Technological globalization and intra-company coordination in the automotive sector: The case of Delphi - Mexico

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Résumé:

The purpose of this article is to describe the process of technological globalization within the context in Mexico, specifically in one of the most important autoparts firms: Delphi. The Delphi - Mexico Technical Centre (MTC) was created in 1995, as part of three structural modifications in the automotive sector: a) the transition from an integral design to a modular design; b) the creation of global supplying; and c) the ongoing increase in the electronic content of automobiles. These general factors operated in a particular way in Mexico. It is important to capture the complexity of coordination processes in global corporations, which are multi-plant, multi-division and multi-technology. From this perspective, MTC's function is not only to design new processes and products, but also to coordinate the accumulation of Delphi business units. In addition to the activity of developing new processes and products, MTC fulfills intra-company functions at a regional level in the areas of administration, finances, engineering support and coordination.