How influences the manufacturing infrastructure in the performance of the manufacturer firms?

This paper adds to the base of knowledge about the strategic impact of manufacturing infrastructure in Spanish manufacturing companies. The effect of manufacturing infrastructure on company performance can be examined either from two perspectives: contingency and proactiveness. The contingent perspective argues that the relationship between manufacturing infrastructure and performance is dependent on the company's strategic position. From the point of view of manufacturing proactiveness, this relationship is based on the implementation of practices and policies with the potential to contribute to creating manufacturing capabilities. The necessary data were obtained by means of a postal survey to metal industry companies, with over 50 workers, established in Spain in the reference time for the study (2001). The empirical evidence obtained appears to support strategic contingency as an argument to explain the relationship between manufacturing infrastructure and performance.