Transformation of International Manufacturing Networks: Changes in Configuration, Underlying Causes and Potential Patterns

Abstract

For multinational companies operating international manufacturing networks (IMN), the continuous development of the network configuration is of strategic importance. While related studies investigate individual changes in plant roles from a static perspective, there is little research on the transformation of the entire IMN over time. Therefore, we apply a longitudinal case study approach to describe changes of configuration for two distinctive products and explain the underlying causes of such changes. Moreover, we identify two distinct transformation patterns in network configurations, which can serve as first assumptions for future research and help practitioners to develop a better understanding of IMNs.