC-affiliates vis-à-vis local firms in order to assess whether or not TNC-affiliates are suitable learning and cooperation partners for local firms, and can, consequently, be considered as capable contributors to the improvement of the system of innovation. Based on postal firm surveys of more than 2,000 firms and additional personal interviews, the empirical analysis comes to the conclusion that, in general, this is only partially the case. However, with the analysis shifted to include only advanced firms, TNCs prevail more clearly. Advanced TNCs are especially able to foster the development of the national system of innovation by transferring embodied (e.g. machinery) and disembodied (e.g. patents) technology as well as research results to Thailand. Moreover, they are more frequently embedded in international and domestic knowledge and cooperation networks. In consequence, advanced TNC-affiliates can act as gateways for the diffusion of internationally available technology and knowledge in Thailand. However, the absorptive capacity of local firms for the absorption of new technology and the potential for enhanced innovation activities is restricted, due to a lack of skilled labour. Based on these empirical results, the thesis concludes with policy recommendations