Strategic Modularization in the Brazilian Automotive Industry: An Empirical Analysis of Its Antecedents and Performance Implications

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2003

RESUMO

Todays business environment is becoming more turbulent as the rate of change accelerates and new technologies allow information to spread globally almost instantly. Organizations are finding themselves pulled into a vortex of complexity and increased customer demand. Managers are facing even more challengers, and many firms have recently adopted a strategic approach to modular production to create and maintain a competitive advantage. The dissertation research revolves around strategy implications of modular productiona production method that has been increasingly adopted by global manufacturing firms. A conceptual framework is proposed and then tested using qualitative and quantitative data collected through extensive on-site interviews with executives and a questionnaire survey of the automobile industry in Brazil. A central focus is that firms adopting strategic modularization should be able to reduce their cost structure, speed product development, meet heterogeneous customer requirements, and enhance profitability. The conceptual framework examines the relationships between the determinants of strategic modularization and its effect on the performance of firms. In addition, a contingency model describes the moderating effects of codesign, physical proximity, face-to-face communication, and adoption of knowledge management tools to the relationship between strategic modularization and strategic positional advantage and market performance. The normative framework was tested using the General Linear Model (GLM) procedure, and the empirical results supported most of the hypotheses from the deterministic and contingency models. The findings indicate that the degree of strategic modularization seems to be determined by the level of customer requirements and by the extent of the firms experience in collaborative relationships. Moreover, strategic modularization seems to have a positive direct effect on the speed of product development, product quality, relative strategic positional advantage, and relative market performance. The findings regarding the moderating variables were not as expected. Only physical proximity and the degree of face-to-face communication have a moderating effect on market performance. Finally, this study provides important theoretical contributions and sheds some light on these modular production issues while offering guidelines to executives in making the right decisions on modularization and providing managers understanding and guidelines in implementing modular production in todays global business context.

ASSUNTO(S)

estratégia organizacional cadeia automotiva brasileira administracao da producao logística modular strategies modularidade manufatura modular indústria automobilística brasileira modularização estratégica strategic modularization

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