REDE DE FIRMAS E GOVERNANÇA: A FORD NA BAHIA

Abstract

This paper analyses how the new production organization in the car industry creates a complex network among companies linking local producers to multinational companies, with a clear form of governance. The relationship between supply chain governance and local upgrading strategies has received growing attention in recent literature. This paper aims to contribute to this debate by seeking answers to three questions. First, are there opportunities for the local economy to undergo a new cycle of industrialization in the first years of the new century, with the Ford Project under construction in Bahia? Second, what new business opportunities will there be for the firms already existing in local metal-mechanical complex? Third, what competitive barriers should be removed in order for these firms to have a real chance of success? It was found that given the power assymetries between the multinational companies and local companies, if these companies want to play a role in the supply chain, as raw material suppliers and service providers, most of them should promote structural changes, such as increase their performance in production, technology, management and to employ more skilled labor.