Bookstore

This volume is concerned with the nature of new manufacturing technologies, such as CAD/CAM and robotics, as well as ap propriate methodologies for evaluating whether such technologies are financially and organizationally viable in particular contexts. The chapters included here were commissioned as papers for presen tation at The Wharton Conference on Productivity, Technology, and Organizational Innovation, which took place in Philadelphia on December 8 and 9 of 1983. The conference was sponsored by The University of Pennsylvania's Center for the Study of Organizational Innovation. There has been a surge of interest in the area of manufacturing over the past ten years as managers have come to realize that the operations function is critical to remaining competitive. New status has been given to factory and operations managers. New programs revitalizing manufacturing and distribution have been introduced in organizations. Corporate strategy is now explicitly considering operations and manufacturing functions. And the curricula of leading business schools are reflecting the rapidly advancing research on technology management and manufacturing operations. In spite of these important signs of progress, we are clearly just at the beginning of understanding the issues involved here. The present volume provides a state-of-the-art review of the realities of technology management and manufacturing strategy. As described in the Editor's Introduction, we address four topics: The Nature of New Manufacturing Technology, Innovation and Manufacturing Strategy, Productivity Management, and Technology Management and Organ ization. These issues are clearly very important themes for U.S.

The Management of Productivity and Technology in Manufacturing

Editor's Introduction.- 1. The Nature of New Manufacturing Technology.- 2. Innovation and Manufacturing Strategy.- 3. Productivity Management.- 4. Technology Management and Organization.- References.- I. The Nature of New Manufacturing Technology.- 1 Industrial Robotics and Flexible Manufacturing Systems: An Overview.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Background on Robotic Manipulators.- 2.1. The Robotic Manipulator.- 2.2. Defining Levels of Robot Technology Based on Internal vs. External Sensing.- 2.3. Limitations of Level I Robots.- 3. Extensions in the Capabilities of Insensate Robots.- 3.1. Increased Availability of High-Precision Robots for Light Manufacturing.- 3.2. Increased Availability of Computer-Controlled Robots.- 3.3. The Integration of Sensory Information Processing with Robotic Devices.- 3.4. Commercial use of Machine Vision Systems Since 1979.- 4. Flexible Manufacturing Systems.- 4.1. An Overview of Manufacturing Systems.- 4.2. Flexible Manufacturing Systems for Machining.- 4.3. Developments in Flexible Manufacturing Systems.- Notes.- References.- 2 Perspectives on Automotive Manufacturing.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Scope of Ford North American Manufacturing Operations.- 3. Vehicle Assembly Operations.- 4. Stamping Operations.- 5. Scheduling.- 6. "New" Operating Strategies in Automotive Manufacturing.- 7. Summary.- References.- 3 Impacts of Robotic and Flexible Manufacturing Technologies on Manufacturing Costs and Employment.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Metalworking Industries.- 3. The Impacts of Robotic Manipulators.- 3.1. Calculation of Payback Periods Based on Direct Labor Savings.- 3.2. The Price Elasticity Argument.- 4. The Impacts of the Fully Utilized, Flexibly Automated Factory for Batch Production.- Notes.- References.- II. Innovation and Manufacturing Strategy.- 4 Invasion of a Stable Business by Radical Innovation.- 1. Introduction.- 2. A model of Innovative Challenges and Defensive Responses.- 2.1. The New Technology Enters a Market Demanding New Performance.- 2.2. A General Pattern of Response to Radical Innovation.- 3. Application of the Model to Specific Examples.- 3.1. Product-Process Discontinuities.- 3.2. Product Discontinuities.- 3.3. Process Discontinuities.- 3.4. Process-Product Discontinuities.- 4. Some Concluding Observations.- Notes.- References.- 5 Manufacturing Strategy: Concepts and Methods.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Manufacturing Strategy: Decisions and Performance.- 2.1. Product Decisions.- 2.2. Process Decisions.- 2.3. Facility Decisions.- 2.4. Control Decisions.- 2.5. Organization Decisions.- 3. The Manufacturing Strategy Paradigm.- 4. MPSS Functions and Design.- 4.1. Segmentation Analysis.- 4.2. Cost/Performance Analysis.- 4.3. Production/Distribution Model.- 4.4. Production Process Model.- 4.5. Market Response Model.- 5. Implementation Considerations.- References.- 6 The Executive Dilemma: New Industrial Automation Systems.- III. Productivity Management.- 7 Working Smarter the Japanese Way: The X-Efficiency of Theory Z Management.- 1. Introduction.- 1.1. X-Efficiency and Productivity.- 1.2. Plan of the Chapter.- 2. Implicit Psychological Contracts, Transaction Costs, and Cooperation.- 2.1. The Implicit Psychological Contract.- 2.2. The IPC Hypothesis.- 3. The Determinants of Effort.- 3.1. The Utility-Effort Relation.- 4. Conclusion.- Notes.- References.- 8 Theory Z, Institutional Economics, and the Theory of Strategy.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Microeconomics and Type Z Management.- 3. Institutional Economics, Management, and the Theory of Strategy.- Notes.- References.- 9 Productivity Measurement and Management Control.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Congruence with Profit Maximization.- 3. A Framework for Productivity Analysis.- 4. Concluding Remarks.- References.- 10 The 1983 Global Manufacturing Futures Study Preliminary Report Synopsis.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Conclusions of the Survey.- 3. Major Observations.- 3.1. Strategies and Competitive Priorities.- 3.2. Major Concerns.- 3.3. Current Practices.- 3.4. Programs for the Future.- 4. Environmental Observations.- IV. Technology Management and Organization.- 11 Organizational Issues in the Introduction of New Technologies.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Problem Solving, Communications, and the Mobility of People.- 2.1. Problem-Solving Processes.- 2.2. Communication and Information Processing.- 2.3. Cognitive Processes.- 2.4. Mobility of People and the "Not Invented Here" Syndrome.- 3. Organizational Structures.- 4. Organizational Controls.- 4.1. Technical Understanding.- 4.2. Technical Feasibility.- 4.3. Research and Development Overlap.- 4.4. Growth Potential.- 4.5. Organizational Slack and Sponsorship.- 4.6. Organizational Rewards.- References.- 12 The Strategic Management of Technology.- 1. Technology in the 1970s.- 2. Impact of Technology on Business in the 1980s.- 3. Booz-Allen's View of Technology Management.- 4. Booz-Allen's Approach to Technology Strategy.- 4.1. Developing the Technology Portfolio.- 4.2. Matching Technology and Business Portfolios.- 4.3. Setting Technology Investment Priorities.- Notes.- Author Index.