The post‐Second World War era has seen the emergence of two strategies to improve the operational effectiveness of manufacturing firms: just‐in‐time (JIT) production systems and total quality management (TQM). Both evolved in Japan, and the West deciphered and applied them later. TQM has...

A substantial number of propositions have been made over the last 20 years regarding the content of manufacturing strategy and the process of strategy development and implementation. Although many of the propositions have been well received, few have been rigorously tested via empirical methods....

Claims that failure to integrate productivity in total quality management (TQM) projects leads to ineffectiveness in management of manufacturing systems. Establishes a generalized manufacturing systems model based on the analysis of the results of literature and industrial surveys. Explores the...

Companies measuring by “traditional” internally focused control measures have been found to be lagging through concentrating on efficiency rather than the causes of loss of control. It is argued here that those with more dynamic external focus, in which the role of production managers is...

There is a need for a unified theory of the strategic management of manufacturing. Current theory encourages the strategic management of manufacturing by seeking to match the use of production resources with the need to satisfy the order winning criteria of the target markets. Such an approach...

Purpose – ISO 9000 yields visible and concrete benefits to organizations in the form of sustained product quality, enhanced market image, increased customer satisfaction, and long‐term profitability. However, the derivative impact of ISO 9000 on the human side of the organization, especially...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce this special issue on knowledge management in the firm. Design/methodology/approach – The papers presented are all contributions dealing with knowledge in the firm. Findings – This special issue is part of the scientific response to the...

The research concludes that leadership, teamwork and group dynamics are requirements of organisational flexibility in Britain over the medium‐term future. It proposes a test on the dual link between group dynamics and leadership, and on how each nurtures the other.

Using the Irish data from the Price Waterhouse Cranfield Project on International Strategic Human Resource Management, examines developments in flexible working practices in the Republic of Ireland. Reviews relevant literature and presents an overview of the Irish labour market context. The...

Among the problems of the in‐bond ( maquiladora ) assembly plants in Mexico, voluntary turnover is a complex phenomenon, difficult to assess and solve. Although caused by several factors, previous research has demonstrated that social, labour, organizational and cultural variables are closely...