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OCR for page 57
Conclusion
Internationalization is creating fundamental changes in the nature of
the U.S. manufacturing base and the criteria for success in manufacturing
businesses:
· The domestic market is shrinking relative to total world demand.
· Technology sources have multiplied in number and sophistication
around the world.
Cost priorities have shifted as labor content declines and manu-
facturing systems emphasizing total quality control become essential for
world-class production.
· Political changes fostered by both governmental initiatives and
increasing business integration are forcing critical adjustments in global
manufacturing strategy.
In certain ways, U.S. companies have an advantage in this shifting
landscape. They have a greater production presence in foreign markets
than non-U.S. firms and have the largest domestic market on which to
build the basis for a global assault. On the other hand, that domestic
market has fostered a provincial attitude that has made U.S. manufacturers
less interested in foreign markets and less in touch with technological
developments globally than they might otherwise have been. Though U.S.
multinationals have retained their global competitiveness very well, as
measured by world market share, the bulk of domestic manufacturers
face a range of new challenges as internationalization continues. Building
the capabilities needed to prosper in the new manufacturing environment
57
OCR for page 58
58
is a long-term process aimed at a moving target. What it takes to be
competitive has changed and will change ever more rapidly, placing a
premium on strengthening core capabilities and emphasizing learning and
adaptability.
Pursuing such efforts at the national level can assure the success of the
nation in the midst of the internationalization process. More than ever be-
fore, manufacturers have a choice of where to perform high-value functions
because the requisite resources are available globally. Both implicitly and
explicitly, countries compete for manufacturing investment. Creating an
attractive, superior environment for conducting high-value manufacturing
activities in the United States is the long-term key to national competitive-
ness. That requires a strong industrial infrastructure, including favorable
conditions for long-term investment in R&D, technological innovation, and
production; a strong supplier base; and well-educated workers, engineers,
scientists, and managers. To maintain long-term advantages, policymakers
must not only recognize the criticality of a strong infrastructure and the
environment conducive to one but also must have appropriate information
to anticipate, guide, and adapt to changes in the global market. With
these prerequisites in place, retention and continued growth of high-value
manufacturing as a national competitive capability should be assured.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
supplier base
