Word limit: 4000 10% Page 1 Your assignment task Recent signals seem to show a dramatic improvement in car sales in the UK as well as output. Manufacturing is beginning to boom once more in the US and the UK is catching up. However, some major challenges still remain as well, with some manufacturers facing difficulties (e.g. Ford, Toyota, Vauxhall, Volkswagen), particularly in the area of quality and environmental sustainability leadership in the context of a global business environment. You have been appointed as a Senior Consultant to a major UK car manufacturer to focus on the 'operations strategy' of car makers in a global business environment and the major operations good practice they have adopted. This includes lean thinking, 'quality leadership' and the need to 'be green' (environmental sustainability) in an organisations operation practice. The brief is outlined below: REPORT BRIEF You have been appointed as a Senior Consultant to report to the Board of Directors of a major UK car manufacturer. The task you have been set is to write an analytical report to focus on the 'Operations Strategy' of car makers in a global business environment and the major operations good practice they have adopted. You are specifically tasked to: 1. Describe the key strategic issues that UK carmakers have faced since the global financial crisis, including current quality & environmental scandals that have hit some of the major car manufacturers (e.g. Toyota, Volkswagen). In your response, consider the implications of these issues on the competitive performance of your selected carmaker. 2. Assess the lessons that have been learnt and influence that the Japanese car manufacturers (i.e. 'lean thinking', 'quality' leadership) have had for your selected carmaker and implications for setting up operations and/or supply chains in low cost countries (i.e. BRIC countries). 3. Evaluate the statement \"Green business is good business\" from the perspective of what the Operations function can contribute to your selected organisation environmental performance. Consider in your response, whether you can justify a relationship between 'being green' and 'being lean'? 4. Based on your responses to the above, list some recommendations to your selected carmaker to remain competitive in a turbulent and global business environment. This report should be underpinned by theoretical principles and concepts that you have learnt on the Operations Management module. Please ensure that your report includes an Executive Summary and follows the principles of academic writing in an analytical report writing style. You must present your in-text citations and reference list following the APA 6th referencing system. Ensure your word processing dictionary is set to British English. Page 2 Advice The information for question 1 can be extracted by analysing the background article included in this assessment guide. There have been many television and radio programmes looking back on the economic crisis and its impact on industry. This is not the focus of this task, but you should bear in mind this context and how it may influence some of your analysis and reflection. Your main focus should be on the theoretical principles and concepts that you have learnt on the Operations Management module. This includes 'lean thinking', 'quality leadership' and issues around 'green operations' - major units and themes throughout the entire module. Questions 2 and 3 require you to do further research, using the unit guides as a starting point, and for higher awards (grade bands above 65% will require you do your own supporting research - beyond the prescribed and recommended reading). The background article provides some contextual information in relation to the UK car industry. Note: You need to address this analytical report to the board of a major UK car manufacturer. This will have a significant impact on your response, style and tone of your report writing style. For instance, there would be considerable differences between a luxury premium brand (e.g. Jaguar Land Rover) and lower cost brand (e.g. GM Vauxhall). The background article has been written specifically with a focus on the UK. However, the marker, appreciates that you may come from a different geographical area than your other peers. As a result, you are invited to change the geographical location of your study (e.g. Brazil, the 'U.S.', Germany) if this is more suitable to your needs and interest (this means that you will need to do more research into this country - particularly press articles due to the background article focusing on the UK. This may be of more interest and relevant to you, so it is expected that this will positively reflect in your submission). If you choose to do this, then you must obtain written permission from your tutor (via email) and discuss this as part of the weekly virtual office hour. You will need to make this selection explicit in the introduction/context setting of your report. In an analytical report - context and some necessary background are important, this is similar to an 'Introduction' but avoid using this heading. In a report the introduction is usually termed the 'Terms of Reference' OR 'Scope of the Report'. Please be clear that a report is not an essay - some guidance is provided in the programme handbook on this and the study skills pages on the university website below. Also, it is crucial to understand and follow the principles of academic writing, please see the link below to refresh yourself on what this entails: Page 3 The conclusion and recommendations should focus on the intended reader - the board of a major UK car manufacturer. As suggested in the study skills guidance a conclusion must not introduce any new information - you pull together the most significant key points in a brief summary. Your recommendations must logically flow from your conclusions. Therefore, this is not an additional discussion section, discussion/findings/analysis needs to be covered in your main body. With this in mind, the recommendation section will be short - each recommendation should be presented in a list and numbered (this specifically refers to task 4 in the brief). Marking Criteria Your submission will be marked against four criteria: comprehension, analysis, critique and presentation. Some advice is offered below which should be read with reference to the overall marking criteria rubric provided in appendix B. This will be used by the marker to determine your band and specific grade. It is very important that you spend considerable time reviewing this rubric and following this advice. Please record your thoughts and ask questions in the virtual learning hours with your tutor and seek advice from the in-study support team. Comprehension You will need to demonstrate a good understanding of the theory, principles and concepts learnt on the Operations Management module. Better students will demonstrate a comprehensive and strong command of the subject matter. To do this, students will need to utilise good scholarship skills in terms of understanding and interpreting the case, reading of learning materials and text and certainly engagement with the academic literature. Scholarly skills are gained by going beyond what you have learnt reading the unit guides. It will be evident to the marker, whether you engaged with each of the activities in the units to further your knowledge. Also, whether you had conducted your own search of the literature databases in the relevant subject area and in relation to addressing the needs of the case. Command will be evident in the way in which you use what you have learnt beyond text books and course materials to develop your line argument and to provide an evidence base for each argument. You do not need to force everything you read into your assignment - be selective by concentrating on the necessary evidence (e.g. citations) to support what you are arguing. If citations do not fit with the line of argument then it simply is not needed. This is why many find it difficult to keep within the word count. A good starting point will be the articles noted in the case (perhaps take a look at each article reference list too). Analysis Your analysis is about the way in which you present your answer to the assignment brief questions. You will need to take account of an appropriate structure, accurate use concepts/theories, and good use of evidence. Better students will be conscious of the 'coherence' of the argument. This needs to be tightly-focused which will be a result of students creating an 'argument outline' and detailed plan after exploring extensively the literature and assimilated understanding to offer new interpretations in relation to the case. Students achieving the highest bands of grade will provide a mature answer with a degree of originality in the development of concepts and theories and novel application in practice. Critique Page 4 You should be able to understand and reproduce relevant, arguments, debates and/or interpretations that you have learnt on the module and from your reading. Pay particular attention to evaluating what you acquire so that you can demonstrate capacity for independent thought. It is this 'capacity' that will determine your banding within this criterion. This is why it is important to develop this 'capacity' by undertaking all the activities in each of these units. These activities have been designed to help you to understand and evaluate relevant arguments, debates and/or interpretations in relation to various different industrial contexts and practical application. You will benefit greatly also by reflecting upon practice in relation to what you have gained from the workplace and/or thinking about the practical application of what you have learnt to future employability or areas of interest. Better students will have developed a highly developed capacity for originality and independent thought. If this is your first assignment on this programme, don't worry - the more you engage in your learning, unit activities, help clinics and reflective practice tasks the quicker you will acquire this skill. Presentation Students will need to show awareness of techniques of academic writing with particular reference to structure, referencing/sourcing and spelling grammar. The way in which you employ academic writing techniques will differentiate you in terms of grade banding. Ensure that you provide a fluent and well-structured deployment of techniques in academic writing. It will be worth reading some 'study skills' texts on academic writing and ensure you understand the difference between report and essay writing. There are also many good resources on study skills from the Edinburgh Napier University library and other universities. Many students often provide a weak or even no conclusion - every document must have a strong conclusion and it is often regarded as the main part of the document. Make sure that the conclusion is relevant and compelling - it sums up your argument closely, demonstrating clear understanding, with some independent thought and recommendations for the practicing manager. The assignment is also in a report format, so you are expected to include an Executive Summary. An Executive Summary states the key findings and recommendations made in the report. This needs to be a clear statement, note this will be the first section the marker will read - readers should be able to grasp the key elements and be signposted to the major discussions/presentation of findings in the report. Any recommendations made must reflect and be aligned to the discussion in the main body. Please take a look at the following guidelines for you to use as a checklist prior to submission: Presentation Report structure Writing style Submitted in an appropriate academic report format with title page Fluent and easy to read academic style (e.g. use of third person) Different sections clearly identified and contents page APA 6th referencing both in-text and in reference list fully adhered to Spelling & grammar Spelling correct, grammar clear and correct. Standard Within acceptable word count limits Logical developmental structure that aids understanding Informed view presented (e.g. a balanced exploration of the argument) underpinned with theoretical concepts & tools Submitted in essay format (strictly not accepted) Inappropriate style; e.g. too colloquial [simplified language], telegraphic [economically worded], etc., Lack of structure obscures meaning. Disjointed. Submission capped at 40% if not in acceptable word count (+/- 10%) Not acceptable Evidence of proof reading Weak grammar; poor spelling; poor sentence construction; poor paragraphing etc., Page 5 Appendix A: Background Article Carmakers out of crisis? Manufacturing is significant to the UK economy. Professor Christopherson from Cornell University on the 26th September 2013 stated that \"Manufacturing can revitalise our [UK] Economy\" (Nielsen, 26/09/13, online). Professor Christopherson suggests that manufacturing is significant to the UK economy because of the number of jobs created which are usually better quality than in other sectors, manufacturing constitutes the basis of exports, and thirdly, the relationship of manufacturing to innovation (in order to improve product and processes). In essence, cars made in the UK account for one in seven of the domestic sales (BBC News Business, 3/10/13). The recovery is not going to be easy - however, evidence from the US demonstrates that progress can be made. Heath in the Telegraph (30/07/2013), reports that \"Britain is playing catch-up to the US manufacturing boom\". Manufacturing has taken the biggest hit during the recent recession, particularly the car industry. The recession led to a collapse in sales, consequently, this has led to a great challenge for car makers to make a profit (due to profit margins typically less than 5%). Tristan Marshall on 8th June 2009 in The Guardian wrote an article titled 'Carmakers in crisis' posing the question: A collapse in sales, mass layoffs, factory shutdowns and even bankruptcy. Why is the British car industry in so much trouble, and what if anything, can car makers do to save themselves? (Marshall, 2009, online) Professor David Bailey of Aston Business School (then at Coventry University Business School) in a BBC News article said \"Margins are pretty low at the best of times, and with the recession it's virtually impossible for anybody to make a profit\" (Marshall, 2009). Many issues have been cited for a fall in demand such as a lack of credit, consumer confidence and fear of redundancy etc., The UK government did attempt to stimulate sales by offering a car scrappage scheme (accounted for one in five car sales in its first month of operation). However, six out of seven new cars that are bought are imported. The outlook in Europe did look gloomy in 2012 across post-recession Europe, although 'green shoots' are showing. Professor Bailey (Birmingham Post, 26/09/13) reported that the general line at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show was that the \"European market had bottomed out, was now on its way up and that they could all look forward to sunnier days\". The bottoming out was most evident at the time of the Biennial Motor Show held in Paris in 2012 (29th Sept - 14th October, 2012). Jon Madslien on the BBC News website reported a fall in sales across Europe. However, in the same period, the UK car industry had enjoyed a 22% rise in production, 120,000 cars were built, compared to the same period in 2011 said by The Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders in The Guardian (Milmo, 2012, online). This improved again in September 2013 - the BBC News Website reported that 'New car sales in September are at the highest level in five years' (BBC News Business, 4/10/13). This accounted to a rise Page 6 of 12.1% on the same month in 2012 by The Society or Motor Manufacturers and Traders (BBC Business, 4/10/13). In September 2016, Tovey in The Telegraph (26/07/16) reported that Europe's car market had finally recovered to pre-financial crisis levels, accelerating past levels not seen since 2008, when 8.42 million cars were sold. However, the same data showed that the UK displayed a wobble in the number of new cars registered in June as uncertainty was created by the Brexit hit. The pain was not equally shared amongst all carmakers. Madslien (2012) suggests that both premium carmakers, such as BMW (i.e. seeking to add capacity in many countries) and Jaguar Land Rover in the UK (i.e. strong export market with major operations in Birmingham, Liverpool and since 2011 in Pune, India), and budget manufacturers, such as Hyundai, are doing rather well. This has left these manufacturers needing more, not less, production capacity (Madslien, 2012). The carmakers that are finding it extremely more difficult include Mid-market players such as Renault and PSA Peugeot Citroen, as well as Ford of Europe, Opel/Vauxhall and Fiat (Madslien, 2012). This is providing an opportunity for South Korean rivals, Hyundai and Kia to grow, with competitive models (i.e. good build quality and seven year warranties) designed in Germany and manufactured in lower cost, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Madslien (2012) also reports that high-end marques such as Jaguar Land Rover, Audi, Mercedes and BMW are expanding above the mass-market players, with \"aggressively priced premium models, or with downsized luxury cars that are making land-grabs in already crowded segments of the market\". One brand that, is throwing cold water on these trends include Volkswagen. At the 2013, Frankfurt Motor Show, VW's chief executive Martin Winterkorn in an interview with Reuters said that \"it's ten (European) factories could be closed\" (Bailey, 26/09/13). In the UK, major brands that have manufacturing operations include GM Vauxhall, Toyota, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, Nissan, Bentley and Aston Martin. Ford has engine plants in the UK but no longer have a car plant. British Leyland and Peugeot are no longer manufactured in the UK. Vauxhall have consolidated manufacturing sites, with its flagship, Luton plant closing, for both car and van production. The Vauxhall Headquarters' have been downsized as a result and a consolidated European manufacturing and supply base has led to a growing attention being placed on emerging economies (i.e. BRIC countries). However, the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) whom acquired part of the Longbridge site (in Birmingham) has commenced work on the MG 6 for UK launch. There is no full scale assembly at Longbridge anymore - semi-knocked-down (SKD) kits are shipped from a SAIC plant in China - essentially these kits are near complete cars. All that is needed is the fitting of an engine and front suspension, nose trim and the wheels. This in contrast to scenes from a few years ago when the Longbridge skyline was dominated by a mammoth plant that had a functional body welding/assembly and a paint shop. What remain on the site now are a retail park, Further Education College, Youth Centre and affordable housing. The car industry has most certainly changed over time. In recent years, this is due in part to the economic situation and over a period of a few decades, impact of increasing globalisation and the adoption of Operations Management principles, concepts and new ways of thinking. For instance, new approaches such lean has enabled the likes of Toyota to take on GM and Ford in the 80s and 90s. As well as lean, Japanese manufacturers have spearheaded the quality movement and are generally recognised for quality and reliability. Japanese carmakers have opened up operations in the UK and in general the Japanese have had a significant influence over other manufacturers. Particularly, since the publication of the 'The Machine Page 7 that Changed the World' in 1990, that advocated \"lean production\". This book has dominated much of the theory and practice of production system design and has significantly changed the rules of competition (Katayama and Bennett, 1996). Nissan Factory in Sunderland is often cited as the most productive car factory in the whole of Europe. The Japanese manufacturer's (i.e. Nissan, Honda and Toyota) are now a significant part of the UK car industry output. Professor Rhys from Cardiff University, Lean Institute, has suggested on the BBC News website that the Japanese are at the forefront of good practice in manufacturing that continues to this present day. \"It really is based upon the back of the Japanese [that the UK has a motor industry], either the Japanese themselves or the Japanese having an influence on other companies operating in Britain\" Rhys (2009) Although, the Japanese manufacturers are recognised for quality, reliability and low cost, they too are not free from troubles. Rankin (in The Guardian, 9/4/2014) reports on Toyota recall of more than 6.5m cars over steering and seat problems. Many newspaper reports can be found that emphasis the battering of a string of recalls has had on the world's largest carmaker. Earlier in 2009-10, Toyota was hit with a faulty accelerator pedal lead leading them to take 10m cars off the road at a substantive financial and reputational cost. Rankin article reports that the company admitted that the faults were caused by over-hasty expansion. Toyota has received a hefty fine for misleading statements made about safety problems with cars. Quality issues seem a problem for many carmakers with GM also experiencing issues with faulty ignitions. US senators accuse GM chief Mary Barra of a 'cover-up' over the recall (Rushe in The Guardian, 2/4/16). The Guardian article reported that an industry source suggested that recalls were getting bigger because car manufacturers were using common components across their range of models - "The consumer is starting to twig this strategy: they believe they have bought a unique car, but it is actually quite similar to 18 others". More recently the news has been dominated by the Volkswagen scandal, with VW admitting cheating emission tests in the US and selling cars with a \"defeat device\" - or software in diesel engines that could detect when they were being tested so to change performance accordingly to improve results (The BBC, 10/12/2015). Both the West and Japanese manufacturers have been tangled in issues that go to the core of their operations and supply chain practice. Over the past two decades' globalisation has resulted in more complex, global supply chains and a trend to \"leaning down\" leading to greater risk in the supply chain (Christopher and Peck, 2004). In 2004, Christopher and Peck suggested that the challenge to business today is to manage and mitigate that risk through creating more resilient supply chains. It is evident that our supply chains are ever more vulnerable and arguably, with continued trends to global sourcing has been one factor in recent scandals. The question one could ask to help to analyse such issues is to consider who owns a supply chain? - who's responsible? in control? takes a governance role? Or is it simply poor management? the impact of \"leaning down\" as a result of ever increasing vulnerable and complex supply chains? Influence of global sourcing leading to more and more components being manufactured in low cost countries - raises questions of the adoption of operational and supply chain practice in developing markets further down the supply chain (that ultimately impact the end customer)? Perhaps an issue in new product Page 8 development and design ... although, it is component manufacturers in the supply chain that are the source - do these manufacturers even know who their suppliers, supplier are? Pressures to be more 'green' leading to new technology and re-visiting of operations & SCM practice such as Lean and TQM as paradigms that have had seismic changes in industry. In terms of the global recession, sales have declined overall but production has increased, even if this has been to the demise of low-cost and mid-range manufacturers. The mid-range manufacturers are finding it most difficult with an excess in capacity. Premium brands have been at the forefront of the increase in production, due in part to a growing export market, particularly in emerging markets. In September 2013, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) announced a huge 1.5bn investment at Solihull in building new aluminium cars. In 2015, JLR opened a new 355m i54 engine plant near Wolverhampton in the West Midlands. Professor Bailey (16/09/13) suggests this is a clear statement of intent in spearheading a major expansion of the Jaguar brand over the next few years. The UK car industry is a huge exporter - 8 out of 10 vehicles built in the UK are sold abroad (Milmo, 2012). Although, the UK is a huge exporter of cars, most car sales in the UK car industry are from imports (Milmo, 2012). It is worth noting that these imports are mainly low-cost and mid-range models, that in today's present climate are no longer economical to manufacturer in the UK. Sir Gerry Robinson in 2009 investigated the British Car Industry for the Money Programme (first broadcast on 09/06/09) and offers his advice and thoughts on how the car industry has a future, if it gets its priorities straight. Particularly, what is required from the Government and the manufacturers to ensure survival? The Unite Union Assistant General Secretary, Tony Burke, said \"The month-on-month increase in output is proof that investment works and that, when skilled UK manufacturing workers get the opportunity, they deliver world-class products\" (Milmo, 2012). One area that still needs to improve is that British workers, on average, were 20% less productive than the G7 average in 2011, and nearly 40% less productive than the average US worker (Flanders, 20/09/12). Professor Chistopherson offers some suggestions and reasons for the reassessment of manufacturing within the developed economies, shown in exhibit 1. The issues posed consider the role of globalisation on Operations Management principles and concepts, location decisions (including global sourcing strategies for supplies from low-cost countries), adoption and practice of quality management philosophy, principles and concepts in emerging and developed countries; supply chain resilience, agility (i.e. responsiveness) and leanness (i.e. efficiency in terms of cost); and relationship management. Japanese producers, Toyota at the Frankfurt Motor Show (09/2013), reported investment in 'green' is paying dividends and indicated that 'greening' will continue to be an important and transformational theme into the future (Hotten, 11/09/2013). Toyota is now on its third generation of hybrid technology and predicts that the next game-changer will be hybrid technology with fuels cells - Toyota will market such a car in 2015. Page 9 Exhibit 1 - Professor Christopherson reasons for the reassessment of manufacturing in the developing economies Professor Christopherson speaking on Advanced Manufacturing in the UK and US economies, Tuesday 24th September at the University of Birmingham's Barber Institute. 1) The decline in labour costs as a percentage of total costs of output which has been happening because of an increase in capital intensity, combined with lower labour costs as a proportion of the total cost of sales have changed the equation for firms when making location decisions. 2) There is a need for a strong Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regime because of the increasing proportion of intellectual capital embedded within the wealth creation process. 3) Advantages of quality control and processes around production in contrast with increasing dissatisfaction with the Chinese Quality Assurance (QA) processes. 4) Transportation costs and proximity to market with the flexibility that brings to respond to upturns in demand 5) Other costs forming part of Total Cost Analysis and which form part of the decisionmaking framework or the 'deals' that firms can strike as part of their relocation packages. A slow reversal is being posed, coined 'onshoring' discussed in 'The Manufacturer' article titled: Are we ready for the return of Manufacturing? (The Manufacturer, 26/07/12). The Manufacturer notes \"with increases in transport costs, rising wages in China and a more competitive exchange rate, the prognosis is good for the return of manufacturing to the UK\". Heath (30/07/13) points out that China is losing its competitiveness, cheap alternatives remain in other parts of Asia, Latin America and Africa. However, Heath accepts that off-shoring for manufactured goods is a trend that has now run its course - he contends that the West (e.g. the 'UK') will see at least some facilities moving back. A key question remains, whether the UK has sufficient skilled labour to take advantage of the opportunity? In addition to these skills, is the knowledge and capability to forge the leading Operations Management theory and practice fit, to take on the emerging markets that win, hands-down on cost? Taylor et al., 2009 provides an interesting illustration of a simulation model that demonstrates the reasons why off-shoring in low-cost countries offers many advantages. However, Taylor et al., (2009) presented a traditional model of location decisions and did not consider criteria that will grow in importance. This includes workforce skills; quality management practice; and the need to design product, process and supply networks to embed sustainability into everything that organisations and 'we' (as 'consumers' and 'citizens') do. Sustainability has increasingly become a key trend for Operations Managers to address. There has been a considerable interest in the academic literature on the need to 'be green'. Many authors have proposed that the adoption of lean thinking \"can directly improve the public good by improving the environmental performance of adopting firms\" (see King and Lenox, 2001). However, the relationship between 'lean' and 'green' is still a topic of debate. Sir Robinson and Sir Dyson (UK innovator) are both in agreement that manufacturing can be Page 10 revived if business focus on high-end manufacturing and as outlined in Laszlo and Zhexembayeva (2011) to \"be good, by doing well\". In the UK alone, there is significant investment in green technology, green product development and redesigning processes to deliver a more sustainable future. Particularly, reducing an organisations 'carbon footprint' (e.g. in its operations and supply chain). In Sir Gerry Robinson investigation (Money Programme, 09/06/09) of Britain's ailing car industry in 2009, a number of questions were posed in order to shape some thinking around the future of the UK car industry. These are shown in exhibit 2: Exhibit 2 Sir Gerry Robinson questions and thoughts around the future of the UK car industry 1. 2. 3. 4. Do we [the UK] need to make things at all? Can it work? Where is the profit in the car industry; if little is made on the car itself? Why has there been a need to close many car plants in the UK? Why has there been a rise in service industries in the UK? What does this mean for manufacturing? 5. Are we any good at manufacturing? 6. What can make manufacturing sustainable? 7. How can car manufacturers develop competences in the area of embracing and developing green technologies? Sir Gerry offered three final thoughts on the Money Programme in 2009: \"Green business is good business\" \"Focus on the high-end manufacturing [the smart end] as we cannot compete at the low-end\" \"Invest in training designers and engineers\" References Anon, (2012). Onshoring: Are we ready for the return of manufacturing?, The Manufacturer, 26/07/2012, Accessed: 29/09/13. Anon, (2013), New UK car sales in September at highest level in five years, BBC News Business, 4/10/13, Accessed 4/10/13. Bailey, D., (2013). Jaguar steps up a gear, Business Blog (online), Birmingham Post, 16/09/13, Accessed: 29/09/13. Heath, A., (2013). Britain is playing catch-up to the US manufacturing boom, The Telegraph, 30/07/13, Accessed: 29/09/13. Christopherson, S., (2013). Manufacturing can revitalise our economy, IN: Nielsen, B., Business Blog, Birmingham Post, 26/09/13, Accessed: 29/09/13. Chistopher, M., and Peck, H., (2004), Building the Resilient Supply Chain, The International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol. 15 Iss. 2, pp. 1-14. Hotten, R., (2013), Toyota: Investment in 'green' paying dividends, BBC News Business (online), 11/09/2013, Accessed: 29/09/13. Katayama, H., & Bennett, D. J. (1996). Lean production in a changing competitive world: A Japanese perspective. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 16(2). 8 - 23. Page 11 King, A., A. and Lenox, M., J. (2001). Lean and Green? An Empirical Examination of the relationship between lean production and environmental performance. Journal of Production and Operations Management, Vol. 10 Iss. 3, Fall. Flanders, S., (2012), The UK productivity puzzle (cont'd), BBC News, 20/09/12 [Accessed 20/09/12]. Laszlo, C., & Zhexembayeva, N., (2011), Embedded Sustainability: The Next Big Competitive Advantage, Greenleaf Publishing: Sheffield. Marshal, T., (2009), Carmakers in crisis, BBC Money Programme, BBC, 8/06/09 [Accessed 10/09/12]. Milmo, D., (2012), UK car industry enjoys 22% rise in production, The Guardian, 16/06/12 [Accessed 10/09/12]. Robinson, G., (2009), Gerry Robinson's Car Crash, BBC Money Programme, BBC, 09/06/09. Available in the reference collection of ENU Craiglockhart campus. Madslien, J., (2012), Gloomy carmakers gather in Paris, BBC News, 26/06/12, [Accessed 26/06/12]. Rushe, D., (2014), US senators accuse GM chief Mary Barra of 'cover-up' over recall, The Guardian, [Accessed 3/9/16]. Tovey, A., (2016), European car sales race past pre-crash high, but motorists shun VW, The Telegraph, 26/7/16, [Accessed 03/09/16]. Womack, J.P., Jones, D.T. & Roos, D., 1990. The machine that changed the world: The story of lean production, Harper Collins. Sodhi, M., Episode 151 - Are overstretched supply chains to blame for the horsemeat scandal?, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5G3MzjEwXs, 21/2/2013, [Accessed: 3/9/16]. Taylor, D., Love, D., Weaver, M., and Stone, J. (1999). Determining inventory levels in service support levels in multi-national companies, International Journal of Production Economics, 116 (1), pp. 1-11. The following references were consulted when writing up this article and may be good starting point when engaging with the literature: Holweg, M., Davies, P. and Podpolny, D. (2009). The competitive status of the UK automotive industry. Buckingham: PICSIE Books. House of Commons Select Committee Review on performance Success and failure in the UK car manufacturing industry March 2007 and Government response - fourth Report of Session. www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmtrdind/399/399.pdf Liker, J. K., (2004). The Toyota way: 14 management principles from the worlds greatest manufacturer, McGraw-Hill, New York. Oliver, N., Holweg, M. and Carver, M. (2008) A systems perspective on the death of a car company. International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 28(6), 562-583. Womack, J.P., Jones, D.T. (2003). Lean thinking: Banish waste and create wealth in your corporation, Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, London. The BBC website has a whole feed dedicated to the 'global car industry': See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business/global_car_industry/ Page 12 Page 13