Management, technology and agility: the emergence of a new era in manufacturing.

This paper explores the impacts of technological innovations and organizational innovations on the competitiveness of manufacturing enterprises, in a US context, but with reference to developments in Japan. The adoption of technological innovations and the utilization of technical resources are seen not as objective processes, but as part of managerial decision–making based on management's value systems and agendas. The next stage in the development of manufacturing industry is seen as the emergence of the highly–responsive and 'agile' manufacturing enterprise, sometimes taking the form of 'virtual companies' to exploit transient or niche markets as they emerge. The key to this agility in a manufacturing enterprise is a more flexible approach to inter–firm cooperation, and the development of the creative skills of the management and the workforce.