Using a unique international data set from a 1989–90 survey of 62 automotive assembly plants, the author tests two hypotheses: that innovative HR practices affect performance not individually but as interrelated elements in an internally consistent HR “bundle” or system; and that these HR bundles contribute most to assembly plant productivity and quality when they are integrated with manufacturing policies under the “organizational logic” of a flexible production system. Analysis of the survey data, which tests three indices representing distinct bundles of human resource and manufacturing practices, supports both hypotheses. Flexible production plants with team-based work systems, “high-commitment” HR practices (such as contingent compensation and extensive training), and low inventory and repair buffers consistently outperformed mass production plants. Variables capturing two-way and three-way interactions among the bundles of practices are even better predictors of performance, supporting the integrati...

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/2524483.pdf

Human resource bundles and manufacturing performance: organizational logic and flexible production systems in the world auto industry

The literature on product development continues to grow. This research is varied and vibrant, yet large and fragmented. In this article we first organize the burgeoning product-development literature into three streams of research: product development as rational plan, communication web, and disciplined problem solving. Second, we synthesize research findings into a model of factors affecting the success of product development. This model highlights the distinction between process performance and product effectiveness and the importance of agents, including team members, project leaders, senior management, customers, and suppliers, whose behavior affects these outcomes. Third, we indicate potential paths for future research based on the concepts and links that are missing or not well defined in the model.

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Product development: past research, present findings, and future directions

Previous research suggests that knowledge diffusion occurs more quickly within Toyota’s production network than in competing automaker networks. In this paper we examine the ‘black box’ of knowledge sharing within Toyota’s network and demonstrate that Toyota’s ability to effectively create and manage network-level knowledge-sharing processes at least partially explains the relative productivity advantages enjoyed by Toyota and its suppliers. We provide evidence that suppliers do learn more quickly after participating in Toyota’s knowledge-sharing network. Toyota’s network has solved three fundamental dilemmas with regard to knowledge sharing by devising methods to (1) motivate members to participate and openly share valuable knowledge (while preventing undesirable spillovers to competitors), (2) prevent free riders, and (3) reduce the costs associated with finding and accessing different types of valuable knowledge. Toyota has done this by creating a strong network identity with rules for participation and entry into the network. Most importantly, production knowledge is viewed as the property of the network. Toyota’s highly interconnected, strong tie network has established a variety of institutionalized routines that facilitate multidirectional knowledge flows among suppliers. Our study suggests that the notion of a dynamic learning capability that creates competitive advantage needs to be extended beyond firm boundaries. Indeed, if the network can create a strong identity and coordinating rules, then it will be superior to a firm as an organizational form at creating and recombining knowledge due to the diversity of knowledge that resides within a network. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

/pdf/creating-and-managing-a-high-performance-knowledge-sharing-3g622ymk14.pdf

Creating and managing a high‐performance knowledge‐sharing network: the Toyota case

A century after the publication of Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the "Spirit" of Capitalism, a major new work examines network-based organization, employee autonomy and post-Fordist horizontal work structures.

The New Spirit of Capitalism

Contrary to some recent work on so-called 'globalisation', this paper argues that national and regional systems of innovation remain an essential domain of economic analysis. Their importance derives from the networks of relationships which are necessary for any firm to innovate. Whilst external international connections are certainly of growing importance, the influence of the national education system, industrial relations, technical and scientific institutions, government policies, cul- tural traditions and many other national institutions is fundamental. The historical examples of Germany, Japan and the former USSR illustrate this point, as well as the more recent contrast between East Asian and Latin American countries. Introduction: The National System of Friedrich List According to this author's recollections, the first person to use the expression 'National System of Innovation' was Bengt-Ake Lundvall and he is also the editor of a highly original and thought-provoking book (1992) on this subject. However, as he and his colleagues would be the first to agree (and as Lundvall himself points out) the idea actually goes back at least to Friedrich List's conception of "The National System of Political Economy' (1841), which might just as well have been called 'The National System of Innovation'. The main concern of List was with the problem of Germany overtaking England and, for underdeveloped countries (as Germany then was in relation to England), he advocated not only protection of infant industries but a broad range of policies designed to accelerate, or to make possible, industrialisation and economic growth. Most of these policies were concerned with learning about new technology and applying it. The racialist and colonialist overtones of the book were in strong contrast to the inter- nationalist cosmopolitan approach of the classical free trade economists and List's belief that Holland and Denmark should join the German 'Bund' and acquire German nationality because of their 'descent and whole character' reads somewhat strangely in the European Community of today. Nevertheless, despite these unattractive features of his outlook, he clearly anticipated many contemporary theories. After reviewing the changing ideas of economists about development in the years since the Second World War, the World Bank (1991) concludes that it is intangible investment in knowledge accumulation which is decisive rather than physical capital investment, as was at one time believed (pages 33-35). The Report cites the 'New Growth Theory'

The ‘National System of Innovation’ in historical perspective

Machine that changed the world

Transaction processing

A description is given of five testbeds developed to examine gigabit applications and network technologies: Aurora, Blanca, Casa, Nectar, and Vistanet. Aurora is an experimental wide-area network testbed whose main objective is to explore and evaluate technologies for phase three of the proposed gigabit National Research and Education Network. The goals of the Blanca network research program are to develop technologies supporting gigabit/second networks, to develop programming tools supporting advanced network-based applications, and to explore the relationships between network technology paradigms and application requirements. The intent of the Casa testbed is to demonstrate that distributed supercomputing using wide-area high-speed networks can provide new levels of computational resources for leading-edge scientific problems. For the Nectar testbed project, a gigabit/second or higher experimental network will be developed to connect a variety of high-performance hosts. The Vistanet research project is intended to help determine whether networks based on emerging public-network standards will satisfy the goals of the National Research and Education Network and to provide information on specifications for those standards.

Gigabit Network Testbeds

Function Points

AUTHOR Armstrong, William B. TITLE Preparing for the 21st Century, Conference Summary (San Diego, CA, August 18, 1995). INSTITUTION San Diego Community Coll. District, CA. PUB DATE 1995-08-00 NOTE 83p. PUB TYPE Collected Works Proceedings (021) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC04 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS College Curriculum; *College Planning; Community Colleges; Conferences; *Futures (of Society); Long Range Planning; Multicampus Districts; *Organizational Communication; Organizational Development; *Organizational Objectives; *Staff Development; *Student Personnel Services; Two Year Colleges IDENTIFIERS *San Diego Community College District CA

Computer Staff

Papers

Machine that changed the world

Transaction processing

Gigabit Network Testbeds

Function Points

Preparing for the 21st century