Pearson Chapter 11 Key Terms

Apparel

An article of clothing.

Break-of-bulk point

A location where transfer is possible from one mode of transportation to another.

Bulk-gaining industry

An industry in which the final product weighs more or comprises a greater volume than the inputs.

Bulk-reducing industry

An industry in which the final product weighs less or comprises a lower volume than the inputs.

Cottage industry

Manufacturing based in homes rather than in factories, most common prior to the Industrial Revolution.

Fordist production

A form of mass production in which each worker is assigned one specific task to perform repeatedly.

Industry

The manufacturing of goods in a factory.

Just-in-time delivery

Shipment of parts and materials to arrive at a factory moments before they are needed.

Labor-intensive industry

An industry for which labor costs comprise a high percentage of total expenses.

Maquiladora

A factory built by a U.S. company in Mexico near the U.S. border to take advantage of the much lower labor costs in Mexico.

New international division of labor

Transfer of some types of jobs, especially those requiring low-paid, less-skilled workers, from developed countries to developing countries.

Outstretching

A decision by a corporation to turn over much of the responsibility for production to independent suppliers.

Post-Fordist production

Adoption by companies of flexible work riles, such as the allocation of workers to teams that perform a variety of tasks.

Right-to-work law

A U.S. lawyer that prevents a union and a company from negotiating a contract that requires workers to join the union as a condition of employment.

Site factors

Location factors related to the costs of factors of production inside a plant, such as land, labor, and capital.

Situation factors

Location factors related to the transportation of materials into and from a factory.

Textile

A fabric made by weaving, used in making clothing.

Vertical integration

An approach typical of traditional mass production in which a company controls all phases of a highly complex production process.