El respeto al medioambiente está calando en la sociedad moderna a todos los niveles. Los ciudadanos, las instituciones públicas y también las empresas son conscientes del papel que desempeñan en la protección del entorno. Este trabajo busca profundizar en los conceptos relacionados con el medioambiente que afectan a las decisiones que las empresas toman en el día a día. Por la relación de la autora con el sector del automóvil, en el que he desarrollado mi actividad profesional desde el año 1999, la aplicación empírica se ha realizado en esta industria, con el objetivo principal de identificar los aspectos sobre los que se debe indicir para potenciar las actuaciones mediomentalmente proactivas. Como actividades clave para el sector se ha analizado en profundidad el diseño y la innovación, que, al incluir el enfoque sostenible, se estudian en la tesis como ecodiseño y ecoinnovación. Así, en primer lugar se realiza una revision bibliográfica sobre el ecodiseño, los beneficios que se derivan para las empresas al considerar la mejora medioambiental a través del mismo, los que se derivan de la actitud proactiva y de su implementación también se identifican, como, por ejemplo, la mejora de la posición competitiva, la reducción de costes, la mejora de la imagen de la empresa o el desarrollo de nuevos productos En esta primera parte se identifica también el principal obstáculo que las empresas encuentran, que se resume en la falta de incentivos y de apoyo para que las empresas puedan potenciar e implementar las actuaciones de ecodiseño. En el segundo estudio, se analizaron las acciones concretas que una empresa automotriz líder como Faurecia ha desarrollado en los últimos años. A través del estudio de este caso de manera profunda, se presenta la información recogida mediante entrevistas con expertos en ecodiseño del grupo Faurecia. Los resultados observados a nivel particular en Faurecia se refuerzan por los resultados empíricos realizados sobre empresas pertenecientes al sector que muestran que la orientación ambiental está influenciada, principalmente, por las características de la empresa. Para las empresas de automoción españolas, el estudio detectó que la proactividad ambiental al innovar viene determinada, principalmente, por el tamaño de las empresas, medido por las variables: ingreso total, inversión total, cantidad de inversión en I+D y el número deempleados en I+D y también, aunque menos, por la actividad formal en I+D (número de patentes) y la orientación de exportadora de la empresa. Así, las grandes empresas con mayor número de patentes y con presencia internacional son más propensas a ser medioambientalmente activas en actividades de ecodiseño y ecoinnovación y que son este tipo de empresas las que lideran la actividad y la orientación medioambiental en el sector del automóvil español. Por otra parte, aunque la reducción en el uso de la energía y de material también se han relacionado con la ecoinnovación ambiental, están muy influenciados por otras variables como el rendimiento económico, la estructura de costes o su situación financiera, por lo que no se pudo concluir nada al respecto. La investigación prosiguió explorando las características específicas de la industria automotriz frente al eco diseño y otras cuestiones ambientales relacionadas. Así, el siguiente artículo que conforma esta tesis doctoral, se planteó con el propósito de identificar los impulsores de la orientación ambiental de las empresas del sector del automóvil. En concreto, se analizó la importancia de la tipología de las fuentes de información procedentes del entorno (denominadas ¿de mercado¿; proveedores, clientes, competidores y consultores externos) para orientar eficazmente mejoras de productos y procesos como factores claves para determinar la orientación ambiental de las empresas del sector. Utilizando el paquete de software SmartPLS 2.0, el modelo de medición fue confirmado con suficiente fiabilidad y validez para todas las hipótesis. Además, el modelo estructural demostró que todos los coeficientes de la ruta fueron estadísticamente significativos. Los resultados de nuestro estudio, consistentes con trabajos previos, destacan cómo las actividades de eco-innovación están positivamente relacionadas con la innovación. Las empresas que se centran en productos y procesos cuando innovan son más eco-innovadoras que el resto. La consistencia de los resultados sugiere que las compañías que buscan, por una parte, una mayor flexibilidad operativa, aumentar la capacidad de producción, reducir los costes laborales unitarios o reducir el consumo energético por unidad cuando están buscando innovaciones están también más dispuestas a adoptar una orientación ambiental y, por otra, las empresas que se centran en el desarrollo de nuevos productos, en aumentar o sustituir la gama de productos, en aumentar la calidad del producto o en alcanzar una mayor cuota de mercado o nuevos mercados, son también más propensas a ser medioambientalmente más proactivas. / Paya Martinez, A. (2013). Estudio de la interrelación entre el eco-diseño y la eco-innovación e identificación de aspectos clave en la innovación sostenible en un sector industrial: aplicación al sector del automóvil [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/32830 / TESIS

Presently the automotive industry is facing enormous pressure due to global competition and ever changing legislative, economic and customer demands. Both, agility and reconfiguration are widely recognised as important attributes for manufacturing systems to satisfy the needs of competitive global markets. To facilitate and accommodate unforeseen business changes within the automotive industry, a new proactive methodology is urgently required for the design, build, assembly and reconfiguration of automation systems. There is also need for the promotion of new technologies and engineering methods to enable true engineering concurrency between product and process development. Virtual construction and testing of new automation systems prior to build is now identified as a crucial requirement to enable system verification and to allow the investigation of design alternatives prior to building and testing physical systems. The main focus of this research was to design and develop reconfigurable assembly systems within the powertrain sector of the automotive industry by capturing and modelling relevant business and engineering processes. This research has proposed and developed a more process-efficient and robust automation system design, build and implementation approach via new engineering services and a standard library of reusable mechanisms. Existing research at Loughborough had created the basic technology for a component based approach to automation. However, no research had been previously undertaken on the application of this approach in a user engineering and business context. The objective of this research was therefore to utilise this prototype method and associated engineering tools and to devise novel business and engineering processes to enable the component-based approach to be applied in industry. This new approach has been named Configurable and Collaborative Automation Systems (CO AS). In particular this new research has studied the implications of migration to a COAS approach in terms of I) necessary changes to the end-users business processes, 2) potential to improve the robustness of the resultant system and 3) potential for improved efficiency and greater collaboration across the supply chain.

Aims and Objectives of Research. 1. To develop a 'one stop' generic decision making matrix (Outsourcing Decision Model) that provides the necessary clarity into defining whether an organisation should proceed with an outsourcing initiative or not. This would be based upon a distillation of existing models and reviewed literature. With the recognition that there may be subsequent advantages following the process, the model will include not only these but a means of evaluation in order to ascertain whether or not an outsourcing initiative may be or was successful or not. This latter aspect must logically be viewed as very important as an outsourcer must be aware of the benefits and also whether or not they were achieved. In addition, the model would include sufficient guidance with potential supporting metrics and their application. 2. To validate the Outsourcing Model through specific case studies using a triangulated approach in comparing the selected automotive OEM with some of its major competitors. Within the context of the case study, the research would also attempt to understand how the subject outsourcing organisation compares to its major competitors in equivalent comparable products and whether or not this reflects in the success of these companies. This case study not only provides a means of reinforcing the remaining case studies by using a triangulated method of application to the research developed outsourcing decision model but also provides a deeper understanding of the context of the supplier and competitors within the industry. 3. To test, via case studies the effect of specificity relating to the outsourced end product rather than the outsourced entity. This aspect provides the deepest application to the researched outsourcing decision model and therefore the most comprehensive validation. In addition, because the case studies are retrospective, they have the benefit of providing data to establish the level of success. This would be very important, particularly as it would enable a focus on particular criteria that failed to highlight a particular outcome and therefore provide a chance to make amendments. Low specificity is a well established criterion in defining an outsourced entity which is reflected within the body of the research. The further extension of this theory towards the outsourcing of and outsourced entity related to an established previously outsourced commodity is a new concept with no identifiable literature or evidence relating to its importance. The fact that it provides an element within the research that is potentially unique and carries no extra task burden it has been captured as an added element within the two important validation case studies: 4. To evaluate if outsourcing performance can be enhanced through the introduction of a second supplier into a single supplier sourcing situation. Subsequent to outsourcing, this aim and objective focuses upon the possibility of enhancing performance through the introduction of a second supplier. Particularly in cases whereby expertise may have been lost from an outsourcer, ultimate results relating to the outsourced entity may be compromised through either opportunism or diminished supplier performance. Whether these aspects are deliberate or unintended, an outsourcer should have some means of mitigating this risk. This mitigation may potentially be enabled through the use of a second supplier in order to provide a degree of competition. 5. To identify a link between Specificity, Commonality and Platform Sharing. The Author's professional role was very heavily based around the modern practices within the Automotive Industry. Outsourcing, platform sharing and commonality are well publicised strategies that have been adopted by various car manufacturers in order to gain efficiencies. Research was carried out in order to provide a better understanding of these strategies and to establish if there is any link between them. A confirmation of any linkages may then provide potential for establishing greater synergies between them.

My thesis will focus on risk management practically in developing countries. In this research study, first a literature review about the concept of risk management and its concerns is provided which is the output of extensive review of resources such as journal papers, books and research studies. Then a case study will be reviewed in Iran which is considered as a developing country. In this step, the researcher attempts to extract needed information for her research based on the theory of frames. After gathering needed information the findings which are extracted from practical environment are compared to the academics material to answer the questions which are defined in the primary steps. Meanwhile, the main purpose of this study is reviewing the conditions of work environment in developing countries and extract main concerns and compare them to the standards, methodologies and tools and techniques of risk management to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of using these tools in performing risk management in developing countries.

<p>U doktorskoj disertaciji razmatra se procena i odabir direktnih dobavljača u automobilskoj industriji, proces i razvoj kriterijuma u cilju optimalne selekcije najboljih izvora nabavke. Prikazane su različite metode koje se koriste za ove namene i razvijena je hibridna metoda kako bi se obezbedili najrealniji mogući rezultati procene dobavljača. Istraživanje je vršeno u jednoj kompaniji i korišćeni su podaci iz realnih poslovnih procesa.</p> / <p>In this thesis direct supplier assessment and selection systems development in automotive industry is considered, as well as criteria development in order to provide optimal supply sources. Different methods that are used for those purposes are presented and hybrid method was developed for providing the most realistic results of supplier assessment. The research was held in a real company using real business records.</p>

Title: The Effect of Integrating 1st-tier Suppliers into the Product Development Process on the Environmental Performance – A Study in the German Automotive Industry Background: The research of this paper is based on the topics of 1st-tier supplier integration into the product development process and corporate social responsibility, with the environmental dimension as field of research. Furthermore, the German automotive industry is selected as a sample industry in which research is undertaken. Purpose: This research aims on finding a relation between 1st-tier supplier integration into the product development process and environmental performance. The dyad being examined is manufacturer and their 1st-tier suppliers – from the manufacturer’s point of view. I investigate the effect of supplier integration on the environmental performance in order to see whether the integration concept can support organizations in reaching their goals of customer satisfaction and image preservation. The German automotive industry is being utilized as it is recognized as pioneer industry in order to make an example for other sectors on how to measure 1st-tier suppliers’ environmental performance and how to efficiently integrate them in the manufacturer’s product development with the overall aim of enhancing environmental performance of manufacturers. Method: A qualitative research approach with multiple case studies based on semi-structured interviews has been applied for empirical data collection. The gathered data of three cases has been analyzed in a cross-case synthesis comparing the different cases with each other and with peer-reviewed literature. Results, conclusion: The gathered empirical information showed that German car manufacturers only rarely measure their 1st-tier suppliers’ environmental performance due to close and long-term relationships; additionally, the ISO 14001 standard is a minimum criterion of being a supplier in this industry and some quotes regarding3environmental performance are being forwarded to suppliers by manufacturers. In terms of 1st-tier supplier integration research shows in contrast to literature that the process of integration is not as relevant as other factors such as the supplier, the product and components. Regarding the 1st-tier supplier integration into the product development process affecting manufacturers’ environmental performance, the research at hand has shown a positive correlation. I believe that these results can be an example for other industries and dyads within the industry.

The aim of my work is the analysis of the company Škoda Auto in the market of China. This market is one of the key market for sales nowadays. Another aim is the analysis of potential countries for expanding of the company and trying to find a suitable strategy for enter. The first part deals with the automotive industry mainly in the domestic market including influence of world crisis. The presentation of the company, the position in the market and operations abroad are described in the second and the third part. The goal of the fourth part is the market of China, where Škoda Auto produces on basis of license. The tools of marketing mix with emphasis on China are included in the fifth part. China disposes of great potential and increasing sales, but there are another possibilities to expand its activities. The company doesn't operate in the markets of Southeast of Asia yet. I tried to find suitable strategies how to enter there.

Broulík in his Master's Thesis sets his goal to analyse the automobile sales sector. He focuses mainly on the situation of automobile dealers. He depictures the contemporary development of automobile sales in the Czech Republic and in the world. He observes the impacts of the world economic crisis on automobile producers and dealers. He closer addresses the Škoda brand sales network which he uses to illustrate his findings. On the basis of the analysis of the automobile sales sector he establishes its particularities which he categorizes as supplier -- dealer relation particularities, sector particularities and dealer -- consumer relation particularities. Broulík assesses the current block exemption and compares it with the legal regime which will apply to the automobile sales sector in EFTA from the 1st June 2013. He concludes that the current block exemption suits the established sector particularities better. He however closes that neither the automobile producers' ascendancy over dealers nor many other sector particularities should be treated through economic competition legal regulation.

Final thesis focuses on a new trend in logistics -- environmental considerations in supply chain and innovations connected with cargo transportation. Nowadays, due to diminishing trade barriers, goods are transported across longer distances, which results into negative externalities. The main purpose of this thesis is to analyse the impact of transport of finished vehicles on the environment. The questionare was built to find out interest, measures and future visions of automotive companies in reducing the environmental impact which is a consequence of their outbound logistics.

The target of this diploma thesis is to determine a value of company Mubea, spol s r.o. headquartered in Zebrak. The company is a member of transnational group Muhr und Bender KG, while its legal owner is a holding company of this group Mubea Engineering AG. Mubea, spol. s r.o. is evaluated for the purposes of its legal owner and therefore it is going on investment value as of 1.1.2009 which should reflect the main investments planned for 2011. The final valuation is based on two methods: yield method of discounted cash flows to entity and market comparison of industrial multipliers. This thesis consists of five main parts besides the final valuation. After the introduction of the company follow strategic and finantial analysis, which estimate the possibility of going concern, analysis and forecast of value drivers and finantial plan.