Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to take a fresh look at some of the contemporary operations management (OM) research issues in the automotive sector in order to identify potential future research directions. It addresses the question of what remains to be investigated after so many...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the manufacturer‐supplier collaboration (MSC) types in the automotive industry and factors that affect such collaboration. Design/methodology/approach – The unit of analysis is 1st tier suppliers registered with Hyundai‐KIA Motors...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of top executive audits (TEAs) as part of hoshin kanri (policy management) at Nissan South Africa (NSA). It relates these to the emerging importance of core competencies in the resource‐based view of strategy to discuss “nested”...

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to understand how large and apparently successful organizations enter spirals of decline that are very difficult to reverse. The paper examines the case of Rover, once one of the largest car producers in the world, which collapsed in 2005. An analysis of...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the existence of differences in the implementation of environmental practices between companies that possess some form of certified environmental management system (ISO 14001 or EMS) and those that do not have any such system. This study also...

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to present the findings of a study of factory closure management. It details the sequence and the results of the key strategic manufacturing management decisions made from the time of the announcement of the plant closure to the cessation of operations....

Purpose – The platform strategy adopted by firms in a multi‐project context reduces lead‐time and development cost, enhances reliability, allows mass customization and increases manufacturing flexibility. While the major challenges of this strategy have been highlighted, the evolution of...

Purpose – Qualitative theory building approaches, such as grounded theory method (GTM), are still not very widespread and rigorously applied in operations management (OM) research. Yet it is agreed that more systematic observation of current industrial phenomena is necessary to help managers...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an explanation and set out the reasons for the change in supply strategy from sole sourcing to split sourcing at an automotive assembly plant. In that context, this paper highlights the advantages of split sourcing over earlier strategies....

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the strategic role evolution of client‐following local subsidiaries of foreign automotive parts suppliers in China. Design/methodology/approach – The units of analysis are five local subsidiaries of foreign automotive parts suppliers...