Thesis (M.B.A.)-Business Studies Unit, Durban Institute of Technology, 2006 viii, 105 leaves / The South African automotive leather export sewing industry was established in about 1991, when domestic firms were exposed to international markets. The industry’s success was largely attributed to the relatively cheap labour, infrastructure, leather and tax incentives given by the South African government. Interest in investment shown by multinational companies has resulted in significant growth in the industry today. However, at one time, the socio-political status in South Africa meant that the environment in which the industry developed was artificial. Economic, political and cultural conditions were not conducive to export manufacturing due to international sanctions. Consequently, the leather export industry was provided with an opportunity to integrate into the international arena primarily through the Motor Industry Development Programme (MIDP). The MIDP initiative allows South African automotive companies to offset import duties against exports. This duty offset programme aims to encourage firms to focus on high volume production runs and import less popular models that are expensive to produce locally. However, with the inclusion of the Eastern European countries into the European Union, it is expected that the market will become highly competitive. It has already been predicted by Ballard (2002) in a study on the South African leather business that the automotive leather sewing export industry is an “easy-come-easy-go” industry, with its success not linked to any intrinsic advantages South Africa possesses, but due to rebates from the Motor Industry Development Programme. Although South Africa has a number of advantages such as relatively cheap labour, material in leather hides, and a good infrastructure, the automotive sewing industry has yet to establish its efficiency when exposed to open market competition. Therefore, to create a perception of stability for international investors, the industry must seek contact with outside partners for market access, technology and process know-how through collaboration and benchmarking. This study therefore aims to develop a discourse related specifically to the sustainability of the leather export sewing industry as it approaches deregulation. / M

Tecnologia de montagem de superfície (SMT) é um método para construção de circuitos eletrônicos, nos quais os componentes são montados diretamente sobre a superfície da placa de circuito impresso. Tais dispositivos eletrônicos são chamados de dispositivos de montagens de superfície ou SMDs. Paralelamente, as vantagens oferecidas pelo componente eletrônico LED SMD têm causado uma grande aplicação desse dispositivo em substituição ao LED convencional. O presente trabalho apresenta um sistema inteligente baseado em sistemas de inferência fuzzy para estimar valores de intensidade luminosa de equipamentos automotivos a partir de dados de projeto. Embora o trabalho esteja direcionado para a aplicação de LEDs SMD em lanternas traseiras, o trabalho aqui desenvolvido pode ser generalizado e usado em outras aplicações industriais, tais como semáforos de trânsito, painéis eletrônicos de mensagens ou qualquer outra aplicação onde use LEDs SMD em conjunto. Resultados de protótipos são apresentados para validar a técnica proposta. Por meio desses resultados, pode-se observar que a aplicação de sistemas inteligentes é uma abordagem atrativa para este tipo de problema. / Surface mount technology (SMT) is a method for making electronic circuits in which the components are mounted directly onto the surface of printed circuit boards. Such electronic devices are called surface-mount devices or SMDs. The advantages offered by the electronic component SMD LED (Light Emitting Diode) have caused a wide application of this device in replacement of conventional LEDs. This work shows an intelligent system using fuzzy interference systems to estimate values of luminous intensity in automotive equipments from design data. Although this work is aimed to the application of SMD LEDs in rear lights, methods hereby developed and described can also be used in other applications, such as traffic lights, electronic panels of messages or any other application where SMD LEDs are used in groups. Results of prototypes are presented to validate the proposed technique. From these results, it can be observed that the application of intelligent systems is an attractive approach to this type of problem.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:48:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Fernando Lima Lopes.pdf: 1481871 bytes, checksum: 38addbef77b1a373d8692609e8f71853 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-05-03 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This study aims to analyze the effects of the industrial policies adopted by the Brazilian government, especially those sectoral focused, on the international competitiveness of the local automobile industry. Whereas the domestic automobile industry has always been benefited from a set of specific incentive policies, we developed a dynamic simulation model aligned to the evolutionary / neo-schumpeterian approach that allowed us to estimate the dynamic behavior of the international competitiveness of this industry, measured in terms of its exports. The results revealed that, although industrial policies have allowed periods of effective gain in competitiveness, especially in the first half of the 2000s, the recent period shows a progressive loss of international competitiveness which coincides with a reduction in the intensity of industrial policies aimed specifically to the sector / Este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar os efeitos das políticas industriais adotadas pelo governo brasileiro, principalmente aquelas de corte setorial, sobre a competitividade internacional da indústria automobilística local. Considerando que a indústria automobilística nacional sempre foi beneficiada por um conjunto de políticas de incentivo específicas, elaboramos um modelo dinâmico de simulação alinhado à abordagem evolucionária / neoschumpeteriana que nos permitiu estimar o comportamento dinâmico da competitividade internacional desta indústria, medido em termos das suas exportações. Os resultados revelaram que, embora as políticas industriais tenham permitido períodos de ganho efetivo de competitividade, com destaque para a primeira metade da década de 2000, o período recente revela uma perda progressiva de competitividade internacional que coincide com uma redução da intensidade das políticas industriais voltadas especificamente ao setor

As formas alternativas de motorização e o atual design dominante, o motor de combustão interna (ICE), disputam as maiores atenções das montadoras globais. Muitas estratégias tecnológicas em motorização emergem a todo o momento, seja para preservar o ICE, seja para criar alternativas a ele. Durante os anos de 2011 e 2012, foram estudadas 25 montadoras globais, que representam 87% das vendas globais, por meio de seus movimentos estratégicos em torno da motorização. Utilizando-se um estudo exploratório múltiplo de casos e como método de pesquisa a \"grounded research\", coletou-se cerca de 1.200 dados e informações relacionadas a estratégias tecnológicas das montadoras e demais stakeholders da indústria automobilística em torno da motorização. A seguir, esses dados foram classificados de acordo com as fases de dominância do arcabouço de Suarez (2004). Construiu-se um trio de construtos para suportar teoricamente a pesquisa: estratégias tecnológicas, teoria institucional e design dominante. As estratégias tecnológicas em motorização se desenvolvem em 4 verticais tecnológicas: Combustão Interna, Eletrificação, Hibridização Eletrificada e Hibridização Não Eletrificada. Há mais esforço sendo empreendido na fase de pós - dominância, o que denota o desejo da indústria automobilística em estender a vida do ICE, exaurindo-o ao máximo. Nesta fase, existe relativa homogeneidade entre as montadoras; chegam a ser isomórficas e ter comportamentos miméticos. Nas fases de pré - dominância, no entanto, há grande heterogeneidade nas fases de pesquisa e desenvolvimento, viabilidade técnica e criação de mercado de formas alternativas de motorização; na busca de criar alternativas ao ICE, todas as montadoras estão testando de tudo, mas há claramente opções tecnológicas mais específicas sendo feitas por cada uma. Não se comprovou o \'efeito manada\' esperado, inferindo-se que há entre as montadoras interpretações distintas do ambiente institucional. A maioria das montadoras revela trabalhar mais com os híbridos elétricos na fase da criação de mercado, sinalizando que, depois de duas décadas de investimentos nas alternativas ao ICE, seria hora de tomar uma decisão em torno de uma única tecnologia alternativa; ou seja, a vertical tecnológica Hibridização Eletrificada é a que mais tem se aproximado de um desafio mais contundente ao ICE. Algumas montadoras se destacam em veículos elétricos (EVs), casos da Nissan - Renault e General Motors; outras se destacam em híbridos elétricos (HEVs) e híbridos elétricos plug - in (PHEVs), como Toyota, Volkswagen - Audi e PSA Peugeot Citroën. Já a Honda e a Hyundai se mostram confiantes nos híbridos movidos a células de hidrogênio (FCEVs). A hibridização não eletrificada é uma aposta da Tata e da Ford. As montadoras globais adotam estratégias globais, mas o palco das experimentações são EUA, Alemanha, Japão, Reino Unido e China. Apesar de haver experimentos das start - ups nas fases de pré - dominância, parece pouco provável que uma nova entrante venha a competir com as montadoras veteranas. Não se evidenciou qualquer movimento que indicasse estratégias tecnológicas que tenham emergido nas subsidiárias; na verdade, elas atuam como vetores na implantação das estratégias definidas pelas matrizes. Há uma derivação muito forte da vertical tecnológica Combustão Interna, os bi - combustíveis, em particular o flex - fuel brasileiro, com a dupla gasolina - etanol e o flex - fuel americano, com gás natural comprimido e gasolina ou diesel, apostas de Chrysler e General Motors. O desenvolvimento de combustíveis fósseis gasosos e renováveis líquidos como substitutos da gasolina e do diesel é mais robusto que os HEVs e acabam por se comportar como barreiras de entrada contra as formas alternativas de motorização. O design dominante atual continua \'dando as cartas\' e não demonstra que deixará de ser o paradigma em motorização. / The alternative forms of motorization and the current dominant design, the internal combustion engine (ICE), compete for the most attentions from the global automakers. Many technological strategies in motorization emerge all the time, whether to preserve the ICE, or to create alternatives to the current technological paradigm. During the years 2011 and 2012 25 global automakers were studied, representing 87% of global sales, through its strategic movements around the motorization. Using an exploratory multiple case research and a \"grounded research\" as the method, one collected close to 1,200 data and information related with technological strategies of automakers and other stakeholders of the automotive industry around the motorization. Hereafter, these data were classified according to the phases of dominance of the Suarez\' framework (2004). One built up a trio of constructs to support theoretical research: technological strategies, institutional theory and dominant design. Technological strategies in motorization develop into 4 technological verticals: Internal Combustion, Electrification, Electrified Hybridization and Non - Electrified Hybridization. There is more effort being undertaken in the post - dominance, which shows the desire of the automobile industry in extending ICE\'s life, exhausting it to the fullest. At this stage, there is relative homogeneity among automakers; they come to be isomorphic and to have mimetic behaviors. In the pre - dominance phases, however, there is great heterogeneity in the stages of research and development, technical feasibility and market creation of alternative powertrain; in seeking to create alternatives to ICE, all automakers are testing everything, but there are clearly more specific technological choices being made by each. One did not prove the \'bandwagon effect\' expected, so inferring that there are different interpretations among automakers about their institutional environment. Most automakers reveals more work with the electric hybrid vehicles at the stage of market creation phase, signaling that, after two decades of investment in alternatives to ICE, it would be time to make a decision around a single alternative technology; i.e., the Electrified Hybridization technological vertical technology is that who have approached a more forceful challenge to ICE. Some automakers stand out in electric vehicles (EVs), cases of Nissan - Renault and General Motors, others in electric hybrids vehicles (HEVs) and electric hybrid plug - in vehicles (PHEVs) like Toyota, Volkswagen - Audi and PSA Peugeot Citroën. Honda and Hyundai are confident in electric hybrid vehicles powered by hydrogen cells (FCEVs). Non - electrified hybridization is a bet of Tata and Ford. Global automakers adopt global strategies, but the stages for experiments are USA, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom and China. Although there are experiments of start - ups in the pre - dominance phases, it seems unlikely that a new entrant will compete with incumbent companies. There was no evidence to indicate any movement related with technological strategies that have emerged in the subsidiaries of the automakers; in fact, they act as vectors in the implementation of strategies defined by their headquarters. There is a very strong derivation from the Internal Combustion technological vertical, the bi - fuels, particularly flex - fuel in Brazil, based on the duo gasoline - ethanol and the north - american flex - fuel, with the duo compressed natural gas (CNG) and gasoline or diesel, actual bets of Chrysler and General Motors. The development of fossil fuels and renewable gaseous liquids as substitutes for gasoline and diesel is more robust than HEVs and eventually behave as entry barriers against alternative powertrains. The current powertrain dominant design continues \'distributing the cards\' and do not demonstrate that will stop being the paradigm in motorization.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Esta pesquisa aborda o avanÃo tecnolÃgico numa montadora automobilÃstica e suas relaÃÃes com a qualificaÃÃo do trabalhador, utilizando como anÃlise um estudo de caso do setor industrial automobilÃstico na RegiÃo Metropolitana de Curitiba (RMC), Estado do ParanÃ, Brasil. Para tanto, a metodologia utilizada foi uma revisÃo bibliogrÃfica sobre o tema aliada a um estudo de caso com a montadora automobilÃstica pesquisada que tem em suas operaÃÃes industriais elevado avanÃo tecnolÃgico para produzir seus produtos. Esta pesquisa forneceu informaÃÃes para contribuir para uma melhor compreensÃo do processo das tecnologias industriais nas operaÃÃes de produÃÃo numa montadora automobilÃstica e suas relaÃÃes com a qualificaÃÃo do trabalhador deste setor produtivo. Como resultado obteve-se que a montadora automobilÃstica pesquisada utiliza-se da combinaÃÃo de dois modelos produtivos: o radial fordista e o radial transnacional, como tambÃm pode-se concluir que o processo de produÃÃo flexÃvel (enxuta) à mais compatÃvel com a forma de trabalho em grupo (equipes) e remete à maior valorizaÃÃo ao desempenho individual e em grupo, no entanto, ainda ocorre a parcelizaÃÃo do trabalho e repetitividade das tarefas. O que timidamente, evidencia a relevÃncia da subjetividade humana no ambiente de trabalho, pois ocorre a apropriaÃÃo do saber pela montadora, e intrinsecamente està incorporado à funÃÃo do capital na busca da economia do tempo pelos prÃprios trabalhadores com seus pares, bem como facilita o gerenciamento e controle dos gestores em consonÃncia com as forÃas produtivas capitalistas. Portanto, essa passagem de concepÃÃo do trabalho individualizado para trabalho em equipe à um indicativo da montadora pesquisada em mudar o ambiente de trabalho e tentar buscar a valorizaÃÃo da participaÃÃo da forÃa de trabalho, fato que possibilita a gestÃo de duas forÃas contraditÃrias, o controle do trabalho e a autonomia relativa da equipe. Assim, a relaÃÃo entre avanÃo tecnolÃgico industrial (automaÃÃo e robÃtica) e qualificaÃÃo (conhecimentos tÃcnicos especÃficos) para o posto de trabalho està estritamente ligada à dinÃmica do gerenciamento e controle pelo capital com foco na economia do tempo de processo produtivo na montadora automobilÃstica pesquisada.

汽車業是一項很複雜的工業，發展百年至今，已經出現了三套管理哲學，從早期的歐洲匠藝式生產，到美國福特的大量生產，一直到最近的日本豐田臨界式生產，不但影響汽車業本身的經營方式，更根本改變人類的生產觀念。正因為汽車業經營的複雜性，所要考慮的策略變數很多，因此過去對其相關的經營策略研究亦特別多，但是由於缺乏一套完整的分析架構來整合這些有價值的研究，使得在實務上擬定策略時常有掛一漏萬之憾。因此運用「策略矩陣分析法」這個嶄新的整合性策略分析架構，將汽車業策略擬定所要考慮的變數整合到這個架構內，使決策者的策略思考更加週延，便成為本研究的主要動機所在。 　　本研究的目的在於：一、形成國內汽車業策略矩陣，並整理出相關的產業策略要素；二、解析個案公司策略演進階段中的各項策略要素；三、解析個案公司各項策略要素背後的環境前提及條件前提；四、經由上述分析，嘗試對國內汽車業未來的經營策略堤出建議。 　　本研究是採定性的個案研究法，以國內的四家汽車裝配廠（中華、裕隆、羽田、太子）為研究對象，研究方式是對個案公司的策略作法做一歷史回顧，並將各項策略作法解析成各種策略要素，整合到策略矩陣架構內，以明瞭各項策略作法背後的邏輯觀念，並藉此說明策略矩陣分析法對擬定汽車業經營策略的週延性。 　　本研究的結論如下： 　　．由國內汽車廠的策略演進來看，他們都是採「成長」的策略。 　　．各家車廠所採的成長模式不同。 　　．各家車廠由於其策略不同，所認知的攸關環境前提亦不完全相同。 　　．各車廠所重視的策略要素不完全相同，即使同一策略要素，其實際作法也未必相同。而同一策略要素，在不同時期其實際作法也會有所差異。 　　．「與合作廠商或機構關係之掌握」，是四家車廠所共同關注的策略要素。 　　．「規模經濟的無法發揮」是國內汽車業發展的主要瓶頸。 　　．綜效的追求與資源整合是國內車廠未來降低成本的主要方向。 　　．企業經營策略，必須要能配合相關的環境前提及條件前提才能成功。 　　．產業的關鍵環境前提會隨著時間及其他外在力量的影響而改變，進而影響企業策略的制定，而針對同一項重大的環境衝擊，企業間的因應策略也不完全相同。

Thesis (M.S.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Systems Science and Industrial Engineering Department, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

In modern economies, national governments have a wide range of policies for restricting international trade and protecting domestic industries at their disposal. The most popular form of non-tariff trade policies is probably that of a direct quantitative restriction. This policy takes two principal forms: explicit import quotas and voluntary export restraints (VERs). A VER is a quota imposed by an exporting country upon exports to other countries in response to pressures exercised by the importing countries (i.e., in the form of threats of various types of import restrictions). When these two policies are partially liberalized, subject to a reasonable foreign share in the domestic market, product differentiation between imported goods and domestic goods within an imperfect market can serve to increase welfare levels within the domestic economy. In this situation, the foreign share will not be as high as it would be for the homogeneous assumption. Under a partial VER liberalization policy, if the degree of substitutability between domestic and imported goods is sufficiently small, then domestic welfare will improve as foreign imports are increased. That is, if domestic and imported goods are perfect substitutes, then the most favorable domestic policy will be to close domestic markets to the foreign country since no country can allow foreign market shares as high as 66 percent in the domestic market. In a simulation of U.S. automobile industrial production, when a partial quota liberalization is observed, welfare levels can be increased by reducing the Japanese import market share to a level below 10 percent, that is, to a level which is less than the actual current foreign market share. In real terms, this implies that U.S. auto industry must be further liberalized to acquire additional domestic benefits under a VER policy, whereas the U.S. should restrict foreign market share below 10 percent to maximize domestic welfare levels under a quota policy. This will occur if the net consumer surplus is in excess of producer net excess profits under an imperfect market structure. / Graduation date: 1993

The purpose of the study was to provide a complete historical account of the events which led to the rise and fall of the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company of South Bend, Indiana. The study also evaluated the impact upon the ethnic development of South Bend from the years 1856 to 1966.The applicability of the Kuhnian paradigmatic process of culture change to the South Bend-Studebaker interaction sphere was considered as well.Ninety-seven employees of the company were selected and interviewed in regard to their knowledge of the company and its impact upon the city. Primary and secondary archival materials were utilized to supplement worker interviews.FINDINGS1. The Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company and the Studebaker Corporation acted as primary agents of ethnic development in the South Bend community.2.The interviewing process provided new data which supplemented and substantiated previous accounts.3. The Studebaker Company's success was founded upon intensive employer-employee involvement in the production process.4. The Studebaker Company's failure was brought about by the breakdown of the employer-employee relationship.CONCLUSIONS1. The study proved the significant impact of the Studebaker Company upon the American transportation industry.2. The Studebaker Company exerted a major influence upon the ethnic and cultural development of the city of South Bend.3. The "paradigmatic process of social change" model as postulated by Thomas Kuhn was appropriate to the Studebaker-South Bend situation.4. An ethnohistorical reconstruction technique proved successful in recounting the impact of the Studebaker Company.

This dissertation consists of three independent sections: In the first part, focusing on the auto industry we look at the challenges and solution strategies of employing build-to-order (BTO) with global supply. We consider some familiar tools for managing domestic supply and exploit them for managing international supply, and propose new methods. We study frequency of supply as a way to improve performance. We study the impact of forecast accuracy, and conclude that improvements there alone may not be sufficient to obtain desired savings. Within this perspective we look at a new shipping policy, 'Ship-to-Average", which prescribes sending a fixed quantity, based on the long term average forecast, with each shipment and making adjustments only if the inventory strays outside a prescribed range. In the second part we look at a Brownian control problem. When a manufacturer places repeated orders with a supplier to meet changing production requirements, he faces the challenge of finding the right balance between holding costs and the operational costs involved in adjusting the shipment sizes. Consider a storage system whose content fluctuates as a Brownian motion in the absence of control. A linear holding cost is incurred continuously. Inventory level can be adjusted by any quantity at a fixed plus proportional cost. We show control band policies are optimal for the average cost problem and calculate the optimal policy parameters. This form of policy is described by three parameters q, Q, S. When the inventory falls to 0 (rises to S), the controller expedites (curtails) shipments to return it to q (Q). Developing techniques based on Lagrangian relaxation we show that this type of policy is optimal even with constraints on the size of adjustments and on the maximum inventory level. The Brownian Control problem can be viewed as an idealization --without delivery delays, of the problem of supplying BTO operations, and provides some theoretical explanation for the Ship-to-Average policies. In fact, Ship-to-Average policies are a practical implementation of Control Band policies in the setting with delivery delays. Finally, we explore the power and applicability of the Lagrangian approach developed in the second part.