PRODUCTION PATTERN OF MACHINERY FIRMS - VIEWPOINTS OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT

CAD, CAM, FMS, robotics, etc. have been considered by many manufacturi ng firms as promising technologies for achieving competitive advantage . Accompanied with the development of the delicate factory system, the role of scientific management becomes increasingly important. To unde rstand the position of a firm vis-a-vis its competitors, this paper ev aluates the levels of technology and management of 15 machinery firms by constructing two composite indices. The technology index is constru cted from the indicators of equipment, employee, control level, and te chnological capability, whereas the management index is constructed fr om 18 subjects of manufacturing management. Through a cluster analysis , three production patterns, namely, tradition, over-engineering, and management-leader, are distinguished based on the levels of technology and management. The productivities of the surveyed firms reveal that management-leader is the group with stronger competitiveness thar the machinery firms should consider achieving.