Why locate manufacturing in a high-cost country? A case study of 35 production location decisions

Ketokivi MikkoTurkulainen VirpiSeppälä TimoRouvinen PetriAli-Yrkkö Jyrki

In this paper, we examine in detail 35 final assembly location decisions to gain understanding of the manufacturing location decision from strategy and economic policy perspectives. We are particularly interested in the decision to locate final assembly specifically in a high-cost (high GDP per capita) environment. In contrast with the earlier literature, we focus not just on manufacturing activities themselves, but also the key linkages between production, market, supply chain, and product development. These linkages are examined using three key concepts from theories of organization design: formalization, specificity, and coupling. Using these concepts, an analysis of the micro-structure of each case reveals important commonalities that inform our understanding of location decisions. We conclude by discussing the policy implications of our findings.

ScienceDirect, Volume: 49–51, Issue: March 2017, Pages 20–30.

Publication info

Results of research
Work and Wealth in the Era of Digital Platforms
Research group
Business renewal
Date
19.04.2017
Keywords
Manufacturing location decisions, Case study, International operations, Supply chain management
Pages
11
Availability of print version
Available
Language
English
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