Abstract - Quest for Global Competitiveness - Universidad de Puerto ...

within the production process helps in reducing costs through higher productivity and lowerinventory levels. Therefore, improving delivery capabilities provides a direct benefit for costand flexibility (Größler and Grübner, 2006). Boyer and Lewis (2002, pp. 10) are proponentsof integrative model but they report that trade-offs still exist. Noble (1995, pp. 12) reportsnegative correlation between delivery and flexibility and offers the explanation that in orderfor delivery to be reliable, inventory levels have to be higher which then reduces flexibility. Inlater work Noble (1997, pp. 93) finds negative correlation not only among delivery andflexibility but also delivery and innovation. Kathuria (2005, pp. 5) finds a positive relationbetween flexibility and all others competitive priorities. Mapes et al. (1997, pp. 1028) findnegative correlation between flexibility and all other competitive priorities includinginnovation.Größler and Grübner (2006, pp. 459) pose three unresolved research questions: of whichnature, strength and direction are these trade-offs? What dynamic consequences result fromthese trades-offs? Are there capabilities that support each other, i.e. capabilities betweenwhich no trade-offs or even cumulative effects exist? They find that trade-offs still exist buttheir amplitude has decreased due to technological and organizational improvements. Theyanalyzed only the four core competences and find positive correlation between all capabilitiesexcept between cost and flexibility.The second question is which core competences are dominant and most important to analyze?Most textbooks and researchers named only the basic four: (1) quality, (2) costs, (3)dependable delivery and (4) flexibility. Yet, in recent Operations management textbooks newcompetitive priority (5) innovation has emerged (see Chase et al, 2006, pp. 26-27). Größlerand Grübner (2006, pp. 458) report two additional competences, that is innovativeness andenvironment soundness.Leachman et al. (2005, pp. 851) in introduction of their work state that companies have tofirst identify their core competences and then rate their competitive priorities relative to theircompetitors. Which are core manufacturing competences is still not answered (Boyer et al.2005, pp. 444). So the question is: which are today’s dominant manufacturing corecompetences. Manufacturing core competences are changing in numbers and in their relativeimportance in time. For example in Minnor et al. (1994, pp. 17), four core competences areinvestigated – cost, quality, delivery and flexibility and flexibility in that research emerged asmost important competitive priority.~ 5 ~