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1 – 10 of over 26000Jesús F. Lampón, Francisco Carballo-Cruz and María-Elena Velando-Rodríguez
Autonomous and connected mobility technologies have led to a reconfiguration of the automotive industry value chain. This may involve an impact on the geography of the European…
Abstract
Purpose
Autonomous and connected mobility technologies have led to a reconfiguration of the automotive industry value chain. This may involve an impact on the geography of the European automotive industry, especially for peripheral countries. The aim of the paper is to analyse the repositioning of a peripheral country (Portugal) in the core-periphery model of the automotive industry derived from this new technological context.
Design/methodology/approach
An eclectic theoretical framework, based on the global value chain (GVC) approach, the spatial division of labour and location theory, supports this research. Moreover, an original empirical study was developed. This study comprised a comparative analysis of two samples of firms based on the key variables related to country position. One sample comprised Portuguese traditional automotive firms and the other Portuguese firms linked to autonomous and connected mobility technologies.
Findings
The results highlight the upgrading of Portugal in the European core-periphery model of the automotive industry. This is due to the presence of domestic firms, especially multinationals, linked to autonomous and connected mobility technologies in the country. The decision power derived from their position on the first levels of supply and the added value of activities and technological innovation of these new actors change the role of the country in the European automotive industry. The main implication is that managers of domestic firms and policy makers in peripheral countries can upgrade a country’s position in the European core-periphery model by shifting its competitiveness toward knowledge-based activities linked to the new mobility technologies.
Originality/value
This research is supported by a novel eclectic theoretical framework based on the global value chain (GVC) approach, the spatial division of labour and location theory. Moreover, country position is analysed through empirical evidence. An original comparative empirical study based on the key variables defined under this theoretical framework was developed.
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Menatallah Darrag, Raghda El Ebrashi, Amira Aldibiki and Salma Tosson
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) (2017, pp. 14–15) identified that “industrialization is the seedbed for entrepreneurship, business investment…
Abstract
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) (2017, pp. 14–15) identified that “industrialization is the seedbed for entrepreneurship, business investment, technological progress, the upgrading of skills, and the creation of decent jobs.” This placed studying different industrial sectors and their respective clusters, which are key drivers for economy, innovation, and knowledge creation (Slaper, Harmon, & Rubin, 2018), at the forefront of research. This chapter tackles the automobile industrial cluster in Egypt that possesses promising potential yet faces some challenges. It aims to provide an overview of the cluster, alongside underpinning its strengths and obstacles facing it. Moreover, the chapter displays the importance of the labor dimension in increasing the labor competitiveness of the cluster and showcases this through two cases of German automobile manufacturers that pioneered in venturing into the market through employing technical and vocational education and training. In conclusion, recommendations are provided to help in steering the cluster toward success.
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Jesus Cruz Alvarez, Mónica Blanco-Jiménez and Sergio Guerra-Moya
One of the most profitable industries worldwide is automotive manufacturing, with an estimated economic impact of 2.9 trillion dollars, which employs 8% of the economically active…
Abstract
One of the most profitable industries worldwide is automotive manufacturing, with an estimated economic impact of 2.9 trillion dollars, which employs 8% of the economically active world population, both directly and indirectly. The main 12 world powers in the automotive sector account for 80% of the total manufactured vehicles, and Mexico ranks seventh in the world and is part of the free trade agreement in the Pacific Alliance (PA). This fact may have a direct impact on boosting the domestic automotive industry in Mexico by leveraging the manufacturing supply chain in primary and secondary industries in the three commercial partners: Chile, Colombia, and Peru. This chapter found that there is a coincidence in the competitiveness pillars of the Mexican automotive industry and its business partners in the PA. This presents a strategic panorama of competition and economic development for the region.
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Mohamed Amine Benchekroun and Abderrazak Boumane
The purpose of this paper is to define the local integration rate and how it is calculated to assess its relevance as a national performance indicator for the Moroccan automotive…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to define the local integration rate and how it is calculated to assess its relevance as a national performance indicator for the Moroccan automotive industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The research methodology first followed a systematic review approach through the analysis of published research articles and academic works. This study then followed a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews with various actors in the Moroccan automotive industry. Finally, the findings of this work were reinforced by a case study to analyze the supply chain of a locally produced vehicle.
Findings
The results indicate that the local integration rate as calculated today overestimates the performance of the automotive industry and does not systematically guarantee a significant creation of value added.
Research limitations/implications
Due to the confidentiality of the data in terms of turnover, payroll and purchase prices as well as the large number of suppliers in the different supply chains of the car manufacturer, the case study focused on only one of the six existing ecosystems.
Originality/value
On the basis of research work on the Moroccan automotive industry as well as interviews with various actors, the local integration rate is unanimously considered as a viable performance indicator. This study has not only led us to the method of calculating this rate by the Ministry of Industry but also demonstrated its limitations while proposing a new method of calculation to increase the value added.
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Liviu Warter and Iulian Warter
Merger and acquisition (M&A) is a way to survive and succeed in a competitive global environment as a consequence of new political, monetary and regulatory issues. The complex…
Abstract
Merger and acquisition (M&A) is a way to survive and succeed in a competitive global environment as a consequence of new political, monetary and regulatory issues. The complex phenomenon that M&As represent has received consistent attention from the research community over the last 30 years.
M&As are a strategic choice to grow quicker, enter new markets and maximize companies' capabilities, which otherwise would not have been possible. Within the automotive industry, this phenomenon has been seen repeatedly with examples like Mitsubishi-Daimler, Jaguar-Ford, Daimler-Chrysler, Seat-Volkswagen, Daewoo-General Motors and Land Rover-Ford. Although M&A activity has trended directionally consistent with automotive assembly volume, there are some failure cases within automotive industry M&As (e.g., Rover-BMW). In this chapter, the focus is on the intercultural issues of the M&A phenomenon. The underestimation of the cultural factors has significant impact on why M&A operations sometimes fail to achieve the predefined goals.
It is of vital importance for the automotive companies to understand and be aware of these intercultural issues in order to be successful in their merger or acquisition.
The phenomenon of M&A within the automotive industry needs further research and discussions due to the fact that some strategic alliances and M&A proved to be successful (e.g., Škoda-Volkswagen) and others not (e.g., Rover-BMW).
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This paper aims at understanding how automotive firms integrate customer relationship management (CRM) tools and big data analytics (BDA) into their marketing strategies to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims at understanding how automotive firms integrate customer relationship management (CRM) tools and big data analytics (BDA) into their marketing strategies to enhance total quality management (TQM) after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative methodology based on a multiple-case study was adopted, involving the collection of 18 interviews with eight leading automotive firms and other companies responsible for their marketing and CRM activities.
Findings
Results highlight that, through the adoption of CRM technology, automotive firms have developed best practices that positively impact business performance and TQM, thereby strengthening their digital culture. The challenges in the implementation of CRM and BDA are also discussed.
Research limitations/implications
The study suffers from limitations related to the findings' generalizability due to the restricted number of firms operating in a single industry involved in the sample.
Practical implications
Findings suggest new relational approaches and opportunities for automotive companies deriving from the use of CRM and BDA under an overall customer-oriented approach.
Originality/value
This research analyzes how CRM and BDA improve the marketing and TQM processes in the automotive industry, which is undergoing deep transformation in the current context of digital transformation.
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The present paper examines the barriers hindering the implementation of circular economy practices in Indian automotive industries and identifies the most critical barriers to be…
Abstract
Purpose
The present paper examines the barriers hindering the implementation of circular economy practices in Indian automotive industries and identifies the most critical barriers to be eradicated during the circular economy implementation.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a questionnaire survey-based analytic hierarchy process (AHP) approach, 21 barriers to circular economy implementation are identified through a literature review and ranked using the opinions of relevant industrial experts.
Findings
Barriers, minimal or no proper economic incentives, difficulty in ensuring product quality and costing of CE products are identified as top barriers to be eliminated first to boost the chances of successful implementation of circular economy practices in Indian automotive industries.
Practical implications
The study not only offers a roadmap on the order of elimination of barriers towards a circular economy but also provides insights from industrial experts on how these barriers can be eradicated and the ill effects of each barrier from an automotive industry perspective.
Originality/value
The authors develop a theoretical framework for barrier analysis for circular economy implementation in the Indian automotive sector using the classic AHP approach to identify the most critical barriers against successful implementation. Further, this study offers managerial implications on how these barriers can be eradicated in real.
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Luz María Valdez-de la Rosa, Luis Alberto Villarreal-Villarreal and Gustavo Alarcón-Martínez
The purpose of this paper is to identify the causal relationship between the independent variables such as process quality and product innovation in regard to the dependent…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the causal relationship between the independent variables such as process quality and product innovation in regard to the dependent variable of competitiveness, in the manufacturing sector of the automotive industry, specifically for Tier 1 auto parts manufacturing companies in the state of Nuevo León, México.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a thorough review of the literature, an instrument was designed to measure the competitiveness of automotive industry manufacturing; it was applied to Tier 1 suppliers of automotive parts in the state of Nuevo León, México. Various statistical analysis tests were applied to the results; first, Cronbach's alpha to determine the reliability of the instrument, and next, a factor analysis to measure construct validity. In addition, a multiple linear regression analysis was carried out to identify the causal relationships between the variables analysed.
Findings
This study found that process quality as well as product innovation have independent and positive causal relationships with respect to competitiveness in automotive manufacturing.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations of this paper are its focus on a single manufacturing sector, application in a single country and small sample size.
Practical implications
Companies that supply automotive parts will be able to invest in the key elements of quality and innovation while focusing their efforts on reinforcing their competitiveness.
Originality/value
Auto parts suppliers will be able to perform specific actions to improve their quality processes through lean manufacturing and quality assurance practices and by designing new and innovative products that will enhance their competitiveness.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine the identity-related work experiences of women in leadership in the US automotive industry. Drawing upon the communication theory of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the identity-related work experiences of women in leadership in the US automotive industry. Drawing upon the communication theory of identity’s four identity frames, this study analyzes women’s narratives to better understand their self-concepts, work relationships and activities within larger corporate automotive contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative methodology consisting of 16 in-depth interviews with women in leadership in automotive organizations was adopted. Interviews examined women’s perceptions and identities at work, including their daily behaviors, relationships with others and their perceptions of the larger automotive community.
Findings
Findings demonstrate that women in leadership in the automotive industry experience contradictory feelings, messages and interactions that impact their identity perceptions and expectations for performance and achievement in their work settings.
Practical implications
The experiences of women in leadership in US automotive organizations could provide examples of identity-related topics valuable to practitioner fields where women seek relevant, gender-specific, guidance, resources and strategies to advance in their careers.
Social implications
The findings in this study raise awareness about some of the social issues women in leadership face in automotive corporations, including complex identity-related challenges present in their workplaces.
Originality/value
This paper is the first of its type to examine the narratives of women’s career life in leadership in automotive organizations through a communication theory of identity lens. It extends knowledge about female leaders as they navigate the dissonant worlds of achieving higher positions whilst holding membership in a marginalized group.
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Balakrishnan A.S. and Usha Ramanathan
The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of digital supply chain (DSC) technologies in automotive supply chain resilience (SCR) practices to improve the supply chain…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of digital supply chain (DSC) technologies in automotive supply chain resilience (SCR) practices to improve the supply chain performance (SC-Perf.) objectives of companies operating in the automotive industry. This study also compares the results of the associated SC-Perf objectives before and after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak lockdown situation.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors undertook in-depth empirical research using a questionnaire survey to explore the performance of automotive supply chains. The sample for this study consisted of practitioners from supply chain entities such as automotive original equipment manufacturers, Tier-1 component manufacturers and lead logistics providers in Asia-Pacific (AP) emerging markets. Research questions, framework and hypotheses were developed using the literature review.
Findings
The research outcome from analysis of the data the authors collected from an emerging market context, specifically the automotive sector, emphasizes the role of DSC technologies and encourages the firm’s SCR practices which, in turn, supports the SC-Perf objectives. The DSC technologies competency moderates the SCR and SC-Perf objectives relation, and the moderation effect is higher for post-COVID-19 pandemic outbreak lockdown situation than at prior state.
Research limitations/implications
The scope of the study is restricted to the automotive firms in the AP region. The data were collected from a representative sample of the population through a questionnaire survey. The small size of the sample incurs a certain level of subjectivity.
Practical implications
This research provides practical insights for practitioners and academicians on DSC technologies’ influence in SCR practices to improve the firm’s SC-Perf. This research shares the literature insights on use of DSC technologies across the sector to allow the automotive firm to reassess the existing operational practices.
Originality/value
The paper adds insights on introducing or implementing DSC technologies across AP automotive firms to increase the operations’ performance by improving SCR practices and sustainability.
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