Title: Manufacturing strategy formulation, leadership style and organisational culture in small and medium-sized enterprises

Authors: Malin Löfving; Kristina Säfsten; Mats Winroth

Addresses: Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, School of Engineering, Jönköping University, Gjuterigatan 5, 55111 Jönköping, Sweden ' Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, School of Engineering, Jönköping University, Gjuterigatan 5, 55111 Jönköping, Sweden ' Department of Technology Management and Economics, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, School of Engineering, Jönköping University, Gjuterigatan 5, 55111 Jönköping, Sweden

Abstract: This study encourages an increased focus on managerial and organisational issues in manufacturing strategy formulation. The study investigates the relationship between manufacturing strategy formulation, leadership style and organisational culture in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Manufacturing strategy formulation is studied in three cases, and it is found that the formulation is different in each case. Leadership style is more visible than organisational culture in manufacturing strategy formulation in the case companies. Owing to the small number of employees in SMEs, the top manager's decisions influence the whole organisation and the organisational culture. The leadership style and organisational culture are closely aligned in SMEs owing to the managers and to the centralised decision-making.

Keywords: manufacturing strategy; leadership styles; organisational culture; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; small firms; strategy formulation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMTM.2016.078918

International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, 2016 Vol.30 No.5, pp.306 - 325

Received: 13 Dec 2014
Accepted: 02 Sep 2015

Published online: 05 Sep 2016 *

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