THE IMPACT OF JUST-IN-TIME MANUFACTURING AND ITS INFRASTRUCTURE ON MANUFACTURING PERFORMANCE

We consider Just-in-Time (JIT) to be an overall organizational phenome non. Accordingly, we developed and tested a model that includes both J IT practices and the infrastructure practices hypothesized to provide an environment in which JIT practices perform more effectively. Canoni cal correlation analysis was used to test five hypotheses. The results indicated that: (1) there was not a significant relationship between the use of JIT practices, alone, and manufacturing performance; (2) th ere was a very strong relationship between FT practices and infrastruc ture practices; (3) the combination of JIT management and infrastructu re practice was related to manufacturing performance; (4) infrastructu re, by itself, is sufficient to explain manufacturing performance; and (5) manufacturing performance was related to competitive advantage. T hese findings provide support for the notion that JIT is an overall or ganizational phenomenon, rather than limited to strictly shop floor pr actices, and that at least part of its effect on manufacturing perform ance may bet through providing a set of improvement targets and discip line for the entire organization. in addition, the analysis highlights the areas of infrastructure practice most relevant for future researc h.