استراتژی ساخت و تولید در متن: استراتژی رقابتی، محیط زیست و استراتژی تولید

Considering manufacturing strategy in its larger strategic context has been thematic in conceptual literature in operations but relatively neglected in empirical studies, thus leaving predominant conceptual models of manufacturing strategy largely untested. This research develops a conceptual model of manufacturing strategy from the literature and tests the model using data from a sample of manufacturers in three industries in the United States. This research contributes to manufacturing strategy literature in four ways. First, it supports empirically a model of manufacturing strategy that is predominant in the conceptual literature. Second, it demonstrates that the strategic linkages in manufacturing businesses are clearer among good performers than poor performers. Third, this research suggests that competitive strategy acts as a mediator between an organization's environment and its manufacturing strategy. Fourth, the findings suggest that the relationship between competitive strategy and performance is mediated by manufacturing strategy. These last two findings have important implications for approaching research in manufacturing strategy in the future.

Research in operations management has been characterized in recent years by an increasing effort devoted to the study of manufacturing strategy using empirical methods. A review of the literature reveals that much of this empirical research effort has focused on the internal consistency of manufacturing strategy (e.g., priorities and programs) and assessing the performance consequences of such consistency. Surprisingly little empirical research has addressed the alignment among manufacturing strategy, business-level competitive strategy, and the competitive environment faced by the firm, although much of the conceptual literature in manufacturing strategy has focused on this issue of alignment (Swink and Way, 1995). Thus the predominant conceptual model of manufacturing strategy that considers manufacturing in the larger strategic context of the firm has remained largely unsubstantiated because it has not been adequately tested. We approach this relatively neglected area by testing empirically an accepted conceptual model of manufacturing strategy in the context of a sample of firms' competitive strategies and environments. In essence, we address three issues. First, we ask whether data collected from a sample of manufacturers are consistent with the model supported by much of the conceptual literature. We describe that conceptual model in Section 2. Second, we address whether or not manufacturing strategy appears to matter in the larger context of the firm's environment and competitive strategy. In other words, we test whether there is a relationship between manufacturing strategy and business performance when the effects of environment and business-level competitive strategy are also considered. Third, we address the form of the relationship between competitive environment and manufacturing strategy. Specifically, we analyze the extent to which competitive strategy mediates the effects of environmental dynamism on manufacturing strategy.

In essence, this research suggests four notable findings. First, long-standing conceptual arguments linking environment, competitive strategy, manufacturing strategy, and performance are upheld empirically among high performance firms. Second, the model does not fit firms that report relatively poor business performance. Third, we find no direct link between environmental dynamism and manufacturing strategy; rather we find that this relationship is mediated by competitive strategy. Fourth, the data do not support a direct relationship between competitive strategy and business performance. The data suggest that the relationship between competitive strategy and performance is mediated by manufacturing strategy. We elaborate on each of these findings in turn.