Since the early 1980s, the diffusion of Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing from Japanese manufacturers to U.S. manufacturers has progressed at an accelerated rate. At this stage of the diffusion process, JIT implementations are more common and more advanced in large U.S. manufacturers than in...

Recent literature indicates there has been an absence of top management involvement in the development of customer service policies and integration of these policies into the organizational decision making process. This paper discusses the importance of integrating customer service activities...

U.S. academic centers for quality and productivity provide many benefits for academic and business communities. The centers support the diffusion of new technologies and business practices that allow U.S. businesses to improve their competitiveness. These centers also provide opportunitiesto...

Many people assume that Japanese management practices, the Toyota Production System, have been whole-heartedly implemented by American automakers for more than two decades. However, the recent financial and operational crises faced by American automakers indicate that a performance gap still...

After World War II, the Japanese incrementally applied new management practices to improve their global competitiveness. With refinement and systematic integration of these new practices the Japanese achieved a new manufacturing paradigm and, by the 1970s, a competitive superiority in the...

As a result of progressive implementations of just‐in‐time (JIT) management practices, researchers have attempted to identify those elements critical to the success of implementation. While the literature shows general agreement on organizational support as a key element, a paucity of...

The focus of this paper is on purchasing and supplier involvement in the firm. Using the resource‐base view of the firm, hypotheses are developed concerning purchasing/supplier involvement, strategic purchasing and firm’s financial performance. A model of the hypothesized relationships is...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore a manufacturer's strategy to coordinate efforts of multiple suppliers' involvement in the product development process. The paper also proposes critical factors in determining the appropriate coordination strategy. Design/methodology/approach...

Reviews the literature of purchasing and transportation management to identify factors in the purchasing and transportation processes that influence a firm’s ability to reduce total cycle time. Presents a model of these factors to establish a framework for guiding research into comprehensive,...