战略柔性一个世界级制造业新的现实外文翻译学士学位论文.docx
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战略柔性一个世界级制造业新的现实外文翻译学士学位论文
中文3845字
本科毕业论文(设计)
外文翻译
原文:
Strategicflexibility:
anewrealityforworld-classmanufacturing
Thedevelopmentoftheconceptofflexibilityhasbeenslowinthemanufacturingliteraturebecauseoftherelativelystablemarketstructureandminimalcompetitivepressurepriortothe1960s.Infact,manufacturingwasnotconsideredparticularlyimportantintheformulationofbusinessstrategy.Asthecompetitivenessproblemsincreased,practitionersandacademiciansbegantorecognizethatmanufacturingstrategywasvitalinsupportingchangesofcorporatestrategy.Consequently,anumberofanalyticalmodelsandempiricalstudiesweredevelopedtoenhancemanufacturingflexibility.AccordingtoSuarez,Cusumano,andFine(1995),mostempiricalstudiesonmanufacturingflexibilityserveoneofthefollowingpurposes:
(1)todeveloptaxonomiesofflexibility;
(2)toinvestigatetherelationshipbetweenflexibilityandperformance;(3)tocoverhistoricalandeconomicalanalysesofflexibility;and(4)todevelopstrategicframeworksforflexibility.Carlsson(1989),SethiandSethi(1990),HyunandAhn(1992),andUpton(1994)arejustafewresearchworksthatprovidefurtherliteraturereviewsonflexibility.
Flexibilityisoftenregardedasoneofthecompetitivepriorities,alongwithcost,quality,andinnovation.Justaslowcostandhighqualityhavealreadybecomearequirementformarketentry,flexibilitymightultimatelybethekeytoenhancingafirm'scompetitiveability.Whileuncertaintycanbeathreattosomefirms,itprovidesopportunitytothosewithhigherdegreesofflexibility,eithermarket-orientedorresources-oriented.Firmsthatareabletodealwithuncertaintiesthattheircompetitorscannothavemarket-orientedflexibility.Byreducingmarketuncertaintiesorexertinginfluenceoncustomerexpectations,firmshavemorestrategicchoicesandcanadoptamoreproactiveapproachtocompeting.Firmswithhighlyflexibleproductionsystemshaveresource-orientedflexibilityandcanbemoreresponsivetothechangingmarket.
Bycombiningthesetwoconcepts,Figure1showsthedominantcompetitiveprioritiescorrespondingtothefirm'sabilitytocopewithuncertainties.Notonlycanworld-classmanufacturingfirmsadapttothechangingenvironmentswiftly,buttheyalsocaninfluencemarketdemand(e.g.,bycreatinguncertaintiesorcustomerexpectationsthatcompetitorscannotdealwith).Bothreactiveandproactiveapproacheshaveprovedtobeequallyimportantandrequiredifferenttypesofflexibility.Insteadoffocusingononeparticulardimensionofflexibility,world-classmanufacturingfirmsneedastrategicperspectiveofflexibility-theabilitytoquicklyadjusttheircompetitiveobjectivestomeetnewbusinessconditions.
Inastablecompetitiveenvironmentlikedecadesago,acompetitivestrategysimplyinvolveddefiningacompetitivepositionandthendefendingit.Sincethecompetitiveenvironmenthaschangedrapidlyandunpredictably,however,newknowledgeandcapabilitiesareneededtosupportanystrategytocreateasustainablecompetitiveadvantage.Therefore,thegoalofthelatestdevelopmentsinmanufacturingstrategyistoattainstrategicflexibility.Competitiveadvantagecommonlyreferstothecreationofaproduction-distributionsystemthathasauniqueadvantageoveritscompetitors.Achievingcompetitiveadvantagedoesnotimplythatthecompanymustalwaysdobetterthanthecompetitorsinallareas.Thekeyistodocertainthingsbetterinmostoftheareas.Decidingwhichareastotargetisthecentralissueofcompetitivepriorities.Competitiveadvantagestraditionallyhavebeenaccomplishedthrougheconomiesofscaleandproductandprocesstechnology,butthesearenolongersufficient.
Competitiveadvantagethrougheconomiesofscaleisbestillustratedbymassproduction.Furthermore,HenryFord'sdictumthat"customerscanhaveanycoloraslongasit'sblack"stillconvincesmanymanufacturersthattheymustchoosebetweenstandardizationatlowcostorflexibilityathighcost.ThishasbeendisprovedbyJapaneseautomobileandelectronicsmanufacturerswhoachieveanoptimalbalanceofproductstandardizationandmanufacturingflexibility.
Thedynamicsoftoday'scompetitiveenvironmentsuggestthateconomiesofscaleandproductorprocesstechnologywillbeadiminishingsourceofcompetitiveadvantage.Asaresult,manufacturersareturningtheirattentiontobuildingtheskillsandknowledgeoftheirworkforce.World-classmanufacturersalsorealizethatcompetitiveadvantagecanbecreatedonlywhenthemanufacturingstrategyiswellintegratedwithotherfunctionalstrategies,whichtogethersupporttheoverallcorporatestrategy.Itimpliesthatchangesinstrategyarenecessarytocopewiththechangesincompetitiveenvironmentandintheorganizationitself.Therefore,thereisno"best"manufacturingstrategy,andallcompetitivemanufacturersshouldbereadytoshiftfromonestrategytoanotherasneeded.Theappropriatestrategydependsonafirm'sstrengthsandweaknesses.Twomanufacturingfirmsmaydevelopdifferentstrategiesyetbothcompeteinthesamemarketwithsuccess.Inaddition,stickingwithasinglecompetitivestrategy(nomatterhowsuccessful)oftenturnsouttobeproblematicwhentheunderlyingconditionschange.
Giventhedynamicnatureofthemarketplace,flexibilityhasalreadybecomethemostimportantcompetitivepriorityofthe1990s.Flexibilityisusuallyclassifiedbroadlyasproductorservice-related(suchasvolume,productmix,andmodification)andprocesstechnology-related(suchaschangeover,scheduling,andinnovation).Whilethesesourcesofflexibilityareessentialtoprovidecompetitiveadvantagetomanufacturers,theytendtobeoperationalortacticalinnature.Toacquireasustainablecompetitiveadvantage,managementmustdevelopstrategicflexibility,whichrequireslong-termcommitmentandthedevelopmentofcriticalresources.Notethatnospecificmanufacturingtechniquesorimprovementprogramsareincluded.Instead,theemphasisisondevelopingskillssuchasknowledge,capabilities,andaflexibleorganizationalstructure.Thesearethefoundationofstrategicflexibilitythatallowfuturechangestotakeplaceasneeded;and,bestofall,theiruniquenaturemeansthatnooneelsecan"copy"themeasily.
Strategicflexibilityallowsamanufacturingfirmtoshiftfromonedominantstrategytoanother,fromonecompetitiveprioritytoanother,butalsoimpliesalong-termcommitmentofresourcesandaplanofaction.Progress,therefore,dependsonthecurrentstateofthefirm'sresourcesandcapabilities.Generally,strategicflexibilityisattainedthroughathree-stepprocess:
awareness,understanding,andimplementation.
Phase1:
Beawarethatonlystrategicflexibilitywillprovidesustainablecompetitiveadvantageoverthelongrun.Duringthelasttwodecades,qualityimprovement,automation,andadvancedmanufacturingtechniques,tonameafew,haveoftenbeenperceivedasapathtocompetitiveadvantage.Whiletheymayleadtopositiveoutcomes,anumberofempiricalstudiessuggestthatmanyfirmsfoundthemineffective.Manymanufacturersfocusedtoomuchontheformormechanicsofsuchprogramswhileoverlookingthedevelopmentofskillsandcapabilitiesneededtosupportthechanges.Resistancetochangeisgreaterifmanagementfailstoseethenecessityforchanges.Untilmanagementfullyrecognizestheneedforlong-termcompetitiveadvantage,thereisnoclearincentivetodevotethetime,effort,andexpensetodevelopstrategicflexibility.
Phase2:
Understandthatthemanufacturingfunction'sperformancelinksdirectlytocorporateperformanceandsurvival.Understandingtheimportanceofthemanufacturingfunctionanditslinktocorporateperformanceprovidesafocalpointformanagementtothinkmoreproactivelyaboutbuildingcapabilitiesforthefuture.Thepoorperformanceofmanymajormanufacturingfirmsduringthelasttwodecadeswasnosurprisetomanyresearchers.Companiesthatdevelopaclearlinkagebetweenbusinessandmanufacturingstrategiestendtobemoresuccessfulandprofitable.Thisfindinghassubstantiatedtheargumentthatmanufacturingisindeedakeycompetitivevariable,especiallyinthoseindustrieswherecustomersareincreasinglycostandqualityconscious.
Phase3:
Formulateandimplementstrategiesthatcenteronthedevelopmentofskills,manufacturingcapabilities,andleanorganizationalstructures.Theoutdatedmanufacturingstrategybasedonmassproductionisnotresponsiveenoughtocopewithrapidlychangingmarketsandshortenedproductlifecycles.Inaddition,productionjobshavebecomemorechallengingandconceptual,asroutineandrepetitivetasksareperformedbyautomatedequipment.Thefullbenefitoftechnologycanbeexploitedonlywhenworkersunderstandandcontrolalargepartoftheproductionprocess.
*Skillsandknowledge
Aproductiveworkforcetodaymustbehighlyskilledandflexible,characteristicsthatcanonlybedevelopedthroughextensivetrainingandexperienceinavarietyofjobassignments.Therefore,theworkplacemustbereorganizedtopromotecontinuouslearning,whichmustbecomeanormalpartofworklife.Evidencesuggeststhatnotmanymanufacturers,particularlyintheUnitedStates,givehighpriorityandcommitsufficientresourcestotrainingtheirfront-lineworkers.Managementneedstorealizethatmaintainingandupgradingtheskillsoftheirworkforceiscentraltotheircompetitivestrategy.Managementmustfocusonthecultivationofmulti-skilledworkersandstoptreatingthemasreplaceablepartsoracosttobecontrolled.Inanattempttofindoutwhytheimprovementofflexibilityhasbeensoelusi