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Author Wynn-Williams, Michael S., author.

Title Surfing the global tide : automotive giants and how to survive them / Michael S. Wynn-Williams
Published Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan, ©2009

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Description 1 online resource (xi, 271 pages) : illustrations
Contents Chapter 1. Raising the leviathan -- Growth of a global industry -- The Budd paradigm lays the foundation -- Defining the automobile industry paradigm -- The automobile paradigm and the full-function model -- Chapter 2. Fundamentals of scale -- Economies of size -- Production costs -- Survivor analysis -- Chapter 3. Economies of scale in the automobile industry -- Survivor analysis of the automobile industry -- From plant size to economies of scale -- Conclusion -- Chapter 4. Structuring the firm -- Company structure -- Unitary and multidivisional governance structures -- Chapter 5. Constructing the automobile industry paradigm -- Paradigm revolutions -- Constructing the automobile industry paradigm -- Vertical integration of the automobile paradigm -- Resultant size and shape -- Conclusion -- Chapter 6. Approximating to the automobile industry paradigm -- Introduction -- Subscale production -- Internal approximations to the automobile paradigm -- External approximations to the automobile paradigm -- Opportunities raised by globalization -- Reassessing the full-function structure -- Conclusion -- Chapter 7. Opening the door to China -- The rise and fall of British Leyland/Rover group -- MG Rover: autonomy and sustainability -- MG Rover assets: reconstructing the international vertical joint venture -- Conclusion -- Chapter 8. The paradigm in the automobile industry of the future -- Current state of the industry -- Reaching beyond the automobile industry paradigm -- Paradigmatic view of other industries -- Closing remarks -- Epilog 2009: the battle for the United States
Summary Car manufacturing epitomizes modern industry, yet the overall perspective has been lost in speculation and self-promotion. Based on six years of research, this book is the first in years to reassess the industry. The result is a paradigm that quantifies the fundamental economies of scale and firm organizational structure. Although the automotive industry is one that, for many, represents a defining feature of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, it is also an industry that is poorly understood. Despite the plethora of literary material dedicated to the subject, the overall perspective of the industry has been lost in speculation and self-promotion. The result of six years of research at Cardiff Business School, 'Surfing the Global Tide' is the first book in years to reassess the structuring forces that shape the industry. The result is a new paradigm for the industry that sets out how firms should be integrated and quantifies the economies of scale necessary for long-term survival. The book explains why the global giants have grown bloated beyond economic necessity, and suggests the vertical joint venture as a strategy for small firms to punch above their weight
"This book is a highly interesting historical, economic, and conceptual analysis of the automobile industry from a 'paradigmatic' perspective. It explains in great detail how scale and structure of car companies worldwide are determined by economies of scale and a certain extent of vertical integration. It also shows the limits of the present 'Budd' paradigm and provides an outlook to alternatives. This book is highly recommended for those interested in cars (nearly all of us), especially in this time of economic crisis that has great impact on the car industry as we know it."--Philip J. Vergragt Ph. D, Professor Emeritus of Technology Assessment, Senior Associate, Tellus Institute 'Surfing the Global Tide' is an important book at an important time. With automakers worldwide being battered by the global financial crisis, speculation abounds about consolidation, realignment and bankruptcy. Wynn-Williams' ambitious work applies to any company on the edge. In pinpointing the minimum size a carmaker must be to survive on its own, his research draws richly from both the theories of economics and the realities of the factory floor. His answer is that successful automakers can churn out a surprisingly low number of vehicles per year. The implications are broad reaching for a range of manufacturers, from Japan's Mazda Motor Corp. and Germany's Daimler AG to the nascent Chinese brands. 'Surfing' is fascinating read for anyone interested in the future path of the globalized auto industry.' - Hans Greimel, Asia Editor, Automotive News
Analysis Automobile industry and trade
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index
Notes Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002. http://purl.oclc.org/DLF/benchrepro0212 MiAaHDL
Print version record
digitized 2011 HathiTrust Digital Library committed to preserve pda MiAaHDL
Subject Automobile industry and trade.
International business.
Management & management techniques.
Transport industries.
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS -- Industries -- Service.
Business and Management.
Automobile industry and trade
Kraftfahrzeugindustrie.
Kooperation.
Multinationales Unternehmen.
Bilindustri.
Kraftfahrzeugindustrie.
Internationale Unternehmenskooperation.
Multinationales Unternehmen.
Welt.
Form Electronic book
ISBN 9780230233591
0230233597