| The purpose of this research has been to understand and model the process of manufacturing transformation beyond the paradigm of mass production--toward agile, intelligent production, that is currently unfolding in the U.S. industry. The research approach involves synthesis of insights from the modern management literature and learning from the experience of leading textile manufacturers through multiple-case study analysis, based on theoretical sampling. The case study sample includes medium to large textile companies specializing in fiber, yarn, fabric, and fabricated goods production. The complexity of advanced manufacturing organizations is rationalized using a holistic management approach based on systems thinking and the contingency theory. Overall, the research offers a set of tools for strategic planning of competitive manufacturing development in congruence to changing market conditions, including (1) an evolutionary model for organizational transformation beyond mass production, supplemented by mathematical interpretations; (2) a strategic profiling tool focused on the alignment between external and internal organizational sub-systems, based on the contingency theory; and (3) a set of modern textile manufacturing trends that describe the emergence of agile production and the current "state-of-the-art" development in the U.S. textile industry. |
