Configurations in Manufacturing Strategy: A Citation/Co-Citation Analysis

Abstract

Configuration models have generated a great deal of interest in the business strategy area, as witnessed by a  special issue in The Academy of Management Journal Meyer et al., 1993.. Despite this, there has been no effort to examine the current state or future role of configurational research in the manufacturing strategy area. This paper attempts to fill this gap. The first half positions configurations as a unique way of studying strategic fit issues. The second half of the paper examines the current state of configurational research in the manufacturing strategy area. We compare and contrast existing typologies  and  taxonomies,  identify  trends,  and  highlight  possible  gaps  in  the  literature.  Finally, we discuss  how configuration models can play an important role in the study of dynamic manufacturing issues; specifically, the develop- ment, implementation, and change of manufacturing strategies.