1. You are designing a process for the assembly of a consumer electronics product with a labor content of nine minutes. You are trying to decide whether to use (1) a single machine-paced line with eight workers or (2) eight separate single-worker cells. Each of the eight single-operator cells would perform exactly the same collection of assembly tasks as the single line, using the same tools, technologies and equipment. On the assembly line, each worker would be assigned to a single assembly task.
Which approach would produce the greater output?
2. The eight cells
There is no difference in skill requirements between the single line and the eight cells.
Additional information is needed to determine the greater output.
the single lineFor the following question, illustrate your answers with industry and company examples. You may wish to draw from the popular business press such as the WSJ, etc.
Two views of why some firms outperform others are the industrial-organization (IO) and resource-based views of performance. Compare and contrast these views. Describe in detail the steps involved with each model, and also discuss the basic assumptions that make each view unique. Finally, provide industry/company examples reflecting when each might be more appropriate.