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Elaborating the Contingency Theory of Organizations: The Case of Manufacturing Flexibility Strategies
Author(s) -
Ketokivi Mikko
Publication year - 2006
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.1937-5956.2006.tb00241.x
Subject(s) - flexibility (engineering) , contingency theory , contingency , task (project management) , computer science , industrial organization , risk analysis (engineering) , business , competitive advantage , process management , selection (genetic algorithm) , operations management , economics , marketing , knowledge management , management , linguistics , philosophy , artificial intelligence
What determines which manufacturing flexibility strategies are feasible and which are not? In this paper, I build both theoretical and empirical understanding of task‐environmental contingencies that may either enable or constrain the selection of various flexibility strategies. The special emphasis is on the various plant‐level actions that are used to seek manufacturing flexibility. Demand uncertainty and variability, technology, and competitive strategy emerge as the most important contingencies, although not in ways that are immediately apparent. Finally, managerial implications at both the corporate as well as manufacturing unit levels are discussed.