In recent years, there are an increasing number of Taiwan-based enterprises building up their factories in Mainland China, possibly due to the following reasons: low manufacture cost, plentiful human resource, inexpensive land and large market. Compared to other inexpensive (or even cheapter) countries, In addition, China remains entrepreneurs¡¦ favorite destination when considering moving out factories because of the short geographic distance as well as the culture similarity. However, recent macroeconomic control, the request of labor contract and the new tax law enforced by China government dramatically increase the cost of labor, causing more risk in investment. Take stainless steel industry as an example. There is a need to exercise good competitive strategies, with the aid of information systems, so as to stay competitive in the global economy. This research, through case studies, identifies several strategies that are essential to the profitable establishment of factories in mainland China and a number of factors for successfully deploying information systems.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2001. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xxxviii, 330 p. : ill. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 327-330).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Notre Dame, 2004. / Thesis directed by Martin H. Wolfson for the Department of Economics. "April 2004."

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The aim of this study is to identify the opportunities that currently exist in the Egyptian market in order for Franke to make a decision on the expansion of their business into this market. In order for the Board of Directors to make a quality decision they require good and accurate information. In line with the Franke growth strategy Franke South Africa was given the clear directive to grow the market share on the African continent. With this continent being as diverse as it is and suffering from many years of poverty, a focused strategy is required. With this in hand a study of the African continent was undergone and a couple of markets were identified as targets for either a take-over or new formation. With the information gathered on Egypt it became clear that this would be the ideal market to establish another Franke operation. Egypt has many positive issues that attract a decision like this of which the local market size, geographical position, COMESA membership and the fact that the market is well structured form the backbone. Based on this Business Plan, which researches all the relevant issues required to make a quality decision, an investment could be qualified and supported. It focuses on the possible target as well as elaborates on the medium term forecasted performance of the new setup. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

Trade liberalization and globalization have resulted in the free flow of goods, services, capital and people. In this regard ports play a vital role in linking supply chains, as goods flow from the point of inception through the chain up to the customer at the end. This research was conducted to determine and evaluate the role of logistics in the value chain of steel products that pass through Durban Port. The impact of logistics - measured in terms of costreduction, shorter lead times and better customer service - that would contribute to the competitive advantage of businesses was evaluated. Other countries like China and India are also manufacturers of steel products, and it is therefore important for South Africa not to lose international markets due to prices and products that are not internationally competitive. In essence, this paper unpacks the debates surrounding the high prices of steel products from South Africa, and suggests how these prices can be reduced. In this regard the investigation into steel products provided an excellent case study, as steel contributes significantly to the GDP of the country. The study analyses all logistics activities like transportation, warehousing, handling, quality control of goods and a just-in-time management approach. Informal interviews and a case study based on Durban Port highlight the role that logistics activities play in adding value to goods that pass through Durban Port. The implications of the findings are discussed and proposals for redefining the role of logistics in an organization are offered. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2008

How does technological change alter the position and the configuration of groups of producers in an industry? This dissertation examines the transformations in the strategic groups of two manufacturing industries that introduced radically new manufacturing processes. The primary textile market during the period 1958 to 1978 with the introduction of synthetic fibers, introduced a large-scale process production. In the steel industry during the period 1965 to 1985, small-scale process production was introduced with the technology of mini-mills. / The impact of new manufacturing processes on the economic position of producers in the industry has been examined conventionally by the research in strategic management, which used with the set of business strategies developed by the positioning school (i.e., cost leadership, differentiation and focus). Where the cost structure is the determinant of the profitability of a manufacturer, strategic groups are expected to establish their position in terms of scale and scope (Porter 1980, Aaker, 1984, Day, 1990). / Our findings lead us to introduce a different view of the topic by focusing on competition between strategic groups having different centers of gravity. A center of gravity has been defined by Galbraith (1983) as the primary location of a producer in the economic chain of transformation. We found that large-scale and small-scale manufacturing processes have radically different impacts since these processes are intimately associated with specific centers of gravity. / Large-scale manufacturing processes create conditions for the formation of generalists with a strong center of gravity at the upstream primary manufacturing stage engaged in processes such as casting, cutting and forming. This strategic group of generalists establishes a dominant position in the industry in two stages: a cost leadership strategy followed by integrative strategies such as upstream and downstream vertical integration and ultimately, product diversification. Since manufacturers serve the same geographical market, we have a configuration of competing strategic groups. / Small-scale manufacturing processes create conditions for the formation of mid-size producers that we have called semi-generalists and semi-specialists. These strategic groups have a strong center of gravity at the downstream manufacturing stage and are engaged in processes such as as assembling and finishing. They have smaller scale facilities, are not vertically integrated, and sell a narrower product range than generalists. Since they are located closer to industrial centers and dedicated to specific industries, they compete on factors other than price, such as geographic location, product differentiation, service, etc. These strategic groups of medium-size producers challenge the dominance of generalists by restructuring the market into a set of regional markets. The configuration of strategic groups is shaped by generic groups of manufacturers competing in different geographical markets. / The set of business strategies proposed by the positioning school was adequate for large-scale processes. However, this set of strategies was largely inappropriate in a context where small-scale processes are introduced.

Abridged and revised Thesis (Ph. D.)--Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg, 2006: P. 12. / Includes bibliographical references and sources (p. 801-851) and indexes.

Thesis (M.A.)--West Virginia University, 2008. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 165 p. : ill. (some col.), col. map. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 116-120).

Thesis (M.A.)--Indiana University, 2008. / Department of Philanthropic Studies, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Advisor(s): Dwight F. Burlingame, Leslie Lenkowsky, Martha I. Pallante. Includes vitae. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 66-69).