In twelve pages Ford's present status as an MNE is discussed with quality commitment, Jacque Nasser's departure, and environmental issues among the topics considered. Ten sources are cited in the bibliography.
Name of Research Paper File: CC6_KSfordMNE.rtf
Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
It appears that Ford Motor Company was destined to become a multinational enterprise (MNE) from its very inception. There has been much talk of innovation in the last years
of the 20th century, but some of the most business-changing innovation occurred in the first decade of the same century. When Henry Ford opened his first manufacturing facility in
1903, it was with a design that would change all of manufacturing around the world. It seemed that all of Detroit set out
to learn the Japanese "secret" of auto making that was causing all of Americas Big Three to lose money hand over fist and see their customer base shift in droves
to the Japanese imports. These Japanese cars were smaller, more comfortable and of much higher quality, yet cost less to purchase than the big and heavy gas-guzzlers that Detroit
insisted on providing for American purchase. It was quite by accident that Ford hit on the notion of "Quality is Job 1," but
that companys implementation of quality initiatives and its insistence that its suppliers pass rigid quality examinations certainly was no accident. By the mid 1980s, any supplier hoping to do
business with Ford on a regular basis was required to demonstrate its own high quality standards. The Early Years
Henry Ford had spent some time perfecting his approach to the internal combustion engine in his Michigan garage. After a long time of trial and
error, he filed incorporation papers for Ford Motor Company on June 17, 1903 (The Ford Story). With 11 associates but only $28,000 in cash, the future of the company