Date of Conferral

2017

Degree

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

School

Management

Advisor

Olivia Herriford

Abstract

Business leaders increasingly grapple with longer and more complex supply chain nodes wrought by the globalization of corporate manufacturing processes. The flow of outsourced materials is also more vulnerable to high-profile product-harm crises, sabotage, product defect, and recall problems. The purpose of this single case study was to explore manufacturing strategies used by business leaders of an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in the United States to minimize the defects in offshore-outsourced products. The sample was 2 OEM business leaders who have successfully reduced the defects in offshore-manufactured products in their Michigan facility. The conceptual framework was agency theory. Data were collected from observational field notes, company records, and transcripts of open-ended interviews. Data were coded and analyzed to identify emergent themes, which included factors the OEM considered in selecting offshore suppliers, strategies for minimizing defects, validation of the effectiveness of these strategies, and the development of trust and working partnerships with offshore suppliers. Reducing defect risks from outsourced products may decrease catastrophic fatalities and financial repercussions for businesses, and simultaneously improve consumer safety and trust as implications for social change.

Download

Share

 
COinS