Enablers for Adoption of Contingent Technology Production Strategies in Mature Industries

The paper aims to analyse the correlation between the adoption of technology production strategies and firm competitiveness, considering them under the view of contingent firm theory. In order to test the research hypotheses, the case of the tile ceramic cluster in Spain has been considered. Two surveys were carried out by the authors, covering a representative sample of the cluster. The paper tries to demonstrate that technology production strategies tend to be aligned with situational demand factors rather than with firm objectives. The reasons lie basically in the sector globalization perspective as well as a changing customer environment. The study also concludes that firm survival depends on the firm’s or firms’ tendency to adopt flexible and proactive strategies (technology and marketing-wise) aligned with their competitive environment. The conclusions suggest recommendations which could help and guide firms in their selection and/or adoption of technology production strategies which could contribute to the improvement of their competitiveness. The statistical analysis of the survey results concluded in a classification of the industry’s firms according to their contingent technology strategies as well as to their financial economic results in defined groups.