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Multinational companies have manufacturing operations in various countries; however, there is scarce evidence on how they assess performance of the network-based operations of their factories, called international manufacturing networks (IMN). The purpose of this paper is to propose a process model for the performance assessment of IMNs.

The IMN performance assessment process model was developed from the extant literature and was empirically verified in its congruency and usefulness via a multiple case research. For that, in each case the general process model was derived into a specific application that fit the type of IMN on focus. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from the case companies’ reports, profiling forms and interviews, followed by within-case and cross-case analyses.

Evidence suggest that the process model, along with its derivations, is a valuable tool to describe and explain how IMN performance assessment unfolds in real organizational environments. Additionally, three propositions emerged: IMN performance assessment has distinct characteristics depending on the type of IMN adopted, which in turn depends on the company’s internationalization strategy; IMN performance assessment has more strategic value and importance for companies that are globally coordinated and adopt “rooted” manufacturing strategies; and companies design their IMN performance assessment on a trial-and-error basis.

As all case-based research, this paper has generalizability limitations. Thus, next steps may include a large-scale survey and an action research that will develop and implement a full-fledged IMN performance assessment.

The process model and descriptive insights provide a diagnostic tool and subsidies that may encourage managers to review and improve their current IMN performance assessment.

The process model contributes to addressing a 20-year gap concerning how to approach IMN performance assessment in a holistic and systematic manner.

This paper questions currently accepted arguments about the impacts of pro-market reforms in the internalization of emerging country firms, through an in-depth analysis of the Brazilian case, thus revealing new dimensions to add to the extant literature.

Historical analysis is the central mode of investigation leading to a commitment of offering historically grounded explanation for pro-market reform impacts in the Brazilian industry.

Outcomes reveal that the impacts of pro-market reforms depend on (a) the purpose of their adoption, (b) the compatibility with the features of the local institutional context, and (c) the relative bargaining power of local firms vis-à-vis foreign multinationals.

The research is based on the Brazilian experience only which is indicative of what may have happened in other Latin American countries; however, the analytical approach may be extended to the study of other emerging countries.

By having a systemic perspective encompassing the different actors and the interdependence among themselves, it allows for an enhanced view of the factors which led to the adoption of pro-market reforms and the forces which acted for its configuration, thus helping policy-makers to better approach industrial policy-making.

A longitudinal perspective within a historical analysis is adopted, focusing on the interplay of macro-level and firm-level factors, resulting in a better understanding of the reasons which led to the adoption of pro-market reforms, the resistance to its implementation and its real outcomes.

Despite the seminal works of authors like Bartlett, Ghoshal, Nohria, Doz, Williamson, among others, because they focused on mature multinationals, newcomers in international markets find scarce information about the design and implementation of international operations networks. In this paper we analyze the internationalization process of Brazilian and Chinese firms to understand the evolution of their networks, a process influenced by factors inexistent in studies about developed country multinationals, namely global production networks (GPNs) and country-of-origin effects. The key characteristics of their international operations networks seem to be well described by a stage-based approach where emerging country multinationals start as local optimizers and then evolve by taking different strategic positions within the GPN to which they are connected. That upgrading is possible when the implementation of the international operations network reaches a certain level of maturity.

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?

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 was the Brazilian Telecommunications industry, considered as a microcosm of the whole industry. The TbF was then applied to the automobile and textile/apparel industries for illustration purposes.

The TbF is composed by six types of companies, characterised by distinct profiles of organisational competences, interacting according to some specific patterns of relationships. Compared to the most commonly used conceptual frameworks, the TbF allows for critical assessments in regards to their basic assumptions and reveals ways to evolve in direction of more dynamic approaches to the study of production systems.

As all other conceptual frameworks, the TbF is a simplification of reality and so its use requires a clear view of its assumptions. In regards to generalisation, the main assumption of the TbF is that other industries and production systems are accelerating their “clockspeeds” over time. As to the TbF's limitations, the main drawback relates to its development being derived from the most “traditional” segment of the telecommunications industry. This led to the exclusion of the internet‐enabled industries which promise a great impact in the near future.

The main contribution is for practical work in the academic and consultancy spheres, because what is under investigation is the way in which knowledge about production systems is being produced. The use of the TbF might disclose the limitations of the most commonly used conceptual frameworks and reveal ways to produce knowledge which is more aligned to the dynamism and complexity of production systems now and in the future.

The TbF is original in its structure. Its value in the creation of knowledge which is relevant and applicable still depends on further development.

States that operations and production management is deeply rooted in Brazilian education where the first course in production engineering dates from 1958. Considers the nature of publications in the field during the 1990s. Notes that the research focus in Brazil is currently on areas such as the new globalised economy and the environment.

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.

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.

The paper intends to contribute to interpretations of present and future developments in manufacturing and manufacturing research. It designs hypothetical expert consolidated projections for the future of manufacturing with the focus on social impacts from information and communications technologies (ICT).

In order to obtain valid projections, Kuhn's theory of scientific revolutions has been applied to production sciences. Since, the paradigm shift to post mass production has become evident, it is clear that manufacturing will be of network type. Since, the point of a “normal science” (Kuhn) is not yet reached, empirical and methodical work is exploited, especially expert discussion results, technology forecasts and field surveys, to draw the baselines for further developments, focussing on development lines on global, regional as well as company scale.

The paper sketches organisational set ups and ICT applications for future manufacturing in order to be able to point out induced effects on other trends and drivers (especially social and societal). Major changes in role and future behaviour of manufacturing could be verified.

The paper assumes a specific driver/impact constellation, which emphasises socio‐technical relations and focuses on organisation and ICT use in manufacturing environments as decisive and limiting influences. Other socio/technology interrelations are not regarded as intensively and could be future research fields. Implications on the methods and the instruments to be used for production networks could be sketched.

Some of the methodologies may be downscaled and applied for companies in order to define future strategies. On global, on regional as well as on company level, relevant results may be considered as elements of a future networked manufacturing world.

Trends and drivers for future manufacturing have been newly put into network interrelations in order to obtain impact priorities and interaction hypotheses. Ongoing developments are envisioned as embedded in a general paradigm change. The paper draws from extensive research work on the field. It addresses researchers as well as practitioners dealing with manufacturing companies' strategy development.