1、中文 3845 字 本科毕业论文（设计） 外 文 翻 译 原文： Strategic flexibility: a new reality for world-class manufacturing The development of the concept of flexibility has been slow in the manufacturing literature because of the relatively stable market structure and minimal competitive pressure prior to the 1960s. In fa
2、ct, manufacturing was not considered particularly important in the formulation of business strategy. As the competitiveness problems increased, practitioners and academicians began to recognize that manufacturing strategy was vital in supporting changes of corporate strategy. Consequently, a number
3、of analytical models and empirical studies were developed to enhance manufacturing flexibility. According to Suarez, Cusumano, and Fine (1995), most empirical studies on manufacturing flexibility serve one of the following purposes: (1) to develop taxonomies of flexibility； (2) to investigate the re
4、lationship between flexibility and performance； (3) to cover historical and economical analyses of flexibility； and (4) to develop strategic frameworks for flexibility. Carlsson (1989), Sethi and Sethi (1990), Hyun and Ahn (1992), and Upton (1994) are just a few research works that provide further l
5、iterature reviews on flexibility. Flexibility is often regarded as one of the competitive priorities, along with cost, quality, and innovation. Just as low cost and high quality have already become a requirement for market entry, flexibility might ultimately be the key to enhancing a firms competiti
6、ve ability. While uncertainty can be a threat to some firms, it provides opportunity to those with higher degrees of flexibility, either market-oriented or resources-oriented. Firms that are able to deal with uncertainties that their competitors cannot have market-oriented flexibility. By reducing m
7、arket uncertainties or exerting influence on customer expectations, firms have more strategic choices and can adopt a more proactive approach to competing. Firms with highly flexible production systems have resource-oriented flexibility and can be more responsive to the changing market. By combining
8、 these two concepts, Figure 1 shows the dominant competitive priorities corresponding to the firms ability to cope with uncertainties. Not only can world-class manufacturing firms adapt to the changing environment swiftly, but they also can influence market demand (e.g., by creating uncertainties or
9、 customer expectations that competitors cannot deal with). Both reactive and proactive approaches have proved to be equally important and require different types of flexibility. Instead of focusing on one particular dimension of flexibility, world-class manufacturing firms need a strategic perspecti
10、ve of flexibility - the ability to quickly adjust their competitive objectives to meet new business conditions. In a stable competitive environment like decades ago, a competitive strategy simply involved defining a competitive position and then defending it. Since the competitive environment has ch
11、anged rapidly and unpredictably, however, new knowledge and capabilities are needed to support any strategy to create a sustainable competitive advantage. Therefore, the goal of the latest developments in manufacturing strategy is to attain strategic flexibility. Competitive advantage commonly refer
12、s to the creation of a production-distribution system that has a unique advantage over its competitors. Achieving competitive advantage does not imply that the company must always do better than the competitors in all areas. The key is to do certain things better in most of the areas. Deciding which
13、 areas to target is the central issue of competitive priorities. Competitive advantages traditionally have been accomplished through economies of scale and product and process technology, but these are no longer sufficient. Competitive advantage through economies of scale is best illustrated by mass
14、 production. Furthermore, Henry Fords dictum that customers can have any color as long as its black still convinces many manufacturers that they must choose between standardization at low cost or flexibility at high cost. This has been disproved by Japanese automobile and electronics manufacturers w
15、ho achieve an optimal balance of product standardization and manufacturing flexibility. The dynamics of todays competitive environment suggest that economies of scale and product or process technology will be a diminishing source of competitive advantage. As a result, manufacturers are turning their
16、 attention to building the skills and knowledge of their workforce. World-class manufacturers also realize that competitive advantage can be created only when the manufacturing strategy is well integrated with other functional strategies, which together support the overall corporate strategy. It imp
17、lies that changes in strategy are necessary to cope with the changes in competitive environment and in the organization itself. Therefore, there is no best manufacturing strategy, and all competitive manufacturers should be ready to shift from one strategy to another as needed. The appropriate strat
18、egy depends on a firms strengths and weaknesses. Two manufacturing firms may develop different strategies yet both compete in the same market with success. In addition, sticking with a single competitive strategy (no matter how successful) often turns out to be problematic when the underlying condit
19、ions change. Given the dynamic nature of the marketplace, flexibility has already become the most important competitive priority of the 1990s. Flexibility is usually classified broadly as product or service-related (such as volume, product mix, and modification) and process technology-related (such
20、as changeover, scheduling, and innovation). While these sources of flexibility are essential to provide competitive advantage to manufacturers, they tend to be operational or tactical in nature. To acquire a sustainable competitive advantage, management must develop strategic flexibility, which requ
21、ires long-term commitment and the development of critical resources. Note that no specific manufacturing techniques or improvement programs are included. Instead, the emphasis is on developing skills such as knowledge, capabilities, and a flexible organizational structure. These are the foundation o
22、f strategic flexibility that allow future changes to take place as needed； and, best of all, their unique nature means that no one else can copy them easily. Strategic flexibility allows a manufacturing firm to shift from one dominant strategy to another, from one competitive priority to another, but also implies a long-term commitment of resources and a plan of action. Progress, therefore, depends on the current state of the firms resources and capabilities. Generally, strategic
