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A lean and global smaller firm?

Christer Karlsson (Stockholm School of Economics, Section for Industrial Production, Stockholm, Sweden)
Pär Åhlström (London Business School, Centre for Operations Management, London, UK)

International Journal of Operations & Production Management

ISSN: 0144-3577

Article publication date: 1 October 1997

3050

Abstract

Addresses the question of whether the lean enterprise concept is applicable to small and medium‐sized firms. The implications of the lean enterprise framework for the smaller firm can be summarized in three basic ideas. First, building a larger and more comprehensive offer through partnerships, which has a potential to offer comparatively significant advantages. Second, building unique competence through collaboration with smaller and focused businesses. Third, avoiding large geographical distances when collaborating in more advanced knowledge areas and paying attention to the amount of corporate management capacity that can be occupied by global networking issues.

Keywords

Citation

Karlsson, C. and Åhlström, P. (1997), "A lean and global smaller firm?", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 17 No. 10, pp. 940-952. https://doi.org/10.1108/01443579710176915

Publisher

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MCB UP Ltd

Copyright © 1997, MCB UP Limited

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