Afonso Fleury

Construindo o conceito de competência

The issue of competence building and management is currently gaining momentum at the academic and the managerial instances. The debates usually focus on one of three distinct levels of analysis: the level of the person (individual competences), the level of the enterprise (core competences of the organization) and the level of a region or nation (educational systems for the formation of local competences). The objective of this paper is to contribute to the theorethical discussion about competence building and management through the development of a conceptual framework, elaborated upon both the American and the European approaches. The key feature of that framework is the dynamic relationship between competitive strategy and competence management.

Competitive strategies and core competencies: perspectives for the internationalisation of industry in Brazil

One of the key features of the new economy seems to be the change from individual to collective efficiency: the joint performance of systems of networked enterprises. That movement has an international dimension mainly related to the new strategies of transnational corporations. from the perspective of developing countries important changes might be taking place, as a consequence of the positioning of their firms in that new interorganisational networking. This is the focus of this study. An analytical model was developed for the assessment of which industrial segment shows the potential to be an international player for having the required organisational competencies. The conceptual framework was built around the idea that participation in an interorganisational network depends on the competencies built by each firm and influences the conditions for strategy formulation. A survey about the recent evolution of industry in Brazil was prepared. The outcomes reveal the relative position of the Brazilian firms in international networks, what leads to an overall picture of the competitiveness of local industry.

The changing pattern of operations management in developing countries

Economic activity is becoming increasingly globalised. Multinational enterprises, which are the main drivers of that process, are reconsidering the role of their subsidiaries. In countries where the industrialisation process was heavily dependent on multinationals, such as Brazil, these changes are intrinsically relevant, as they influence the operations of local companies as well as the definition of economic and industrial policies. This paper, based on longitudinal studies of 21 leading Brazilian companies (11 subsidiaries and 10 local), identifies the different roles performed by the subsidiaries in the global competitive strategies chosen by distinct TNCs as well as the strategic and organisational changes adopted by local companies aiming to participate in global productive chains and networks. The final picture reveals that the transition to a globalised competition logically requires the development of new concepts of production systems for developed and developing countries.

Strategic selection of advanced manufacturing technologies (AMT), based on the manufacturing vision

Advanced manufacturing technologies (AMT) are perceived by companies to be important factors in the search for competitiveness. However research has shown that a large percentage of adoptions of AMT fail to achieve the expected benefits. One reason for this may be the failure to fully consider the strategic impact of AMT. Although the literature has AMT models and frameworks that include strategic factors, it fails to offer a practical methodology which companies can use in selecting appropriate AMT. This work presents a strategic approach to AMT selection, considering AMT as a resource that will underpin the achieving of a manufacturing vision. The work takes as its base an existing process for developing a manufacturing vision, and enhances it by the incorporation of an AMT selection framework. The framework for the strategic selection of AMT was developed from a literature review followed by field research in the machine-tools sector. The framework was then operationalised through the Cambridge process approach. The framework and related process were refined through individual interviews with seven experts, and two seminars and finally tested in two case studies. The process, based on the AMT selection framework, proved to be feasible, usable and useful.

Quality and productivity in the competitive strategies of Brazilian industrial enterprises

Abstract After a long period of protected development, Brazilian industry is facing the new competition. An analysis of manufacturing-based competitive strategies in developed countries shows a trajectory of development of competitiveness, starting from price and moving through quality, time, diversity and uniqueness. The competences needed for each element are cumulative. This poses challenges for firms in developing countries which are faced with a sudden exposure to new standards of competitiveness. They may recognize the need for better quality or diversity, but not have the basis for achieving them. The problems facing firms in Brazil as they wrestle with these problems in a liberalizing economy are discussed.

The evolution of production systems and conceptual frameworks

Purpose – The development of a conceptual framework for the study of production systems in general derived from the analysis of the telecommunications industry; since this industry is considered as one of the pillars of the coming information society and knowledge economy, the application of that framework to other industries and production systems brings insights as to their recent changes and future trends. This paper looks at the stream of frameworks proposed for production and operations management, with the intent of contributing to the debate by addressing the following question: would an analytical framework derived from the telecommunications industry have distinct features relative to the analytic frameworks currently in use?Design/methodology/approach – Following a literature review of the evolution of the telecommunications industry, the framework (TbF for telecommunications‐based framework) was built from scratch, using grounded theory, case studies and Delphi methods. The field for research w...

THE EVOLUTION OF STRATEGIES AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCIES IN THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY

The aim of this paper is to analyze how competencies are built and strategies are formulated in companies that are part of the international interorganizational networks. The theoretical framework merges concepts from Strategic Management, Resources Based View of the Firm and International Operations Management literature. The paper introduces an analytical model that enables a preliminary assessment of a firms organizational competencies, starting from the analysis of its product/market configuration and competitive strategy. Based on data about the evolution of the telecommunications industry, a comprehensive picture is drawn consisting of: (i) the modifications in the competitive regime since the beginning of the privatization process, (ii) the strategies followed by Network Operators and Specialized Equipment Suppliers. Empirical evidence comes from field research carried out in the Brazilian Telecommunications industry which, due to its specific characteristics, allows for an assessment of the current situation of the world telecommunications industry. The findings show that there has been a radical shift in the strategic relevance of organizational competencies in the last 10 to 15 years. This led both Network Operators and Specialized Equipment Suppliers to move from strategies based on technology and operations towards strategies based on service delivery.

Aprende-se com as empresas japonesas? - Estudo comparativo entre empresas brasileiras e mexicanas

The Japanese corporations are usually considered as creators of the newest approaches and methods to manage production systems and human resources. To understant the role of Japanese enterprises in the diffusion of such approaches and methods, we analysed the learning process that occurs in Brazilian and Mexican firms as a consequence of their relationship with Japanese subsidiaries for which they supply parts and components. We analyse whether and how learning processes are induced by that dynamics based on field research conducted among local firms, both in Brazil and Mexico. The main conclusion is that the Japanese subsidiaries are not the main actors in the diffusion of Japanese inspired techniques among local enterprises.

Europe in the Internationalization Strategies of the Multilatinas

The increasing presence of firms from emerging countries, especially from the BRIC group (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), in the world scenario, is a remarkable characteristic of the ‘third wave’ of internationalization. The two first ones were generated by the expansion of North American and European firms (in the 1950s and 1960s) and by Japanese firms (in the 1980s). Currently, the so-called emerging country multinationals are taking a stand in the global economy (Goldstein, 2007; Sauvant, Mendoza, and Irmak, 2008; Ramamurti and Singh, 2009).

Developing methods for the identification of competences needed for software production and utilization in industry

Software plays an increasingly relevant role in modern life. Particularly, software enables most features of innovative goods and services. However, the way in which software production should be organized is still open to discussion. Although software development has been extensively researched by software engineering theorists and practitioners, there is an increasing concern that the linkages between software suppliers and software users should be clarified, bringing new research possibilities for the Technology Management discipline. The purpose of this paper is the presentation of a new framework for an improved understanding of the existing relationships between software users and suppliers. Software users were characterized by using insights originated from a research in the Telecommunication industry. To characterize software suppliers, two distinct surveys were realized. Finally, to clarify the different relationships that exist between software users and suppliers, we analyzed which competences are required from the supplier company in order to understand the specific needs of each group of user companies and to develop and deliver the most appropriate software system.