Search results
1 – 10 of over 3000Vipul Gupta, Padmanav Acharya and Manoj Patwardhan
This case seeks to illustrate the specific problem of excessive defects in radial tyres produced in a renowned tyre manufacturing company in India. This paper aims to show how…
Abstract
Purpose
This case seeks to illustrate the specific problem of excessive defects in radial tyres produced in a renowned tyre manufacturing company in India. This paper aims to show how lean Six‐Sigma methodology can be used to tackle the specific issues like defects reduction.
Design/methodology/approach
The management took this problem on top priority as it is eroding their brand value and financial performance. A Mumbai‐based lean Six‐Sigma consulting group was approached to tackle the issue. One of the authors, who is pursuing research on determinants of successful lean manufacturing implementation in Indian industries, joined this project as a part of his field study and he spent considerable time in discussing and observing the issue with people of different hierarchical levels of the company. Lean Six‐Sigma methodologies were incorporated and the problem was evaluated with root‐cause analysis. This case is formulated on the basis of the initial findings of the study in an Indian tyre manufacturing organisation keeping the actual name of the company in disguise.
Findings
On the basis root‐cause analysis of the radial tyre manufacturing process, it was found that presence of foreign particles in the manufacturing environment, under‐ageing and over‐ageing of tyre components, and inefficient bead winding process, were the main culprits of defects. It was confirmed that lean Six‐Sigma methodology can serve as a major tool to reduce defects in the tyre manufacturing process in India.
Originality/value
This paper provides some key insights to the successful adoption of lean Six‐Sigma tools in an Indian industrial environment, where lean practices are still in the very nascent stage and very little literature is available in this context.
Details
Keywords
A FEW brief words on the Total Quality Control concept where in embraced the whole brief of the Quality Engineer — the field of design (conformance with constructor's…
Abstract
A FEW brief words on the Total Quality Control concept where in embraced the whole brief of the Quality Engineer — the field of design (conformance with constructor's requirements), manufacture (conformance with specifications) and reliability (conformance with users' requirements). Ideally the Quality Engineer will liaise with both Sales and Design engineers to achieve complete drawing board conformance with customer requirements at the design stage and it is at this stage where, of course, a designer needs to know exactly what is wanted of him. More important, he needs room for manoeuvre, for alternative proposals. As far as concerns aircraft, it is not so long since the tyre designers used to be faced with the appalling difficulty of being presented with a hole of very limited dimensions in each wheel bay into which he had to fit a tyre or tyres come what may. Apart from the limited dimensions of the hole, its dimensions were usually by this time inviolable. If we were lucky we would have some idea of the aircraft take‐off and landing weights and speeds, essential parameters with which the tyre designer commences his calculations.
Vipul Gupta, Padmanav Acharya and Manoj Patwardhan
The purpose of this study is to assess the lean performance of a tyre manufacturing firm in India. The key objective is to find key strategic and operational decision‐making…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to assess the lean performance of a tyre manufacturing firm in India. The key objective is to find key strategic and operational decision‐making dimensions for developing effective lean manufacturing environment in a tyre manufacturing organization.
Design/methodology/approach
This research is empirical in nature where the opinions of a group of experts of an Indian tyre manufacturing firm were consulted to formulate an interpretive structural model (ISM) of the critical success factors of lean manufacturing implementation in a tyre manufacturing organization. The authors have developed an Excel‐based template for quantitative assessment of lean performance indicators on the basis of feedback from the operational staff.
Findings
This research work suggests that financial capability of an organization drives the top‐management commitment for incorporating lean manufacturing practices in a tyre manufacturing organization. Organizational culture and human resource management are the important enablers for developing change management paradigm, which in turn leads to performance improvement. This study also reveals that over‐processing as well as excessive defects are the most detrimental wastes in radial tyre manufacturing, which accounts for high manufacturing cost of radial tyre manufacturing in India.
Research limitations/implications
Since this study is carried out in a single (case) organization, a relatively small sample size restricts the outcome from being considered for generic industrial application. This study none the less is useful for practicing managers and academicians for the development of lean manufacturing strategy in context with the tyre industry since it encompasses insightful views of experienced lower to upper middle level managers.
Originality/value
This paper provides some key enablers for the successful implementation of lean tools in Indian tyre manufacturing, where lean practices are still in the early stage and little literature is available in this context with tyre manufacturing. Also an attempt has been made to develop a simple Excel‐based template for lean assessment in the tyre industry. This template can be used in other industries by simply modifying the key attributes.
Details
Keywords
The learning outcomes of this paper will help students in understanding the dynamics of the formation of industry clusters and the benefits associated with industry clusters. The…
Abstract
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of this paper will help students in understanding the dynamics of the formation of industry clusters and the benefits associated with industry clusters. The case will give stimulus towards the cluster competition.
Case overview/synopsis
The case describes the dilemma of a potential investor of a tyre company that wants to diversify its product line and is searching for a new strategic location. The investor is thoughtful about the Pithampur auto industry cluster for its upcoming investment. The case demonstrates how Pithampur has transformed into an “industry cluster” and the benefits it provides to firms in it. However, Pithampur is not the only auto industry cluster in India, clusters like Chakan-Pune is in competition with Pithampur for attracting investments. This is a cause of worry for the cluster’s stakeholders. The case projects amalgamation of concerns of the stakeholders of the clusters and those of potential investors in evaluating and benchmarking it with other clusters for a competitive future.
Complexity academic level
Suitable for both undergraduate and post-graduate students (MBA students).
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Subject code
CSS: 11: Strategy.
Details
Keywords
Jeremy Cheng and David Bennett
This paper sets out to explore the proposition that building competences is more effective than privatisation and restructuring to improve performance in the Chinese chemical…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper sets out to explore the proposition that building competences is more effective than privatisation and restructuring to improve performance in the Chinese chemical industry.
Design/methodology/approach
Case study research has been undertaken in the Chinese chemical industry. The two case companies provide representative data on the factors under investigation. The case investigations that are described were complemented by a survey, the results of which have been reported elsewhere.
Findings
Results obtained from the research show that privatisation of Chinese state‐owned enterprises is not always an effective strategy to improve performance. In the case study companies, the development of core competences was more effective in enhancing performance.
Research limitations/implications
The research results are limited by the scope of the study, which was carried out in the Chinese chemical industry. They are also based on in‐depth case investigations in only two companies, but are supported by a large‐scale survey reported elsewhere. The results have implications for academic researchers interested in China's privatisation programme.
Practical implications
The research has practical implications for companies outside China that are considering collaborative operations with Chinese companies or investing in joint ventures. It also has implications for suppliers or customers of Chinese companies.
Originality/value
The paper is based on original case study investigations carried out in Chinese enterprises and is supported by a survey of representative companies in China's chemical sector. Value is derived from understanding the basis of improved performance in the companies studied.
Details
Keywords
Junghee Han and Chang-min Park
This paper aims at investigating the role of institutional entrepreneurship and corporate entrepreneurship to cope with firm’ impasses by adoption of the new technology ahead of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims at investigating the role of institutional entrepreneurship and corporate entrepreneurship to cope with firm’ impasses by adoption of the new technology ahead of other firms. Also, this paper elucidates the importance of own specific institutional and corporate entrepreneurship created from firm’s norm.
Design/methodology/approach
The utilized research frame is as follows: first, perspective of studies on institutional and corporate entrepreneurship are performed using prior literature and preliminary references; second, analytical research frame was proposed; finally, phase-based cases are conducted so as to identify research objective.
Findings
Kumho Tire was the first tire manufacturer in the world to exploit the utilization of radio-frequency identification for passenger carâ’s tire. Kumho Tire takes great satisfaction in lots of failures to develop the cutting edge technology using advanced information and communication technology cultivated by heterogeneous institution and corporate entrepreneurship.
Originality/value
The firm concentrated its resources into building the organization’s communication process and enhancing the quality of its human resources from the early stages of their birth so as to create distinguishable corporate entrepreneurship.
Details
Keywords
Assumes an understanding of statistical process control and focuses on highlighting the usefulness of Six Sigma quality. Focuses on the issue of a worn bearing at a tire…
Abstract
Assumes an understanding of statistical process control and focuses on highlighting the usefulness of Six Sigma quality. Focuses on the issue of a worn bearing at a tire manufacturer leading to a mean shift (while producing defectives). Shows how a Six Sigma process would quickly detect the mean shift while producing fewer defectives.
To introduce the methodology of statistical process control and to illustrate the value of Six Sigma.
Details
Keywords
What is the scope of brokerage network to be considered in thinking strategically? Given the value of bridging structural holes, is there value to being affiliated with people or…
Abstract
What is the scope of brokerage network to be considered in thinking strategically? Given the value of bridging structural holes, is there value to being affiliated with people or organizations that bridge structural holes? The answer is “no” according to performance associations with manager networks, which raises a question about the consistency of network theory across micro to macro levels of analysis. The purpose here is to align manager evidence with corresponding macro evidence on the supplier and customer networks around four-digit manufacturing industries in the 1987 and 1992 benchmark input–output tables. In contrast to the manager evidence, about 24% of the industry-structure effect on industry performance can be attributed to structure beyond the industry's own buying and selling, to networks around the industry's suppliers and customers. However, the industry evidence is not qualitatively distinct from the manager evidence so much as it describes a more extreme business environment.
Sang Kim Tran and Le Ngoc Hoang Yen
Decision-making seems simple, but, in reality, it is not an easy task to decide the cause for its profound result or consequence, leading to inevitable failures. Therefore, a…
Abstract
Subject area
Decision-making seems simple, but, in reality, it is not an easy task to decide the cause for its profound result or consequence, leading to inevitable failures. Therefore, a leader must recognize whether there is something incorrect so as to avoid bad results. A good leader is a person who carefully reviews and analyzes aspects of a problem, knows the strengths and weaknesses of his organization and evaluates what the advantages or risks are. It cannot be denied that the appropriate options will reap many benefits to the business. For such important things, this paper will discuss the dilemma of Viettire, a tire distributor company in Vietnam. Accordingly, its CEO was worried about what strategic option he should adopt to approach the Myanmar market while ensuring a strategic fit to its company’s resources and capabilities and also to the overall market demands of the tire industry environment in both countries. However, with different ideas, the expansion strategies in this new market become controversial. The General Director and Founder of Viettire were wondering how Viettire could expand its existing business into Myanmar. To expand the company to new emerging market in Myanmar, Hoang Nguyen – CEO of Viettire – had conducted a strategic analysis of external environment factors to define the opportunities and threats when doing business in Myanmar by using Porter’s five forces model, S.W.O.T and competitive advantages analysis. The results indicated that Myanmar’s business environment is highly risky for foreign investors because of uncertain political, economic, social reforms in the process. Among three options, namely, exporting, licensing and wholly owned, however, Option 2 is illustrated as the best strategy for its dilemma.
Study level/applicability
Postgraduate/Graduate Business level.
Case overview
As for a market mechanism, what produces, how and for whom, is not the business’s demand but the consumer’s demand. The business sells only what the market needs, not what it has. In the period of increasingly competitive conditions, stabilizing and expanding markets are a prerequisite for survival. If stability is seen as a “defensive” way, expansion is a “defensive attack” like trying to hold on the “pie” that the market gives to itself. This strategic action is to strengthen regular, close relationships with existing customers and establish new customers. As a result, the potential market is transformed into a target market. Hence, decision-making of which market, which method is the issue that a leader has to think the choice to avoid risks. Mr Hung, Viettire’s co-owner, suggests that Myanmar should be taken into account as a company’s new entry, thus exploring this potential market to increase the company’s growth and profitability. In the progress, Viettire’s marketing team had been doing a thorough tire market investigation in Myanmar. It was concluded that this emerging country, especially Yangon City, was the most suitable for those who were willing to embark on an overseas investment expansion. They believe this was a good opportunity to gain market share compared with other entrants and competitive rivals; if Viettire hesitated to invest, others definitely had jumped in with a first-mover advantage. However, the CEO, Mr Hoang, was worried about what strategic option he should adopt to approach this new market while ensuring a strategic fit to its company’s resources and capabilities and also to the overall market demands of the tire industry environment in both countries.
Expected learning outcomes
Understand the basic decisions that firms contemplating foreign expansion must make: which markets to enter, when to enter those markets and at what scale. Recognize the current strategic decisions an organization is facing: positioning, portfolio and market expansion approach. Learn how to develop an effective strategic plan. Be familiar with different strategies for competing globally and their pros and cons. Evaluate various strategic options and decisions in accordance with a company’s resources and capabilities.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Subject Code
CSS 11: Strategy.
Details