Exploring research priorities for the North American hardwood industry

With the increase of globalization, the North American hardwood industry is facing many challenges to remain competitive and sustainable, facing drastic changes in the areas of labor, land, manufacturing, markets and marketing, and supply chain. The hardwood industry is especially vulnerable, with t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Forest products journal 2008-03, Vol.58 (3), p.6-16
Main Authors: Brinberg, D, Kline, E, Alderman, D, Araman, P, Cesa, E, Milauskas, S, Walthousen, T, Wiedenbeck, J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Communication
Competitive advantage
Education
Executives
Focus groups
Forest products industry
Forestry
hardwood
Hardwoods
Industry forecasts
Landowners
Manufacturers
Manufacturing
market competition
Marketing
questionnaires
Scientists
Services
Strategic management
Studies
Supply and demand
supply chain
Supply chains
surveys
Technology transfer
timber supply
Wood sciences
Workforce
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Summary:With the increase of globalization, the North American hardwood industry is facing many challenges to remain competitive and sustainable, facing drastic changes in the areas of labor, land, manufacturing, markets and marketing, and supply chain. The hardwood industry is especially vulnerable, with the influx of foreign manufacturers and suppliers with greater natural resources and inexpensive labor pools. Specific and actionable research priorities need to be clearly defined to facilitate and encourage the creation of useful knowledge and practices to support the advance of the North American hardwood industry. Fifteen in-depth interviews and approximately three hundred telephone surveys were conducted in 2006 and used to determine the research priorities for the North American hardwood industry. Research on communication practices between management and the labor force was identified as a key need. The manufacturing area was identified as the most important area, overall, for investment of resources (and by inference, investment in research) to improve business performance. Development and adoption of appropriate technology was viewed as the most important manufacturing enhancement for the wood industry and its research infrastructure. The most important concerns related to markets and marketing and the wood industry's supply chain are related to the dramatic changes in the competitive environment. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0015-7473
2376-9637