Guido Nassimbeni

Technology, innovation capacity, and the export attitude of small manufacturing firms: a logit/tobit model

Abstract This study proposes a predictive model of the export attitude of small manufacturing firms. On the basis of an empirical investigation carried out on a sample of small units, exporters and non-exporters are compared in terms of technology and ability to innovate, besides a number of other structural factors. Using as predictors some of the more discriminating factors, a logistic regression model is then verified. The study shows that the propensity of small units to export is strictly linked to their ability to innovate the product and develop valid inter-organisational relations, while it is less related to the technological profile (manufacturing, quality control, management, design, communication, handling, storage technologies) of the company.

Network structures and co‐ordination mechanisms

Notwithstanding the extensive body of literature, there is still confusion surrounding the concept of “network” since it encompasses a variety of inter‐organisational relationships. By adopting the Mintzberg’s approach on organisational structures and co‐ordination mechnisms, this work proposes a framework for the classification of the main network structures, analysing the interdependency forms and co‐ordination mechanism of each of them. The work provides some illustrative examples of the various network structures and the co‐ordination mechanisms operating on them.

Local manufacturing systems and global economy: are they compatible?: The case of the Italian eyewear district

Abstract In the era of global economy, are local manufacturing systems still playing a role or are they destined to fade away? No unequivocal answer to this question can be found in the literature. Some think that globalization exposes all the limits of local industrial systems. Others consider the contraposition between global and local to be only apparent. There could be, however, a clear relation between the firm’s competitiveness on the international market and its territorial roots. The present paper focuses on one of the most important local systems in Italy, i.e. the eyewear district. Based on empirical research, the study analyzes the evolution of the eyewear industry, the strategies used by the larger producers to face the current competitive challenges and the consequences of such actions on the local supply system. It is shown that the district has lost most of its traditional features and inter-organizational relations have significantly changed. Opportunities arising from new technologies and global economy seem to favor better equipped, large-sized enterprises rather than small suppliers, or in any case, single units or groups rather than the system. Finally, some suggestions are provided for entrepreneurs or managers operating in industrial districts, concerning vertical integration and sourcing choices (main-contracting firms), and technological and managerial levers that could better qualify the supply offer (sub-contracting firms).

Small and medium district enterprises and the new product development challenge

This study describes the results of an empirical research on a sample of small and medium enterprises belonging to one of Italys most important local manufacturing systems: the eyewear district. The main objective of the project was to suggest ways of improving new product development within the small and medium enterprises of the district. Data were collected from five buyer firms and 49 subcontractors, and experts of the local system were interviewed in order to acquire information on the product development process. The study: highlights the distinctive aspects of eyewear products and the consequent design and manufacturing specificity; maps the product development activity; identifies difficulties and problems SMEs usually encounter in these activities; and suggests how improvements can be made.

A method for the evaluation of suppliers co-design effort

Abstract A framework for the analysis and measurement of the support given by the supplier to the buyers new product development activities is described. Having consulted the literature on best practices in product development, 14 criteria were individuated. This assessment framework was implemented and tested in a major company in the Northwest of Italy, which operates in the sector of Industrial Automation. The case study points out advantages and limitations of the proposed instrument.

New Trends in the Supply Environment

Present‐day competitiveness has brought about a marked evolution in supply management, imposing on firms an increasingly close interaction with suppliers. The achievement of high‐level performances in terms of cost, quality and time to market appears ever more dependent on the quality and effectiveness of the supply network. This transformation modifies the traditional adversarial model of the buyer‐supplier relationship and fosters the reconfiguration and integrated management of the supply chain. At the same time, competitive dynamics and current global competing models encourage the extension of traditional sourcing areas. Analyses these evolutionary aspects of the current supply environment and examines the new role of the purchasing function.

Supply networks: Genesis, stability and logistics implications. A comparative analysis of two districts

This study concerns networks whose elements are made up of manufacturing units linked by supply relationships. The authors, comparing the evolution of two industrial districts, analyse the variables that determine or impede the formation of strong linked buyer-suppliers systems, influence the network stability and fashion the logistic pipeline mapping and management. Three central propositions are discussed: (a) the setting up of a supply network process is connected to the presence of operational interdependencies between the units of the supply chain; (b) the stability and effectiveness of a supply network is closely bound to the ability, on the part of the core-firm, to plan the governance structure of the supply relationship; and (c) the product structure and the nature of the process influence the networking process.

Motivations of manufacturing reshoring: an interpretative framework

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a framework for the analysis of reshoring. The framework is then applied to analyze motivations for reshoring, as they emerge from extant literature and from new evidence collected. Design/methodology/approach – The authors start by formulating a literature-grounded definition of reshoring and reviewing some key theoretical approaches for international manufacturing location. In light of these theories, the authors then propose an interpretative framework for the analysis of reshoring motivations. Finally, the authors provide new evidence on this phenomenon, by presenting the findings of an extensive data collection of reshoring cases built on secondary data. Findings – The authors show that a vast array of single drivers of reshoring can be extracted from extant literature; however, the interpretative framework eventually highlights four main typologies of reshoring motivations, thus allowing for a more sound comprehension of why the phenomenon happens. T...

International purchasing offices in China

Creating an international purchasing office (IPO) is one of the most frequently adopted solutions by companies to manage their international sourcing activities. Despite the increasing importance of this solution for international supply management, the literature still offers limited studies on it. This research, which forms part of an EU project entitled ‘International sourcing Strategies for China’, tries to fill this gap. Starting from an analysis and systematisation of the existing literature, the study defines the main aspects characterising the creation and management of IPOs in China, which is actually one of the nations with the highest inflow of foreign direct investments and one of the most important sourcing basins in the world. In particular, taking into consideration the specificities of the Chinese normative/social/political context, the research tries to describe how to establish and manage an IPO in China and the main functions assigned to it.

Factors underlying operational JIT purchasing practices: Results of an empirical research

Abstract This study analyses the intensity and nature of the relationship between the principal operational Just-In-Time Purchasing practices, i.e. the practices that create the link between the buyers and suppliers operation chains. Such practices are frequently discussed in the literature on JIT Purchasing, but few studies examine the relationships between them empirically. A plant-level survey was carried out on a sample of machinery and electronics firms. The survey involved 457 respondents from 50 plants. The study demonstrates that the practices considered, although closely interdependent from a conceptual point of view, shows three main underlying factors. The first, delivery synchronisation, include operative aspects and practices concerning the synchronisation between the external flow and the internal activities. In the second, interaction on quality, practices mainly oriented towards the management of quality related problems converge. The third factor, interaction on design, corresponds to the co-operation between the buyer and supplier in the product development activities. Each of these factors is partly independent from the others and can be interpreted as a distinct type of buyer/supplier interaction.