Technology and Skills in Zimbabwe's Manufacturing : From Autarky to Competition

Small Sub Saharan African countries are facing difficult times trying to accelerate their economic growth while at the same time attempting to liberalize their economies. For many, independence has brought political freedom without concomitant economic and social improvement for their indigenous populations. Zimbabwe fits this description and while it has made significant strides in educating its populations and distributing some agricultural land, it still lags in modernizing its manufacturing industries which survived for many years with little or no capital investment and restricted access to imports. This study, based on a detailed analysis of the results of a survey of manufacturing firms in selected industries, shows the origin of the technologies they have mastered, the use made of external and domestic sources of technology, the skills being applied, their training and other needs, as well as the policies that could favourably affect future industrial development in Zimbabwe. Cover......Page 1 Half Title......Page 2 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Preface......Page 10 Acknowledgements......Page 12 PART I COUNTRY AND MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY BACKGROUND......Page 14 Colonial legacy......Page 16 Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI)......Page 17 Independence......Page 18 Agriculture......Page 21 1.3 Policy and Market Environment......Page 23 Adjustment......Page 24 Racial attitudes......Page 26 Market orientation......Page 27 Political and other non-economic constraints......Page 28 2.1 Industrialization......Page 31 Raw materials......Page 33 Labour......Page 34 Capital stock......Page 35 2.3 Policy......Page 37 3.1 Education......Page 39 Patents......Page 40 Scientific papers......Page 42 3.4 Support Institutions......Page 43 Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ)......Page 44 Small Enterprises Development Corporation (SEDCO)......Page 45 PART II CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND METHODOLOGY......Page 48 Technology acquisition......Page 50 Modification of technology......Page 51 The creation of technology......Page 52 Internal division of labour and size of firm......Page 53 Research and experimental development......Page 54 Other engineering functions......Page 55 5.1 Field Work......Page 57 Industry breakdown......Page 58 Size......Page 59 Ownership and ethnic origin......Page 60 Country characteristics......Page 61 Industry characteristics......Page 62 Firm characteristics......Page 63 PART III MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY ACQUISITION AND OPERATION......Page 66 6.1 Origin of the Firm and Initial Studies......Page 68 Equipment selection......Page 70 Equipment sources......Page 71 New or used equipment?......Page 72 Satisfaction with current equipment......Page 73 Technical start-up problems......Page 74 6.3 Use of Disembodied Foreign Technology......Page 75 7.1 General......Page 78 7.2 Troubleshooting......Page 80 7.3 Quality Control......Page 81 7.4 Maintenance and Repair......Page 82 7.5 Industrial Engineering......Page 84 7.6 Safety and Environmental Control......Page 85 Documentation......Page 87 Level of technological organization......Page 88 Product changes......Page 89 8.3 Technical Changes in the Production Process......Page 90 8.4 Research and Development......Page 91 8.5 Use of Support Services......Page 92 Desirable support services......Page 93 Workers......Page 97 Professional and technical personnel......Page 98 PART IV TECHNICAL CHANGE, SKILLS, AND FIRM PERFORMANCE......Page 100 9.1 Existence of Investment Plans......Page 102 9.2 The Nature and Expected Impact of Technical Changes Planned......Page 103 9.3 The Costs of Planned Investments......Page 104 Sector and country data......Page 107 10.2 Technological Competence and Firm Economic Performance......Page 110 Panel data......Page 111 PART V CONCLUSIONS AND POLICY INTERVENTIONS......Page 118 11.1 Country Background......Page 120 11.3 Education, Science and Technology......Page 121 11.5 Technical Operating Capabilities......Page 122 11.8 Skills and Technological Capability......Page 123 12 Policy Interventions......Page 124 Support services......Page 125 Entrepreneurship and investment behaviour......Page 126 Infrastructure......Page 128 High-level technical skills......Page 129 Liberalization......Page 131 Administration......Page 132 Technical operating capabilities......Page 133 Industrial research and experimental development......Page 134 Appendix A: Questionnaire......Page 138 Appendix B: Food and Beverages......Page 168 Appendix C: Textiles and Clothing......Page 206 Appendix D: Wood and Furniture......Page 232 Appendix E: Metalworking......Page 256 Notes and References......Page 278 Bibliography......Page 282 Index......Page 286 "This study, based on a detailed analysis of the results of a survey of manufacturing firms in selected industries, shows the origin of the technologies they have mastered, the use made of external and domestic sources of technology, the skills being applied, their training and other needs, as well as the policies that could favourably affect future industrial development in Zimbabwe."--BOOK JACKET. Based on a survey of 41 manufacturing firms in selected industries in Zimbabwe, examines the acquisition of technology and the growth in technological capabilities. Discusses policy interventions that could favourably affect future industrial development in the country