Mass customization is a paradox‐breaking manufacturing reality that combines the unique products of craft manufacturing with the cost‐efficient manufacturing methods of mass production. Although this phenomenon is known to exist in practice, academic research has not adequately investigated this new form of competition. In this research, we develop a configurational model for classifying mass customizers based on customer involvement in design and product modularity. We validate this typology through an empirical analysis and classification of 126 mass customizers. We also explore manufacturing systems and performance implications of the various mass customization configurations.

Considering manufacturing strategy in its larger strategic context has been thematic in conceptual literature in operations but relatively neglected in empirical studies, thus leaving predominant conceptual models of manufacturing strategy largely untested. This research develops a conceptual model of manufacturing strategy from the literature and tests the model using data from a sample of manufacturers in three industries in the United States. This research contributes to manufacturing strategy literature in four ways. First, it supports empirically a model of manufacturing strategy that is predominant in the conceptual literature. Second, it demonstrates that the strategic linkages in manufacturing businesses are clearer among good performers than poor performers. Third, this research suggests that competitive strategy acts as a mediator between an organization's environment and its manufacturing strategy. Fourth, the findings suggest that the relationship between competitive strategy and performance is mediated by manufacturing strategy. These last two findings have important implications for approaching research in manufacturing strategy in the future.

Consideration of the task environment, those forces which are out of the short-run control of management, has been relatively neglected in operations strategy research. The neglect of environmental factors in operations strategy research is surprising when one considers that the fit between environment and organizational capabilities and resources is a central tenet of major strategic management paradigms. We use a path analytic framework to study the effects of environment on operations strategy selection and performance (self-reported change in profits) for a sample of Singapore manufacturers.We identify strong relationships between environmental factors such as labor availability, competitive hostility, and market dynamism and the operations strategy choices encompassed by competitive priorities. The data also indicate that, when faced with the same environmental stimuli, high performers choose to emphasize different competitive priorities than low performers. In addition to exploring substantive questions about the importance of the environment in explaining operations strategy, this research also demonstrates that environmental variables can provide effective controls for industry effects in multiple industry empirical studies in operations strategy.

This article compares courses in two web-based MBA programs on student perceptions of learning and satisfaction. The primary difference between the programs is that one conducts the courses entirely on-line while the other conducts the courses primarily on-line combined with one or two on-site class meetings. The results of the study showed that larger class sizes were negatively associated with learning and course satisfaction while the perceived flexibility of the delivery medium was significantly associated with perceived learning and satisfaction. The results also indicate that more experienced on-line students were more satisfied with their course delivery medium. These findings have significant implications for the role of web-based programs in a business school's strategy. They suggest that that rather than using these courses as a means to drive down the cost of delivering education, business schools may need to identify reasons for which they can charge premiums for them.