A longitudinal study of changes in manufacturing strategy in production firms of IRAN during horizon 2010-2016

In this study, a longitudinal study on cluster production strategy in two time periods with an interval of five years is discussed. Using the longitudinal and transverse analysis has dramatically expanded in recent decades and become well known among researchers. Despite the cross-sectional study, In longitudinal study, data collected from a representative sample in different times. To conduct a longitudinal study, two different clustering was conducted on production strategies used in Iran’s factories, in two time periods. Therefore, the data in the two years 2010 and 2016 period were used from production factories. Population were similar in two period. Clustering validity was assessed by discriminant analysis, and then, changes in production objectives surveyed using Euclidean distance, multivariate data analysis and analysis of variance were used. Finally, changes in cluster’s production objectives are discussed. Based on the results there are similarities and differences between two groups are in two time periods.