This paper presents a comparison of manufacturing practices between Hungary, Western
Europe and North America. The supposition is that differences in operational practice
may matter in the success of joint ventures or other strategic alliances. The comparison
is based on a survey of firms in the small machine tool and non-fashion textile industries.
The survey covered practices ranging from forecasting and planning procedures to shop
floor decision making. Multivariate analyses were performed to find those areas of
practice for which there were differences between the regions and industries. The
differences were grouped into three broad categories: "metabolism" (the frequency,
horizon, and increment for planning, forecasting and reacting to change), external
orientation (the closeness to the market and degree of export sales), and managerial
practices in several areas. The differences between the industries were judged less
important than those between regions.
