Originally presented as the author's Thesis (doctoral)--University of Duisburg-Essen. / Title from e-book title screen (viewed July 28, 2008). Description based on print version record.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

M.Phil. / This dissertation provides an overview on the problem of electronic component obsolescence from a military product support perspective. By assessing applicable literature as well as feedback and lessons learned from relevant support projects, a strategy for the management of component obsolescence is proposed. The aim of the research is to provide a definition of component obsolescence drivers and to formulate a strategy for the management of component obsolescence within a military electronic support environment. The strategy will give guidelines on how management activities can be optimised to reduce applicable obsolescence risks and thereby reducing related life cycle costs. In order to implement a successful obsolescence management process (OMP), the following approach is proposed: Ensure that the drivers of component obsolescence and the possible impact there of will be made visible to applicable levels of management. Promote an environment where obsolescence management is an integral part of the system engineering process so as to optimise the rapid electronic development process whilst also keeping support expenditure within acceptable limits. Encourage projects to support a process that is directed at addressing obsolescence risks applicable to that project. Introduce OMP as an important part of the Through Life Support (TLS) planning of projects. Materials management should be encouraged to implement a process where interfacing with suppliers will address obsolescence risks. This typically includes a feedback loop regarding component usage patterns, component end of production notifications, component substitutions and other related component supplier information. Adequate funding must be allocated to ensure that obsolescence risks and activities can be addressed cost effectively over the complete life cycle of the product or system from initial design to end of support.

Purpose – This paper aims to shed some light on E-business practices in the Arab culture. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach based on observations. Findings – Identified several culturally-based factors which impair E-business practices in the Arab culture. Practical implications – Provides practical implications to Arab public and private sector leaders for enhancing E-business practices. Originality/value – Provides initial insight into the nature of E-business practices and their implications in the Arab culture.

After the turn of the new millennium, the transformation of the'World Factory'- China under the restructuring Asian production network has been increasingly witnessed. Due to the changing dynamics at local, national, and global levels, production relocations of the labor-intensive industries from coastal China to the developing countries nearby, such as Vietnam, have been observed. Yet, little attention so far has been focused to see how these industries and the firms have been relocated out of China and reorganized their production networks. Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page, viewed November 12, 2020. Since the last decades, the global production network (GPN) approach in economic geography has been widely applied to study geographically dispersed production activities. Notably, the newly developed'GPN 2.0' theory has offered a framework to systemically understand the ways the transnational corporations (TNCs) have interacted with various firms and non-firm actors to orchestrate their production networks at different scales. Hence, drawing mainly upon the notions from the GPN 2.0 theory, particularly the firm-specific strategies, as well as the ideas from other social science studies, such as the institutional perspective, to develop a more comprehensive analytical framework, and taking the consumer electronics industry as a case, this thesis looks into the current production relocation from China to Vietnam, and the restructuring of the electronics production networks, particularly in Asia, since the late 00s. To be more explicit, based on extensive field investigation since December 2017, especially in-depth interviews in both host and home regions, the current study examines, firstly, a broader picture of the restructuring of the global and Asian electronics production networks and the participation of Vietnam into the networks; secondly and more specifically, how firms from different origins, including the relatively established TNCs from Asian newly industrialized economies (NIEs) and the emerging TNCs (ETNCs) from emerging economies, such as China, have spatially and organizationally reconfigured their cross-border production networks in Vietnam. This thesis argues that the restructuring of the Asian electronics production networks is not only a sequential production relocation solely led by TNCs from Japan and the NIEs, but it is also driven by the ETNCs from China. Changing roles of emerging and developing countries, such as Vietnam as an assembly hub and an emerging market and China as an intermediate good's exporter, in the restructuring process have been witnessed. This study also illustrates that various closeness of the firm-state relationships has led to different results of the extra-firm bargaining process between the TNCs and the multi-scalar host institutions and thus the production relocation and the strategic coupling outcomes. As for the ETNCs originated from China, the current study showcases that the inherent legacies of the home institutions embedded in these firms have significantly impacted both spatial and organizational configurations of their production networks in Vietnam. Apart from empirically updating the restructuring and regionalization of the electronics production networks in Asia, particularly in developing Southeast Asia, this thesis enriches the economic geography literature primarily by taking the actors from the emerging and developing economies, which have been largely ignored in previous conceptualizations of the GPNs, particularly the ETNCs as well as the multi-scalar institutions in both host and home regions, into account.

After the turn of the new millennium, the transformation of the'World Factory'- China under the restructuring Asian production network has been increasingly witnessed. Due to the changing dynamics at local, national, and global levels, production relocations of the labor-intensive industries from coastal China to the developing countries nearby, such as Vietnam, have been observed. Yet, little attention so far has been focused to see how these industries and the firms have been relocated out of China and reorganized their production networks. Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page, viewed November 12, 2020. Since the last decades, the global production network (GPN) approach in economic geography has been widely applied to study geographically dispersed production activities. Notably, the newly developed'GPN 2.0' theory has offered a framework to systemically understand the ways the transnational corporations (TNCs) have interacted with various firms and non-firm actors to orchestrate their production networks at different scales. Hence, drawing mainly upon the notions from the GPN 2.0 theory, particularly the firm-specific strategies, as well as the ideas from other social science studies, such as the institutional perspective, to develop a more comprehensive analytical framework, and taking the consumer electronics industry as a case, this thesis looks into the current production relocation from China to Vietnam, and the restructuring of the electronics production networks, particularly in Asia, since the late 00s. To be more explicit, based on extensive field investigation since December 2017, especially in-depth interviews in both host and home regions, the current study examines, firstly, a broader picture of the restructuring of the global and Asian electronics production networks and the participation of Vietnam into the networks; secondly and more specifically, how firms from different origins, including the relatively established TNCs from Asian newly industrialized economies (NIEs) and the emerging TNCs (ETNCs) from emerging economies, such as China, have spatially and organizationally reconfigured their cross-border production networks in Vietnam. This thesis argues that the restructuring of the Asian electronics production networks is not only a sequential production relocation solely led by TNCs from Japan and the NIEs, but it is also driven by the ETNCs from China. Changing roles of emerging and developing countries, such as Vietnam as an assembly hub and an emerging market and China as an intermediate good's exporter, in the restructuring process have been witnessed. This study also illustrates that various closeness of the firm-state relationships has led to different results of the extra-firm bargaining process between the TNCs and the multi-scalar host institutions and thus the production relocation and the strategic coupling outcomes. As for the ETNCs originated from China, the current study showcases that the inherent legacies of the home institutions embedded in these firms have significantly impacted both spatial and organizational configurations of their production networks in Vietnam. Apart from empirically updating the restructuring and regionalization of the electronics production networks in Asia, particularly in developing Southeast Asia, this thesis enriches the economic geography literature primarily by taking the actors from the emerging and developing economies, which have been largely ignored in previous conceptualizations of the GPNs, particularly the ETNCs as well as the multi-scalar institutions in both host and home regions, into account.

Submitted by Mariana Dornelles Vargas (marianadv) on 2015-05-08T12:46:51Z No. of bitstreams: 1 avaliacao_alinhamento.pdf: 1742935 bytes, checksum: fb817485b5e49caee10c1125c26fa477 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-08T12:46:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 avaliacao_alinhamento.pdf: 1742935 bytes, checksum: fb817485b5e49caee10c1125c26fa477 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-12-06 / Nenhuma / Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo propor e testar um método de avaliação do alinhamento entre os critérios competitivos e as práticas de Autonomação, utilizando como base fundamentos teóricos e empíricos. Para criação de uma situação heurística e aplicação do método proposto, foi realizado um estudo de caso em uma empresa de manufatura de equipamentos eletrônicos de alta tecnologia. Apoiado por uma revisão teórica envolvendo os conceitos de Autonomação, seu impacto sobre o sistema produtivo e a interação com a competitividade no nível da empresa, compreende-se os construtos que representam a aplicação da Autonomação. Por meio de um grupo focado são identificados os elementos que influenciam cada construto no processo produtivo pesquisado. Os indicadores encontrados foram ponderados e mensurados, permitindo a identificação e quantificação de lacunas. São analisados e discutidos sob o ponto de vista da Engenharia de Produção os resultados obtidos, propondo plano de ações e implicações para melhorias no processo avaliado. Esta dissertação contribui com a construção e desenvolvimento de um modelo que representa as relações entre construtos, os critérios competitivos, e fatores da aplicação da Autonomação. Considera-se que o método apresentado aproxima as abordagens operacionais com as definições estratégicas, evitando iniciativas isoladas e ineficientes da manufatura. Assim, pode ser visto como uma ferramenta gerencial, podendo ser útil como apoio ao cumprimento de uma estratégia de produção pré-estabelecida. / This research aims at proposing and testing a method for the assessment of the alignment between competitive criteria and Autonomation practices, using theoretical and empirical basis. In order to create a heuristic situation and to apply the proposed method, a case study was conducted at a company that manufactures high-tech electronic equipment. The comprehension of the constructs that represent the application of Autonomation is supported by the theoretical review of concepts involving Autonomation, its impact on the production system and the interaction with the competitiveness at the enterprise?s level. The elements that influence each construct in the production process are identified through a focus group. The indicators found were weighed and measured, allowing the identification and quantification of gaps. The results are analyzed and discussed from the viewpoint of Industrial Engineering, proposing a plan of actions and implications for the improvement of the assessed process. This thesis contributes to the construction and development of a model representing the relationships among constructs, competitive criteria, and factors of the application of Autonomation. It is considered that the proposed method approximates the operational approaches to strategic settings, avoiding isolated and inefficient initiatives in manufacturing. Thus, it can be seen as a managerial tool, which can be useful for supporting the achievement of a pre-established manufacturing strategy.

Why China emphasize on the development of electronics industry? Does it work? This paper analyzes the FDI policy of China¡¦s strategic industry, especially electronics industry. To maintain high economic growth, China treats electronics industry as strategic industry to upgrade other industries by its information and communication technology. Electronics industry, however, is weak on key technologies and components itself, not to mention technology upgrading. The result of this research is helpful on understanding the advantages and disadvantages China brings to foreign-invested companies in the near future. Besides, the result can be used as a China investment manual.

Required illumination levels in an electronics manufacturing facility were studied in order to provide feedback for architects and engineers. The study was carried out for the production floor of an electronics company in Ankara. The space considered was a Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) and Surface Mount Device (SMD) production department. The selected area was subdivided into different areas according to required illumination levels for each year. These levels were determined according to the specific work types over the total area according to each individual department. Data compiled by the field survey was analyzed and evaluated for investigating the relation of the potential effectiveness of the lighting systems regarding time, together with illumination levels needed for specific work areas. Changes in the sizes of areas needing various illuminance levels over past years were analyzed. It was found that there had been a decrease in the total required illumination levels.

This study aims to make a diagnosis and counseling to the operation of small and medium businesses of high-tech by way of case study. Two manufacturers of electronic passive components were chosen in this study. Acting as the assistant and consultant of the top management, the writer took about 21 months to proceed with the study by practically participating in the operation of the object companies. This study includes the following contents¡G(1) Basic Analysis, (2)Financial Analysis, (3)Operating Goal and (4)Operating Counseling. For the Basic Analysis, the two companies have been making better profit through the diagnosis and counseling. For the Financial Analysis, ¡§A¡¨ Company has the most complete financial operating report, with which the management can be fully aware of and then successfully control the financial status of the company. Examples are provided in this study. For the Operating Goal, the policy of the gross margin ratio is the most significant part of the strategy in ¡§A¡¨ and ¡§B¡¨ companies. The analyzing method of Boston Consultant Group is proved effective for making the strategy of gross margin ratio and OK yield. At last, for the Operating Counseling, practical examples are offered in many aspects, such as manufacturing and technology, 5S arrangements, management conference, human resources, joint investment and quality assurance. During the period of study, some very important ideas have been attained in the interpersonal relationship, i.e. ¡§management is service¡¨ and ¡§establishing good communication mechanism is vital for management¡¨. Besides, 26 forms have been collected for maintaining the management system, including financial management, manufacturing, quality and sales control, and operating management. The operating diagnosis and counseling are more essential for small and medium businesses than for those big companies since they are different in capital investment, man power and profit risk. It is a favorable result that the two companies have been making noticeable achievements during this period of time. The methods described in this study have also been applied to another two companies with remarkable outcome. As in chemical reaction, the operating counseling could be a catalyzer when it is well applied, while it could be a restrainer when being misused. The methods described in this report will help to make an efficient counseling, which will accelerate business development.