Transferring World Class Production to Developing Countries: A Strategic Model

Strategic reasons for firms to transfer world-class production methods and technology to developing countries are discussed and the importance of the management aspects of technology transfer are emphasized. A five stage model of the technology transfer process which bases the choice of the production process on the strategic objectives for the plant is developed. This is followed by the selection of the type of production system and the operational methods which will support it. The final stage of the model concerns the human resource policies neede to implement the operational decisions. The barriers and challenges of implementation are considered, and a socio-technical systems approach is proposed as a way to addapt to local conditions.