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Under the global value chain (GVC) approach, this paper aims to analyze how domestic suppliers on the periphery of the automotive industry are affected by their relationship with foreign multinationals.

A case study with primary data collected from foreign multinationals operating in the Mexican automotive industry was used to analyze their relationship with domestic suppliers.

The evolution of the suppliers has been characterized by improved quality and added value in their products and more asset-intensive, efficient processes. This evolution has been driven by improvement in production capabilities and investment in new equipment by domestic suppliers and facilitated by knowledge transfer from foreign multinationals. However, it has not involved the acquisition of innovation capabilities or the internationalization of production activities. This has limited their position on the first levels of the value chain and their global presence, which are essential aspects when climbing the industry value chain to lead some activities at a global level. At the same time, most of these suppliers have become strategic and have a greater dependence on foreign multinationals. This poses a dilemma for domestic firms, as the relationship with these multinationals becomes more intense and dependent and at the same time reduces the possibility of leading activities in the value chain.

The paper analyzes the impact on domestic suppliers of their relationships with foreign multinationals, integrating traditional product, process and functional upgrading and new elements, in particular, participation in the GVC and dependence on multinationals.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the new technologies that condition location strategy and enable the reindustrialization of European countries involved in the automotive industry. Business relocation has seen an upsurge in recent years. The development of the technologies linked to new mobility (connected, autonomous and electric vehicles) in European countries is increasing interest in relocating high value activities in origin countries to preserve high quality jobs and maintain competitive advantage.

The paper analyzes the changes in location factors and relocation trends through qualitative research based on a multiple case study methodology of first level suppliers in the automotive industry.

This study reveals the capacity technology has to reconfigure the automotive value chain and to change traditional location factors and relocation trends. The results show relevant differences between the traditional components production divisions characterized by offshoring processes, in a continuous decrease of activity and deindustrialization, and the new technologies divisions linked to new mobility with strong growth, reshoring of the high value activities, reindustrialization plans and links with research and development. For these new mobility divisions, protection of innovation to prevent the core knowledge transfer and strong collaboration with local research institutions are key in this highly technological location context.

The research analyzes the impact of new mobility technologies on the relocation processes in the automotive industry through an original approach based on the evolution of traditional suppliers with divisions linked to new mobility.

The paper aims to explore the influence of the industry technology intensity on the drivers of manufacturing backshoring.

An analysis of backshoring factors in recent cases of backshoring in the European manufacturing industry based on original qualitative and quantitative information collected from different databases. This analysis was performed using different econometric models applied to samples of firms classified by technology intensity of industries.

Drivers of backshoring are conditioned by the technology intensity of the industries. The models that analyse firms classified by technology intensity of the industries have a good explanatory capacity with few key factors. In industries with low-technology intensity, backshoring is a cost-oriented strategy and the drivers are linked to internal process optimisation and external factors related to labour and logistics costs in the host location. In industries with high-technology intensity, backshoring is mainly an innovation-oriented strategy and the key drivers are those related to the internal innovation capacity for improvement of the technological level of manufacturing processes. The research also identifies the more suitable theoretical approaches for explaining backshoring drivers in each type of industry according to its technology intensity.

This research analyses the backshoring drivers by means of models applied to firms classified by the technology intensity of industries. It also reinforces the dynamic perspective of time to analyse backshoring as a reassessment of location decisions made after prior offshoring.

This study examines the motives and enabling factors regarding reverse factoring (RF) adoption in the automobile industry's supply chain.

This is a qualitative case study based on in-depth interviews with financial institutions in two countries having different statuses within the automobile industry global value chain: Mexico as a peripheral and Spain as a semi-peripheral country.

The RF is more widely deployed in Spain than in Mexico. The differences in the adoption of RF between the two countries stem from the availability of programs for suppliers at different supply levels, their efficient implementation and a robust regulatory framework, but especially from the cooperative approach adopted. The motives and enablers of RF adoption in the automobile industry can be explained under a framework of different supply chain management models. The RF programs driven by self-interest financial motives are characterized by an asymmetric distribution of benefits among supply chain participants. The RF programs that combine self-interest with cooperative motives are partially characterized by balanced benefits. In addition, they favor involvement practices and strengthen long-term relationships among supply chain participants. In this cooperative approach, trust, transparency and especially sharing information are considered relevant enablers. Finally, the specific automobile industry's features that determine RF adoption are linked to the structure and governance mode of the supply chain. The structure in terms of length – multiple supply levels – conditions the design of RF programs based on the buyer's position in the supply chain. The governance mode, particularly how the relationships are established, conditions the factors and requisites for efficient adoption of the RF programs.

This research analyzes the RF framed in the dynamics of buyer–supplier relationships and different models of supply chain management, allowing us to identify cooperation motives and their impact on RF adoption, beyond the traditional economic and financial motives highlighted by previous literature.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the key factors behind the adoption of new automobile modular platforms from the perspectives of product design, manufacturing network and production systems.

An in-depth and qualitative cross-case analysis of European manufacturing networks was performed based on the modular platforms of seven automobile manufacturers.

The adoption of modular platforms has changed automobile product architecture helping automobile manufacturers to improve their manufacturing network outputs. The results show that operational flexibility and scope and scale economies at manufacturing network level depend on the platform design – degree of modularity – and the manufacturer’s product and manufacturing network conditions. This new product architecture allows for the new production systems to be efficient in terms of flexibility and versatility without overinvestment.

The main contribution to the research literature is the combination of traditional product architecture with the manufacturing network approach to analyse the influence of product design on production systems, especially regarding the adoption of new automobile modular platforms.

The identification of customer needs through relationship management and their transformation into marketing innovation are two key processes in customer value creation. When combined, they can improve a firm’s competitive position, not only in terms of profitability but also by reducing costs and promoting the use of technology. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the link between managerial relational capability and marketing innovation in customer value creation, and to look at how that value creation affects competitiveness.

We analyze 450 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the furniture industry in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara (Mexico). To this sample is applied a confirmatory factor analysis and a structural equation model to analyze the impact of management capabilities in relationships and marketing innovation on customer value creation and to determine how the value created affects competitiveness.

The results show that management capabilities in customer relationships and in the way they convert knowledge of customer needs into specific choices in the market have a positive effect on customer value creation, as well as on financial performance, cost optimization and the use of technology, all of which can be used as indicators of competitiveness.

The study covers customer value creation in an emerging economy, that of Mexico, and relates it to business competitiveness from a holistic point of view which goes beyond profitability by also including cost reduction and the use of technology.

Multimarket competition is an area of competitive dynamics focused on studying situations where firms compete against each other simultaneously in more than one market. The intensity of competition depends on the aggressiveness and the market contingencies, influencing the competitive strategies. Particularly, the purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of multimarket competition and market contingencies on innovation.

An exploratory qualitative approach using the Grounded Theory is applied with conceptual purposes. The data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and additional observations with senior strategies and decision-makers. The paper follows an extensive narrative to understand decision-taking processes on competitive strategy with the support of analytical software. The paper was performed in the automotive components industry making seats in two different countries to acknowledge the influence of market contingencies.

The results suggest that multimarket competition does not reduce the level of aggressiveness, but it offers a background that favors opportunities for companies and new business in circumstances of crisis associated to innovation. Depending on the market contingencies, strategies can foster a higher technological innovation, in those cases of high development in the industry, or diversification, when the development is lower.

This paper contributes to enrich multimarket competition theory with the study of innovation strategies in different market conditions, a topic not much explored in multimarket literature. Additionally, it suggests implications for managers attending to different market contingencies.

This paper aims to explore how value co-creation processes can influence the generation of dynamic capabilities and the retention of industrial customers. The authors explore this influence with the support of social exchange theory and resource-based view.

The methodology applied was qualitative research, based on 29 semi-structured in-depth interviews with owners, managing directors and technical managers with previous experience in co-creation processes. The research was performed in four different European countries and is focused on the mobile crane industry.

The findings suggest that co-creation processes promote the generation of dynamic capabilities linked to adaptation, knowledge, innovation and relationship management. In addition, the closer contact with customers and the availability of their expertise favour the development of solutions that better meet their needs, bridging the cognitive gap which often exists between partners. Regarding customer retention, the results show that co-creation processes foster customer predisposition to buy and cross-sell.

Although value co-creation is a topical subject, research in industrial marketing literature analysing the effects of co-creation processes has been scarce up to now. This paper aims to contribute to the debate by analysing how the co-creation of value can influence the generation of dynamic capabilities in companies and how it affects the retention of industrial customers. Based on social exchange theory and dynamic capabilities, the researchers have been able to address how value is developed and its influence in customer retention proxies.

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

The advent of new mobility technologies is having a major impact on location decisions within Spain's automotive industry. Firms continue to offshore manufacture of traditional components as part of ongoing aims at cost efficiency. But higher value activities are increasingly being relocated to country of origins plants to further innovation efforts, increase competitiveness and help in the implementation of measures designed to protect intellectual property.

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated model on perceived employability in university students, based on personal and contextual factors.

The authors use structural equation modelling to estimate a model that includes a set of variables, previously validated at exploratory and confirmatory levels, in order to measure personal and contextual factors involved in perceived employability. The sample comprises 816 university students selected by a stratified procedure.

The model explains how perceived employability in university students is built up. It identifies the involved factors and their level of influence and provides statistically valid and reliable measures for these factors.

This study develops an integrated model which explains more than previous ones to know perceived employability of university students by combining personal and contextual factors. A limitation of the study lies in the use of a cross-sectional design, and the specificities of the cultural context as well as consideration of the labour market situation. Generalizing the results to other cultural contexts requires caution.

The model explains perceived employability in university students and provides validated scales at confirmatory level that can be used for futures studies in sociology, behavioural psychology, human resources management or education. The model and scales also serve as tools for evaluation that can be used by those responsible for such personal or contextual factors.

The development of an integrated model that explains perceived employability to a much higher degree than previous models.