GLOBALIZATION IN THE MOTOR VEHICLE INDUSTRY: FINAL CONFERENCE SUMMARY

On October 7, 1998 researchers from Asia, Europe, and North America convened for a one-day conference on globalization in the motor vehicle industry, sponsored by the Industrial Performance Center (IPC) at MIT. The conference included substantive sessions on globalization patterns and drivers, technology, product design, supply chain trends, employment, and the current financial crisis; and research planning sessions on the use of cross-sector studies and the development of a globalization research agenda. This paper summarizes discussion on these topics and offers a preliminary assessment of the major findings (and questions) that emerged from the conference.