Supplier Relations in Japan and the United States

This working paper was originally printed in the Working Paper Series of the MIT International Motor Vehicle Program

Is globalisation an enabler of radical innovation in Toyota?

Prior evidence from the fields of innovation management and supplier relations predicts that Japanese firms should be naturally disadvantaged in developing and deploying radical innovations. But this conclusion is inconsistent with recent developments in the automotive industry. This paper presents secondary case study data focusing on fuel cell powered vehicles and hybrid cars to show that Toyota, one of Japan's largest and most influential corporations, is capable of developing radically new technologies, and is in several respects better at this sort of innovation than the rest of the global automotive industry.

What the hare can teach the tortoise about make-buy strategies for radical innovations

Purpose of this paper – The purpose of this investigation is to help establish: whether or not strong relationships between suppliers and customers improve performance; and if prescriptive frameworks on outsourcing radical innovations are dependent on industry clockspeed. Design/methodology/approach – A survey of UK-based manufacturers, followed by a statistical analysis. Findings – Long-term supplier links seem not to play a role in the development of radical innovations. Moreover, industry clockspeed has no significant bearing on the success or failure of any outsourcing strategy for radically new technologies. Research limitations/implications – Literature about outsourcing in the face of radical innovation can be more confidently applied to industries of all clockspeeds. Practical implications – Prescriptions for fast clockspeed industries should be applied more broadly: all industries should maintain a high degree of vertical integration in the early days of a radical innovation. Originality/value – Prior papers had explored whether or not a company should outsource radical innovations, but none had determined if this is equally true for slow industries and fast ones. Therein lies the original contribution of this paper.

Make-Buy Decisions in the Face of Radical Innovations

Make-buy decisions are an important aspect of the overall strategic plans for most firms, and the introduction of a new and potentially radical technology into an industry should therefore be a cue for managers to review their make-buy policies. Should a company make in-house the components and processes underpinning the technology, or should it buy them from an outside supplier? Earlier attempts to answer this question may have failed to agree on a single verdict because they have overlooked two important market forces: supplier relations and industry clockspeed. Based on an intensive three-year study at the University of Cambridge which analyzed supply chain management practices from a broad range of manufacturers around the world, this book helps to resolve this classic technology outsourcing dilemma and gives managers the tools they will need to determine if they should make or buy the components and processes that go into a potentially radical innovation.

The role of trading partner relationships in determining innovation performance: an empirical examination

This paper examines the respective roles of trading partner relationships and innovation management practices in predicting product and process related innovation performance. The empirical data were drawn from 194 Australian managers. Data analysis using structural equation modelling indicates that supplier relationships and customer relationships have less impact on product and process innovation performance than do knowledge and creativity management. However, the results also indicate that trading partner relationships have a strong and positive association with innovation management practices, meaning that organisations commonly implement both in a synchronous manner.

A hazai vállalatok nyitottsága az elektronikus beszerzésre (E-procurement Responsivess of the Hungarian Companies')

A Versenyképesség Kutató Központ 2004-ben a "Versenyben a világgal 1995-97" kutatási program és az 1999-es vállalati versenyképességi kérdőíves felmérés hagyományait folytatva, valamint azok tapasztalataira építve, egy hároméves kutatási programot kezdett el "Versenyben a világgal 2004-2006 – Gazdasági versenyképességünk vállalati nézőpontból" címmel. A kérdőíves felmérés nyomán létrejött adatbázist hasonló témában elemezték a szerzők 2005-ben. A korábbi eredményeken okulva, valamint a kérdőívelemzés kiterjesztésével azt kívánták felmérni, hogy az elektronikus beszerzés iránti nyitottság növekedett-e hazánkban, illetve milyen egyéb összefüggések fedezhetők fel a beszerzési szervezet, a beszerzés vállalati kapcsolatai, valamint az elektronikus beszerzés értelmezésében az egyes válaszadóknál. A kutatás továbbra is eltér a hagyományos megoldásoktól, azaz nem kívánja vizsgálni a hazai vállalati honlapok elterjedtségét, azonban a korábbiaktól eltérően több információtechnológiával kapcsolatos információt kér a válaszadóktól. A cél a belső vállalati folyamatok, a vevő-szállító kapcsolatok, az informatikai háttér elektronikus beszerzéssel való kapcsolatának felismerése. Meg szeretnék tudni, hogy az elektronikus beszerzés milyen hatékonyságnövelési lehetőséget hordoz és a hazai információs társadalmi fejlettség figyelembevételével mennyire nyitottak erre a beszerzők és a pályázók. Az elektronikus beszerzés és versenyképesség kapcsolata különösen a 2000-es évek eleje óta foglalkoztatja a kutatókat. Vita az elektronikus beszerzés beszerzési költségre gyakorolt hatásával, valamint a kormányzati politika hatásával kapcsolatban alakult ki, melyet a közbeszerzés, mint speciálisan szabályozott beszerzési tevékenység és az e-beszerzés kapcsolatára fejt ki. A vállalatok versenyképességének és az elektronikus beszerzés folyamatosan. / === / The Competitiveness Research Center based on the experience of the „ In Global Competition 1995-1997” research program and continuing the company competitiveness survey (1999) has begun a three-year research program with the following title: „In Global Competition 2004- 2006” Our economic competitiveness from company point of view”. The authors had analyzed a database generated on the basis of a questionnaire survey with a similar theme in 2005. Drawing the lessons from earlier researches and expanding the questionnaire, they now seek to find out how far receptiveness to electronic procurement has increased in Hungary and what other relations can be observed in responses concerning the interpretation of procurement organizations, the corporate aspects of procurement and electronic procurement. The new research project continues to differ from traditional solutions insofar as it does not intend to examine the penetration of corporate web pages, but, in contrast to earlier practice, it does want responders to provide information on their IT technology. The objectives are thus to understand how electronic procurement relates to corporate processes, purchaser-supplier relations and IT base, and to see what opportunities of increasing efficiency there are in electronic procurement and how far procurers and bidders are open to this at the current level of information society development in Hungary. Researchers have focused on the relation between electronic procurement and competitiveness since the early 2000s. What is debated is how electronic procurement influences procurement costs, and how government policies influence the relation between public procurement as a specially regulated procurement activity and electronic procurement. The relation between corporate competitiveness and the continually increasing means of electronic procurement is beyond doubt, evidenced by their research findings as well.

A hazai vállalatok elektronikus beszerzés iránti nyitottsága = E-procurement Responsiveness of the Hungarian Companies’

A Versenyképesség Kutató Központ 2004-ben a „Versenyben a világgal 1995-97.” kutatási program és az 1999-es vállalati versenyképességi kérdőíves felmérés hagyományait folytatva, valamint azok tapasztalataira építve egy hároméves kutatási programot kezdett el „Versenyben a világgal 2004-2006 − Gazdasági versenyképességünk vállalati nézőpontból” címmel. A kérdőíves felmérés nyomán létrejött adatbázist elemeztük hasonló témában 2005-ben. A korábbi eredményeken okulva, a kérdőív-elemzés kiterjesztésével azt kívántuk felmérni, hogy az elektronikus beszerzés iránti nyitottság növekedett-e hazánkban, illetve milyen egyéb összefüggések fedezhetők fel a beszerzési szervezet, a beszerzés vállalati kapcsolatai, valamint az elektronikus beszerzés értelmezésében az egyes válaszadóknál. A kutatás továbbra is eltér a hagyományos megoldásoktól, azaz nem kívánja vizsgálni a hazai vállalati honlapok elterjedtségét, azonban a korábbiaktól eltérően több információ-technológiával kapcsolatos információt kíván a válaszadóktól. A cél, tehát belső vállalati folyamatok, vevő-szállító kapcsolatok, az informatikai háttér elektronikus beszerzéssel való kapcsolatának feltárása és következtetéseink levonása volt annak érdekében, hogy megtudjuk milyen hatékonyságnövelési lehetőséget hordoz az elektronikus beszerzés és a hazai információs társadalmi fejlettség figyelembe vételével mennyire nyitottak erre a beszerzők és a pályázók egyaránt. Az elektronikus beszerzés és versenyképesség kapcsolata különösen a 2000-es éves eleje óta foglalkoztatja a kutatókat. Vita az elektronikus beszerzés beszerzési költségre gyakorolt hatásában, valamint a kormányzati politika által gyakorolt hatás jellegében van, melyet a közbeszerzés mint speciálisan szabályozott beszerzési tevékenység és az e-beszerzés kapcsolatára fejt ki. A vállalatok versenyképességének és az elektronikus beszerzés folyamatosan bővülő és fejlődő eszközrendszerének kapcsolata azonban nem kérdéses, ezt kutatási eredményeink is megerősítik. _________ The Competitiveness Research Center based on the experience of the „ In Global Competition 1995-1997” research programme and continuing the company competitiveness survey (1999) has begun a three-year research programme with the following title: „In Global Competition 2004-2006” Our economic competitiveness, company point of view”. We had analyzed a database generated on the basis of a questionnaire survey with a similar theme in 2005. Drawing the lessons from earlier researches and expanding the questionnaire examination, we now seek to find out how far receptiveness to electronic procurement has increased in Hungary and what other relations can be observed in responses concerning the interpretation of procurement organizations, the corporate aspects of procurement and electronic procurement. The new research project continues to differ from traditional solutions insofar as it does not intend to examine the currency of corporate web pages, but, in contrast to earlier practice, it does want responders to provide information on IT technology. The objectives are thus to understand how electronic procurement relates to corporate processes, purchaser-supplier relations and IT base, and to see what opportunities of increasing efficiency there are in electronic procurement and how far procurers and bidders are open to this at the level of information society development in Hungary. Researchers have focused on the relation between electronic procurement and competitiveness since the early 2000s. What is debated is how electronic procurement influences procurement costs, and how government policies influence the relation between public procurement as a specially regulated procurement activity and electronic procurement. The relation between corporate competitiveness and the continually increasing means of electronic procurement is beyond doubt, evidenced by our research findings.

Uma vida de relações falhadas: continuidade ou mudança?: estudo sobre a herança psíquica e os desamores narcísicos na vida adulta

Este estudo propôs-se investigar, como os Esquemas Iniciais Desadaptativos (EIDs) concebidos pelo indivíduo e a sua representação dos Estilos Parentais (EPs), influenciam na escolha amorosa da vida adulta considerando os relacionamentos amorosos de reparação narcísica: Submisso-Idealizador, Eufórico-Idealizante e Evitante-Desnarcisante. A amostra constituiu-se por 225 (jovens) adultos/as portugueses/as, entre os 23 e 63 anos, que tivessem tido ou possuíssem na altura do estudo uma relação amorosa. A investigação de natureza quantitativa utilizou como instrumentos o: Inventário de Tipos de Relacionamento Amoroso (ITRA), Questionário de Esquemas (QE) e Questionário de Estilos Parentais (QEP). Segundo os resultados, evidenciou-se a associação de EIDs0F 1 e EPs1F 2 mais precoces e rígidos (incondicionais) aos três tipos de relacionamento amoroso, verificou-se uma herança psíquica trans-geracional com conteúdos individuais e relacionais mantidos e apurou-se a necessidade de o sujeito procurar relações fornecedoras de uma imagem mais completa do seu self desestruturado, concluindo-se que houve uma continuidade de relações falhadas; Abstract: A lifetime of failed relationships: continuity or change? Study about the psychic heritage and narcissistic unlove in adulthood. This study proposes to investigate, how the Early Maladaptive Schemas (EIDs) conceived by the individual and, their representation about the Parental Styles (EPs), influence the choice of adulthood loving relationships considering the romantic relationships of narcissistic repair: Submissive-Idealizer, Euphoric-Idealizing and Avoidant-Devaluate. The sample consisted of 225 Portuguese (young) adults, between 23 and 63 years old, who have had or maintained at the time of the study a loving relationship. The quantitative research used as instruments the: Inventory Types of Loving Relationship (ITRA), Schema Questionnaire (QE) and Parental Styles Questionnaire (QEP). According to the results, it showed the association of more early and rigid (unconditional) EIDs2F 3 and EPs3F 4 with the three types of love relationship, it was found a trans-generational psychic inheritance with individual and relational content maintained and found out the need for the subject pursuit for supplier relations of a more complete image of your self unstructured, concluding that there was a continuity of failed relationships.

Exploración de viabilidad sobre ideas de aplicaciones en el mercado colombiano

La economía mundial cambia a un ritmo vertiginoso y exponencial gracias a la rápida transformación de la tecnología. Diferentes dinámicas como el crecimiento en cobertura del internet; la creciente facilidad de obtención de una tarjeta de crédito; la popularización del uso de smartphones; y el crecimiento en uso del comercio electrónico; han dado cabida a la aparición de nuevos tipos de negocio, como el de servicios electrónicos y aplicaciones, que hace algunas décadas atrás eran inviables. Teniendo en cuenta estos cambios, el presente documento plantea tres diferentes modelos de aplicación para smartphones, se hace un análisis detallado de la viabilidad para cada uno para identificar así el que cuenta con mayores probabilidades de éxito. Finalmente se profundiza en este con un análisis financiero y de mercadotecnia para así hacer las respectivas correcciones al modelo inicial y obtener como resultado la versión más viable del modelo seleccionado.

Myanmar's Economic Relations with China: Can China Support the Myanmar Economy?

Against the background of closer diplomatic, political and security ties between Myanmar and China since 1988, their economic relations have also grown stronger throughout the 1990s and up to 2005. China is now a major supplier of consumer and capital goods to Myanmar, in particular through border trade. China also provides a large amount of economic cooperation in the areas of infrastructure, energy and state-owned economic enterprises. Nevertheless, Myanmar’s trade with China has failed to have a substantial impact on its broad-based economic and industrial development. China’s economic cooperation apparently supports the present regime, but its effects on the whole economy will be limited with an unfavorable macroeconomic environment and distorted incentives structure. As a conclusion, strengthened economic ties with China will be instrumental in regime survival, but will not be a powerful force affecting the process of economic development in Myanmar.