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COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES: INVESTIGATING THE NEED FOR TRADE‐OFFS IN OPERATIONS STRATEGY
Author(s) -
BOYER KENNETH K.,
LEWIS MARIANNE W.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
production and operations management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.279
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1937-5956
pISSN - 1059-1478
DOI - 10.1111/j.1937-5956.2002.tb00181.x
Subject(s) - flexibility (engineering) , business , industrial organization , quality (philosophy) , hierarchy , competitive advantage , environmental economics , empirical evidence , computer science , focus (optics) , marketing , risk analysis (engineering) , operations management , economics , market economy , philosophy , physics , management , epistemology , optics
A heated debate continues over the need for trade‐offs in operations strategy. Some researchers call for plants to focus on a single manufacturing capability and devote their limited resources accordingly, while others claim that advanced manufacturing technology (amt) enables concurrent improvements in quality, cost, flexibility, and delivery. Yet there is little empirical evidence for or against the trade‐off model. In response, this study addresses the question: “To what extent do manufacturing plants view competitive priorities as trade‐offs?” We employ survey data collected from managers and operators in 110 plants that have recently implemented AMT. Our findings suggest that trade‐offs remain. However, perceived differences in competitive priorities are subtle and may vary across levels of the plant hierarchy.