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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Although situational crisis communication theory (SCCT) is centered on rationality and cognitive information processing, it ignores that people are also driven by irrationality and non-cognitive information processing. The purpose of this study aims to fill this gap by examining how gender stereotypes, based on perceived spokesperson sex influence the public’s perceptions of crisis response messages.

A 2 (industry type: automotive vs daycare industry) × 2 (spokesperson’s sex: male vs female) × 2 (crisis response appeal: rational vs emotional) between-subject online experiment was conducted to examine the effect of gender stereotype in crisis communication.

Results showed that either matching spokesperson sex with sex differed industry or matching sex differed industry with appropriate crisis response appeal can generate a more positive evaluation of the spokesperson and the organization. The results also revealed under which circumstances, the attractiveness of different sex of the spokesperson can either promote or mitigate people’s perceptions of the organization. Furthermore, when people are aware of a spokesperson’s sex, in a female-associated industry, a mismatching effect of a positive violation of a male-related stereotype overrides a matching effect of a female-related stereotype in crisis communication.

This study is among the first to identify how the gender of a spokesperson and industry type affect publics’ crisis response.

Over the next decade, humanity is going to face big environmental problems, and considering these serious issues, businesses are adopting environmentally responsible practices. To put forward specific measures to achieve a more prosperous environmental future, this study aims to develop an environment-based perspective framework by integrating the Internet of Things (IoT) technology into a sustainable automotive supply chain (SASC).

The study presents a conceptual environmental framework – based on 29 factors constituting four stakeholders' rectifications – that holistically assess the SASC operations as part of the ReSOLVE model utilizing IoT. Then, experts from the SASC, IoT and sustainability areas participated in two rigorous rounds of a Delphi study to validate the framework.

The results indicate that the conceptual environmental framework proposed would help companies enhance the connectivity between major IoT tools in SASC, which would help develop congruent strategies for inducing sustainable growth.

This study adds value to existing knowledge on SASC sustainability and digitalization in the context where the SASC is under enormous pressure, competitiveness and increased variability.

This study aims to establish a robust evaluation framework for suppliers within the automotive supply chain, specifically in the stamping sector. The primary objectives are to elucidate the performance criteria of suppliers, identify indicators and scales for measuring these criteria and find the importance of the criteria.

The evaluation framework comprises a criteria hierarchy and indicators developed based on the evaluation criteria of major automotive manufacturers. Specific indicators and measurement scales are recommended for assessing suppliers. Importance weights for the criteria are assigned based on the input of nine experts using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Finally, four sheet metal stamping tooling (SMST) suppliers are evaluated by four specialists using the proposed evaluation framework.

The study introduces a novel classification of criteria, encompassing financial and commercial perspectives, delivery capability, supplier facility and cultural approaches and business process necessities. The findings underscore the significance of financial and commercial stability in the selection of SMST suppliers, emphasizing their role in mitigating risks associated with disruptions, bankruptcies and unforeseen events. Additionally, several SMST evaluation factors identified in this study contribute to the development of resilience capabilities, highlighting the crucial importance of their inclusion and assessment in the proposed evaluation framework.

This research presents a comprehensive model for evaluating SMST suppliers, which tackles the multidisciplinary challenges within the automotive supply chain. Given the inadequacy or nonexistence of current SMTS selection models, this study bridges the gap by exploring potential and necessary criteria, alongside 116 specific indicators and measurement scales.

The study aims to develop and test a supply chain wide green product development framework of focal firms and their major suppliers, in the context of the Chinese automotive industry.

An in-depth case studies approach is adopted for this study. Three automotive sector upstream supply chains involving 17 firms and 51 experts as respondents were interviewed on the importance and implementation effectiveness of 6Rs (reduce, redesign, recover, remanufacture, reuse and recycle) across the manufacturer and their respective tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers.

The results indicate that the Chinese automotive sector supply chains are mainly focused on “reduce” practices with immediate environmental and economic benefits. The investigated firms however had future implementation plans for “redesign” and “recovery” practices to become comprehensive in green product development (GPD).

The study facilitates automotive firms, industry policymakers and researchers the understanding of incorporating comprehensive GSCM practices across the upstream supply chain to achieve circularity. The study focused on upstream supply chain due to the concentration of major production practices in this section of the supply chain. However, the downstream supply chain equally deserve attention as well as the need to understand the mediating and moderating roles of the different Rs to tease out the pros and cons of achieving overall environmental sustainability.

There are very limited studies on comprehensive GPD for achieving optimal GSCM and sustainability. By simultaneous looking at a focal firm and its upstream supply chains GSCM practices, this study addresses a system-wide comprehensive GPD issues from implementation of 6Rs perspectives in the supply chain.

Under the digital wave and the new industrial competition pattern, the automobile industry is facing multiple challenges such as the redefinition of new technologies and supply chain changes. The purpose of this study is to link big data analytics and artificial intelligence (BDA-AI) with digital supply chain transformation (DSCT) by taking Chinese automobile industry firms as a sample and to consider the role of supply chain internal integration (SCII), supply chain external integration (SCEI) and supply chain agility (SCA) between them.

Data were collected from 192 Chinese firms in the automotive industry and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Importance-performance map analysis is used to extend the standard results reporting of path coefficient estimates in PLS-SEM.

The results indicate that BDA-AI, SCII, SCEI and SCA positively influence DSCT. In addition, this study found that SCII, SCEI and SCA play an intermediary role in BDA-AI and DSCT.

The paper enriches the research on the mechanism of digital resources affecting DSCT and expands the research of organizational information processing theory in the context of digital transformation. The paper explores how the resources deployed by firms change the strategic measures of firms from the perspective of responsiveness. By exploring the positive impact of SCA as a response capability on the DSCT strategy and its intermediary role between digital resources and DSCT, which is helpful to the further theoretical development of logistics and supply chain disciplines.

This paper aims to determine the type of supplier involvement in terms of time and extent of supplier involvement in automobile product development based on the characteristics of parts in the Iranian automotive industry.

The paper proposes the clustering and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methods. Combining the K-means clustering method and metaheuristic algorithms, the genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm are applied to achieve better clustering results.

The results show that lack of internal knowledge, high technology change and complexity of parts increase the need to outsource the design process. In addition to these reasons, high development costs and high interface complexity justify suppliers’ early involvement.

Most research only presents a conceptual framework for understanding the various levels of supplier involvement in new product development (NPD). However, in the automotive industry, numerous parts have differing degrees of importance and priority, and experts may have varying opinions based on different criteria. Therefore, the existing conceptual model for analyzing the types of involvement of each supplier is not practical. We have formulated a problem-solving approach that utilizes the clustering and AHP methods to analyze data obtained from qualitative research and determine the type of supplier involvement.

In this paper, we investigate the coevolution of the supply network and procurement strategies in the context of semiconductors and electronics for the automotive industry over 3 decades. We aim to explain how procurement strategy interrelates with changes in supply network structure and what the implications of a hub-centric structure network structure are for procurement in supply.

We collected in-depth primary and secondary data that stretched back to 1996 from a leading automotive European original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and its network. Using social network analysis (SNA), we identified OEMs’ procurement focus and mapped the evolution of the supply network, the links in the network, and the environmental forces impacting the strategies and the network.

Our findings describe the supply network for semiconductor and electronic components to the automotive industry. The findings suggest that a focus on cost can lead to a Tier 1-centric network structure with many tiers that can fail to assure supply or capture innovation when the external environment is marked by high uncertainty. In such situations, increasing complexity by creating more links in the network can improve transparency and contribute to supply assurance and innovation.

The findings indicate that managers should consider the role of the supply network in selecting their strategy to attain objectives of cost, innovation, and supply assurance.

This paper presents empirical-based insights into the automotive semiconductor and electronic component supply chain (SC), the unexpected implications of hub-centric supply networks, and the use of SNA in the SC in context.

This paper aims to identify the success factors (SFs) for total quality management (TQM) implementation in automotive spare parts companies to improve their business performance. It also intends to rank these factors in a hierarchical structure in descending order of their criticality.

In this study, a significant number of automotive spare parts companies were extensively surveyed to ascertain the contributions made by various factors toward the successful deployment of TQM practices. The collective and individual evaluation and ranking of the SFs were determined using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) approach to develop the framework based on the prioritisation of the identified SFs.

The findings of the study show that five success factors, namely, internal environment, top management involvement, process management, supplier management and external environment, were ranked as critical factors with a total weight of 49.2%. Nine success factors, namely, employee training, teamwork, customer satisfaction, continuous improvement, communications, using new technologies, zero-defect processes, employee empowerment and benchmarking, were ranked as important with a total weight of 39.1%. The last five success factors, namely, strategic planning, quality policy, employee satisfaction, self-assessment and cost of quality, were ranked as minor factors with a total weight of 11.7%.

The current study adds to the existing body of knowledge for scholars and practitioners of TQM by specifically focusing on identifying and categorising the critical SFs for TQM implementation. The 19 categorised critical SFs have been used to construct a framework for TQM implementation in the Palestinian automotive spare parts companies. Such a framework would offer a comprehensive overview of the SFs, their categories, significance and priorities within a TQM environment in the automotive spare parts companies.