Intangible assets as determinants of advanced manufacturing technology adoption in SME´s: toward an evolutionary model

Author

Lefebvre, Louis A. ; Lefebvre, Elisabeth ; Harvey, Jean

Author_Institution

Dept. of Math. & Ind. Eng., Ecole Polytech., Montreal, Que., Canada

Volume

43

Issue

3

fYear

1996

fDate

8/1/1996 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

307

Lastpage

322

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between intangible assets and further advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) adoption in 116 small manufacturing firms. Results indicate that the technical skills of blue-collar workers, the influence of customers and vendors, and strategic motivations focused on process improvement and customers are the strongest determinants of subsequent levels of adoption. Further, it is shown that strategic motivations moderate the relationships between technical skills and influences and further AMT adoption. Preliminary support for an evolutionary model is also found, leading to a revised conceptual framework

Keywords

manufacturing industries; personnel; advanced manufacturing technology adoption; blue-collar workers; customer influence; intangible assets; learning model; process improvement; small manufacturing firms; strategic motivations; technical skills; vendor influence; Asset management; Decision making; Delay; Globalization; Helium; Industrial engineering; Mathematics; Pulp manufacturing; Statistical analysis; Virtual manufacturing;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Engineering Management, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9391

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/17.511841

Filename

511841