Search

Research on international transfer of manufacturing capability has traditionally focused on the viewpoint of the 'transferor', where the recipient is usually less sophisticated. The nature of knowledge in the transferor is identified as the core determinant of the 'transferability' of capability, ideally independent of the host context. In this paper we consider the problem from the viewpoint of the 'transferee'; extracting the capability that it needs from a relatively passive transferor and feeding back knowledge in a mutual learning system. In such cases the 'knowledge transfer' metaphor breaks down. We illustrate this with a case study of a major US computer manufacturer transferring the capability of building its most complex server product to a European site. We discuss the implications of the case for the literature on knowledge transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws upon six case studies of Millennium Product award winners to explore how companies use design to compete in international markets. Small manufacturing companies in the developed world are under increasing pressure to differentiate their products and services as customers are becoming more demanding and markets more international. Our case study organisations have attempted to integrate a wide range of new skills with their traditional competencies in engineering design in order to achieve competitive success. Detailed case studies provide a picture of the migration of capabilities in these small manufacturing companies towards a new types of design activities that span well beyond the traditional activities associated with engineering design. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]