The Determinants of Product Flexibility and Its Relationship to Business Performance - An Empirical Study of Motherboard Industry in Taiwan

• Main Authors: Chung Hsin-Wei, 鍾欣偉
• Other Authors: Chang Shih-Chia
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 1998
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/49895063621894648040

碩士 === 銘傳大學 === 管理科學研究所 === 86 === The purpose of this study is to construct the casual model of product flexibility determinants, three forms of product flexibility and business performance. The empirical research also builds the propositions based on the case studies of motherboard manufacturers and uses path analysis to verify the proposed model constructed by literature review. According to Upton''s (1994) framework for analyzing the specific dimension of manufacturing flexibility that is a multi-dimensional capability, this study splits product flexibility into three distinct forms that are product range, product mobility and product uniformity flexibility. Here,the flexibility determinants include the degree of using automated programmable production equipment, the involvement of employee in quality management activities, close relationships with suppliers, the versatile skill of employee, and the degree of product modular. The indicators of business performance are sales growth and earning ratio in recent 2 years.The content of the research is as follows. First, this study is to investigate the impact of manufacturing management determinate programs on product range, product mobility and product uniformity flexibility. Second,this study is to deal with the trade-offs relations among product range, product mobility and product uniformity flexibility. Finally, this study is also to explore those three distinct forms of product flexibility''s influence on business performance.There are three major findings in the empirical research: 1. The determinant of product range flexibility is the degree of using automated programmable production equipment. The product mobility flexibility is determined in sequence by the close relationships with suppliers, the degree of using automated programmable production equipment,the versatile skill of employee, and the degree of product modular. The product uniformity flexibility is mostly determined by the involvement of employee in quality management activities and the degree of product modular.2. Greater product mobility flexibility may reinforce product range flexibility but has a negative effect on product uniformity.3. The major source of earning ratio comes from the product mobility flexibility of the firm.