Operation Strategies Case Study

International Journal of Production Research
Vol. 48, No. 14, 15 July 2010, 4179–4198

The impact of inclusive and fragmented operations strategy processes on operational performance
Steve Browna*, Brian Squireb and Mike Lewisc a School of Business, University of Exeter, Rennes Drive, Exeter EX4 4PU, UK;
Decision Sciences and Operations Management, Manchester Business School, Booth Street
West, Manchester, M15 6PB, UK; cSchool of Management, University of Bath, Claverton
Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK

b

(Received 18 June 2008; final version received 2 April 2009)
The links between strategy and performance remains an elusive ‘holy grail’ for researchers and practitioners alike. We do not seek to provide a prescriptive panacea in this paper but we find links between particular types of strategic formulation and operations performance in a range of key parameters.
Our research focuses on the personal computer industry where there are high demands placed on the capabilities of the operations function. We suggest that such capabilities do not happen by accident but are developed by specific strategies whereby in-house operations and business mainstream strategies, including supply, become closely linked in both planning and implementation.
Keywords: operations; strategy; performance

1. Introduction
This paper examines the relationship between the process and content of operations strategy within firms and plant performance in a range of operations parameters. Further, the paper examines the explicit links between business mainstream and operations strategies within firms by exploring the strategy formulation process and possible links between this relationship and subsequent operations performance. Although there is a substantial body of work that explores the links between operations strategy (OS) and a range of performance outcomes (Tunalv 1992, Kathuria and Partovi 2000, Rhee and
¨
Mehra 2006) there is more ambiguity in establishing

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