Continuous improvement and the new competition : the case of U.S., European, and Japanese firms in the Mexican maquiladora industry

This research investigated the adoption and diffusion of continuous improvement technologies in the maquiladora industry of Mexico. The study was based on a sample of over 100 manufacturing and assembly plants located in and around the northern Mexican cities of Ciudad Juarez and Ciudad Chihuahua. The data were collected by extensive surveying, personal interviews, and plant tours.

It is concluded that maquiladora plants evidence significant success with continuous improvement technologies, these are features of the Mexican maquiladora industry that are conducive to the diffusion of continuous improvement technology, and that continuous improvement is an appropriate technology for less developed countries.