The Relationship between Manufacturing Integration and Performance from an Activity-Oriented Perspective
Journal Title: BAR: Brazilian Administration Review - Year 2011, Vol 8, Issue 4
Abstract
Manufacturing integration with other functional areas and suppliers is a key aspect for achieving sustainable competitive advantage. The objective of this study is to analyze manufacturing integration from an activity-based perspective. We hypothesize that manufacturing integration with suppliers, marketing, and R&D is positively related to profit and sales growth when it occurs simultaneously in key internal activities. We surveyed 366 companies located in the southern region of Brazil, chosen from the SEBRAE(1) database. We used structural equations modeling to address validity and reliability issues. We evaluated common method variance (CMV) with the MTMM model and used path analysis to test the structural relations. We found that all manufacturing integration aspects are positively related to sales growth, but only manufacturing-R&D integration is positively related to profitability. Therefore, managers interested in improving the performance of their plants should favor the integration between manufacturing and R&D teams, at all hierarchical levels. We did not find any evidence, however, that direct interaction between manufacturing and marketing improves performance.
Authors and Affiliations
Paiva, Ely Laureano; Gavronski, Iuri; D'Avila, Livia Castro
Reflections on Actor-Network Theory, Governance Networks, and Strategic Outcomes
In an attempt to instigate discussion in the areas of organizational studies and strategy, this essay focuses on themes related to Governance, Actor-Network Theory, and Strategic Outcomes. We seek to expand understandi...
Willingness to Try Innovative Food Products: a Comparison between British and Brazilian Consumers
In this study we investigate the consumer’s willingness to try innovative food products in the context of the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre in Brazil and Cirencester in England, UK. Innovation in the food industry i...
Top Human Resources Managers Views on Trade Union Action in Brazilian Corporations
This article presents the perception of human resource (HR) top managers at strategic level in Brazilian corporations regarding labor union activity. It is a quantitative study about the perception of 354 experienced HR...
How Does National Culture Impact on Consumers’ Decision‐making Styles? A Cross Cultural Study in Brazil, the United States and Japan
This empirical article investigates the relationship between national culture and consumer decision-making styles in the purchase of cell phones, a product category that appears to be required by consumers independent o...
What Lies behind the Concept of Customer Relationship Management? Discussing the Essence of CRM through a Phenomenological Approach
Several authors and consulting firms show statistics indicating that at least 50% of all CRM projects fail. Some of them attempt to point out a list of factors in order to guarantee successful CRM implementation and ap...