This paper is a historically oriented study of the automobile industry. It sets out to understand why have the structure and strategy of the dominant companies in the automobile industry changed in the way they have done. Our findings suggest three factors at work, namely the knowledge of car...

For manufacturing firms in developing countries, there are high barriers to entry and to catching up with competitors in their global production networks (GPNs). This paper examines the case of a Mexican auto-parts manufacturer that succeeded in catching up in the automotive GPN. The author...

This paper is a historically oriented study of the automobile industry. It sets out to understand why have the structure and strategy of the dominant companies in the automobile industry changed in the way they have done. Our findings suggest three factors at work, namely the knowledge of car...

This case provides background material about the takeover attempt of one of the world's largest automobile manufacturers, Volkswagen, by the small sports car manufacturer, Porsche. It covers the period from spring 2005 through August 2009. This drama ends in a complete reversal, the acquisition...

This case provides background material about the takeover attempt of one of the world's largest automobile manufacturers, Volkswagen, by the small sports car manufacturer, Porsche. It covers the period from spring 2005 through August 2009. This drama ends in a complete reversal, the acquisition...

We are grateful to Nick Argyres, Bob Cole, Ray Horton, Rita McGrath, Atul Nerkar, Toshi Nishiguchi, Joanne Oxley, Hugh Patrick, Eleanor Westney, and Oliver Williamson for helpful comments. We also acknowledge useful feedback from members of the Sloan Corporate Governance Project at Columbia Law...

Technological and organizational change in the automotive sector is pushing the outsourcing of production to limits which would probably be astonishing a few years ago. Whereas vehicle brand owners tend to specialize in design, research and marketing, their suppliers produce components and...