P. J. Buckley. The Global Factory: An Overview and Introduction

V.6, N1, 2008

This article introduces and explains the concept of the global factory. The global factory encom6 passes the activities of a global firm, or a global network of firms that organize production, distribution, marketing, design, branding and innovation of a set of products and services. As will be seen, these products and services and their subcomponents, inputs and conception may not be owned by a single firm at any one time but their component activities are controlled by the system described here as a global factory.

Keywords: global factory, multinational enterprises, international strategy, foreign direct investment, globalization, international development.