Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Firm Performance: The Mediating Role of Quality Management Practices

摘要

Advanced Manufacturing Technology has been pursued enthusiastically by the firms since it was raised while its impacts on firm performance are plausible. In this paper, the impacts of Advanced Manufacturing Technology on performance are investigated in the perspective of quality management practices with the use of the method of PLS (partial least square)-based structural equation model in the context of Chonqing manufacturing industry. The conclusion shows that quality management practices play a complete mediating role in above impacts. Further analysis indicates that Advanced Manufacturing Technology has direct influences on quality management dimensions, such as leadership support, employee involvement, workforce aptitude, statistical control and feedback, and process flow management while indirect impacts on product design. By functioning on above quality management dimensions, Advanced Manufacturing Technology improves firm performance finally through employee involvement and process flow management.