International Integration and Coordination in the Global Factory

The new institutional form known as "the global factory" is the key to understanding changes in the configuration of the world economy. The evolution of the global factory requires managers to act as orchestrators or co-ordinators across the system of globally inter-connected firms. Managerial styles need to accommodate these changes. Integration and coordination in the global factory are critical success factors. Control of information is central to these roles. Location and control are still key variables but extra degrees of freedom in location of activities and non-ownership forms of control are increasing in importance.