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Seeks to contribute to the empirical database on the progression of thinking with regards to the strategic role of manufacturing by reporting some results of a study on the manufacturing‐strategy thinking and practices amongst practising managers of operations based in a newly industrialized economy (NIE). In particular, highlights the finding that while almost all operations managers in the sample perceive that manufacturing can and should contribute to overall corporate strategy, their view of the role of manufacturing is that it should primarily be reactive vis‐à‐vis other functional areas; such a view is far from strategic. Operations managers in the survey agree that there are many ways to compete besides cost, but their main criterion for evaluating the manufacturing function is still cost and productivity. They seem to fail to recognize the existence of tradeoffs in the production system. They acknowledge the necessity to handle strategic issues, but still perceive infrastructural decisions as mere operational decisions. While the role of managers in NIEs is likely to be more cost focused rather than strategic in orientation, they need to be better and further exposed to the current concepts of manufacturing strategy thinking and development. In particular, a more proactive form of the strategic role of manufacturing could be pursued.

Hayes and Wheelwright, in postulating a more proactive strategic role of manufacturing, provided a four‐stage framework for the evaluation of manufacturing effectiveness. Reports on some results of an empirical study on the assessment of manufacturing effectiveness based on the Hayes‐Wheelwright (H‐W) framework. Highlights the operationalization of the H‐W framework as a strategic manufacturing audit tool and applies this tool to the manufacturing operations within a specific industry, namely the electronics industry. Aggregates and reports the results of the strategic manufacturing audits. In this way, provides an industry‐wide summary average of the strategic thinking and practices of manufacturing operations. This can then be used as the industry benchmark against which specific operations may be compared. Adds to the empirical database of manufacturing strategy and strategic manufacturing effectiveness as reported in the open literature. Provides a pragmatic strategic manufacturing audit tool that is based on the previously reported works of Hayes and Wheelwright.