scholarly journals Poverty chains and global capitalism

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Selwyn
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Firm Value ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Global Value Chains ◽  
Global South ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Global Value Chain ◽  
Original Material ◽  
Value Chain Analysis ◽  
Secondary Sources

The proliferation of global value chains is portrayed in academic and policy circles as representing new development opportunities for firms and regions in the global south. This article tests these claims by examining original material from non-governmental organizations’ reports and secondary sources on the garment and electronics chains in Cambodia and China, respectively. This empirical evidence suggests that these global value chains generate new forms of worker poverty. Based on these findings, the article proposes the novel Global Poverty Chain approach. The article critiques and reformulates principal concepts associated with the Global Value Chain approach – of value-added, rent and chain governance – and challenges a core assumption prevalent within Global Value Chain analysis: that workers’ low wages are a function of their employment in low productivity industries. Instead, it shows that (1) many supplier firms in the global south are as, or more, productive than their equivalents in the global north; (2) often predominantly female workers in these industries are super exploited (paid wages below their subsistence requirements) and (3) chain governance represents a lead firm value-capturing strategy, which intensifies worker exploitation.

scholarly journals The ‘factory manager dilemma’: Purchasing practices and environmental upgrading in apparel global value chains

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 766-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahwish J Khan ◽  
Stefano Ponte ◽  
Peter Lund-Thomsen
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Global Value Chains ◽  
Global South ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Global Value Chain ◽  
Social Upgrading

Economic and environmental upgrading in global value chains are intertwined processes. The existing global value chain literature has so far articulated the relationships between economic and social upgrading but has only recently started to explore the challenges of environmental upgrading from the perspective of suppliers in the Global South. In this article, we examine the ‘factory manager dilemma’ as a way of conceptualising the purchasing practices and environmental upgrading requirements faced by suppliers in their dealings with lead firms in global value chains. Specifically, we analyse the environmental upgrading challenges experienced by Pakistani apparel firms. We conclude that Pakistani apparel suppliers are required both to absorb the consequences of global buyers’ unsustainable purchasing practices and to reduce their own profitability – all in the name of sustainability.

scholarly journals Labor Costs and Localization in Global Value Chains: Comparative Analysis and Conclusions for Poland

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 229-238
Author(s):  
Magdalena Kapela
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Great Part ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Work Force ◽  
Global Value Chains ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Global Value Chain ◽  
Labor Costs ◽  
Technology Industries

AbstractLabor costs in Poland are relatively low in comparison to other European Union (EU) countries. After long period of functioning Poland in closed economy, conditions significantly weakened the level of its competitiveness in the international market. When the boards were opened in 1989, it became clear that cheap work force was one of the most important factors to attract foreign investments. At the same time, globalization and internationalization of production created opportunity for entrepreneurs to establish global value chains. Participation in global value chain (GVC) of Poland can extend international trade and increase gross domestic product (GDP). On the other hand, low wages attract investments in low-technology industries and, moreover, place Poland in the middle of value chains, where semi-products are assembled and new value added is exiguous. The aim of the article is: 1) to present polish participation in global value chain, 2) to analyze how much low labor costs contribute to degree of share in global value chain, and 3) to show how level of labor costs contribute to position in value chain and how does it influence on benefits from participating in GVC. In the article, the quantitative and qualitative assessment of Eurostat (European statistic) and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) statistics data and research on labor costs carried out in Poland were analyzed. The research tools include a critical analysis of literature and descriptive analytical method. More than 50% of polish exports takes place within the global value chains. Low labor costs attract investors to allocate part of their production in Poland. Nevertheless, great part of export constitutes semi-products that do not create new value added so benefits from participation in GVC are not so considerable as expected. It is desirable to shift Poland toward beginning or the end of value chains, where profits are higher.

Russia–ASEAN: Trade and Global Value Chains

2015 ◽  
pp. 25-39
Author(s):  
K. Muradov
Keyword(s):  
South Korea ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Bilateral Trade ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Global Value Chains ◽  
Trade Flows ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Trade Data ◽  
Traded Goods ◽  
Trade In Value Added

Traditional trade statistics that originate in customs records is inadequate to measure the complex interdependencies in today’s globalized economy, or what is known as the global value chains. The article focuses on Russia–ASEAN trade. The author applies innovative methods of measuring trade in value added terms in order to capture the unobserved bilateral linkages behind the officially recorded trade flows. First, customs and balance of payments sources of bilateral trade data are briefly reviewed. For user, there are at least two inherent problems in those data: the inconsistencies in “mirror” trade flows and the attribution of the origin of a traded product wholly to the exporting country. This results in large discrepancies between Russian and ASEAN “mirror” trade data and, arguably, their low importance as each other’s trade partners. Next, the author explores new data from inter-country input-output tables that necessarily reconcile bilateral differences and offer greater detail about the national and sectoral origin or destination of traded goods and services. Relevant data are derived from the OECD-WTO TiVA database and are rearranged to obtain various estimates of Russia–ASEAN trade in value added in 2009. The main finding is that sizable amount of the value added of Russian origin is embodied in third countries’ exports to ASEAN members and ASEAN members’ exports to third countries. As a result, the cumulative flow of Russia’s value added to ASEAN members is estimated to be 62% larger than the direct gross exports, whereas for China and South Korea it is, respectively, 21% and 23% smaller. The indirect, unobserved value added flows can be largely explained by the use of Russian energy resources, chemicals and metals as imported inputs in third countries (China, South Korea) and ASEAN members’ own production. The contribution of these inputs is then accumulated along the value chain. Finally, the most important sectoral value chains are visualized for readers’ convenience. So far, it’s apparent that Russia is linked to ASEAN countries through intricate production networks and indirectly contributes to their trade with third countries.

A Portrait of Global Value Chain Linkages of Indian Manufacturing

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-250
Author(s):  
Ketan Reddy ◽  
Subash Sasidharan
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Global Value Chains ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Global Value Chain ◽  
Value Addition ◽  
Jel Codes ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Forward Integration ◽  
Shed Light

This article provides an overview of India’s participation in global value chains (GVCs). Using multiple databases at the aggregate and industry levels, this article documents the trends in GVC participation of India during the last three decades. Authors further differentiate between India’s backward and forward integration at the country level before evaluating the industry-specific dynamics of GVCs in India. In this study, authors also shed light upon the rising servicification of Indian manufacturing, and highlight the importance of services’ value addition in promoting GVC integration of India. JEL Codes: F1, F15, D57

Global Value Chains and Industrial Relations in the Global South: Social Upgrading Paths in Different Industries

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 214-236
Author(s):  
Christina Teipen ◽  
Fabian Mehl
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Global Value Chains ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Value Chain Analysis ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Chain Analysis ◽  
Governance Modes ◽  
Social Upgrading

Abstract The article compares social upgrading trends in four global value chains (apparel, automobiles, electronics and it services) and six developing and emerging economies (Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, South Africa and Vietnam). It applies a framework, which combines analyses of industry-specific governance modes with recent theoretical approaches from the field of industrial relations. The empirical results show that prospects for social upgrading within similar segments of a particular value chain considerably depend on the national context. The article thus highlights the importance of integrating the role of national institutions into global value chain analysis in order to better explain variegated upgrading dynamics across different countries and industries.

scholarly journals Competitive Conditions in Global Value Chain Networks: An Assessment Using Entropy and Network Analysis

Entropy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 1068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgios Angelidis ◽  
Evangelos Ioannidis ◽  
Georgios Makris ◽  
Ioannis Antoniou ◽  
Nikos Varsakelis
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Global Value Chain ◽  
Degree Centrality ◽  
Sector Structure ◽  
Input Output ◽  
Weighted Degree ◽  
The World ◽  
Weighted Degree Centrality

We investigated competitive conditions in global value chains (GVCs) for a period of fifteen years (2000–2014), focusing on sector structure, countries’ dominance and diversification. For this purpose, we used data from the World Input–Output Database (WIOD) and examined GVCs as weighted directed networks, where countries are the nodes and value added flows are the edges. We compared the in-and out-weighted degree centralization of the sectoral GVC networks in order to detect the most centralized, on the import or export side, respectively (oligopsonies and oligopolies). Moreover, we examined the in- and out-weighted degree centrality and the in- and out-weight entropy in order to determine whether dominant countries are also diversified. The empirical results reveal that diversification (entropy) and dominance (degree) are not correlated. Dominant countries (rich) become more dominant (richer). Diversification is not conditioned by competitiveness.

scholarly journals The financialisation–offshoring nexus and the capital accumulation of US non-financial firms

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 1183-1218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tristan Auvray ◽  
Joel Rabinovich
Keyword(s):  
Financial Markets ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Capital Accumulation ◽  
Global Value Chains ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Global Value Chain ◽  
Financial Assets ◽  
Financial Firms ◽  
Productive Activities ◽  
Panel Regressions

Abstract The financialisation of non-financial corporations has drawn the attention of many scholars who have identified two main channels through which financialisation occurs: a higher proportion of financial assets compared to non-financial ones and a higher amount of resources diverted to financial markets. A consequence of this process is a decrease in investment. Parallel to financialisation, many non-financial corporations have also engaged in an internationalisation of their productive activities, organising them under global value chains. Though offshoring may also explain the decrease in the level of investment of non-financial firms, the intersections between the literature on financialisation and the literature on global value chain remain surprisingly underdeveloped. This paper contributes to fill this gap using panel regressions for US non-financial corporations between 1995 and 2011. We find evidence that both offshoring and financialisation are determinants to the decrease in investment and that financialisation occurs mainly among firms belonging to sectors prone to offshoring.

scholarly journals Global Value Chain Governance in the MNE: A Dynamic Hierarchy Perspective

2022 ◽  
pp. 000812562110685
Author(s):  
Paul Ryan ◽  
Giulio Buciuni ◽  
Majella Giblin ◽  
Ulf Andersson
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Multinational Enterprise ◽  
Global Value Chains ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Global Value Chain ◽  
Global Efficiency ◽  
Supply Line ◽  
Severe Shock ◽  
Crisis Conditions ◽  
Managerial Response

The pandemic crisis caused a severe shock to global value chains and led to supply shortages for complex medical goods such as respiratory ventilators. What followed were calls to reshore production for security, and the loss of efficiencies from foreign global value chain (GVC) operations for the multinational enterprise. This article merges internalization and GVC theory to demonstrate a dynamic hierarchy managerial response to these crisis conditions. An optimally configured GVC under hierarchy governance can resiliently eliminate global supply line ruptures yet maintain the benefits of global efficiency.

scholarly journals Exercising associational and networked power through the use of digital technology by workers in global value chains

2020 ◽  
pp. 102452942090328
Author(s):  
Nicole Helmerich ◽  
Gale Raj-Reichert ◽  
Sabrina Zajak
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Production Management ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Global Value Chains ◽  
Digital Tools ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Global Value Chain ◽  
Power Resources ◽  
Footwear Industry

While there are heated debates about how digitalization affects production, management and consumption in the context of global value chains, less attention is paid to how workers use digital technologies to organize and formulate demands and hence exercise power. This paper explores how workers in supplier factories in global value chains use different digital tools to exercise and enhance their power resources to improve working conditions. Combining the global value chain framework and concepts from labour sociology on worker power, the paper uses examples from the garment industry in Honduras and the footwear industry in China to show how workers used old and new digital tools to create and enhance associational and networked powers. Digital tools were used by workers and their allies in the global value chain to lower costs of communication, increase information exchange and participate in transnational campaigns during labour struggles vis-à-vis firms and governments in structurally and politically repressive environments. The paper contributes to our understanding of how workers use of digital technologies to exercise and combine different resources of power in online and offline actions in global value chains, as well as how they are confronted by new dimensions of constrains which include digital surveillance and control by the state.

scholarly journals The intensification of foreign trade in post-socialist countries and their role in global value chains

2016 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 465-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Cieślik ◽  
Jadwiga Biegańska ◽  
Stefania Środa-Murawska
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Trade ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Global Value Chains ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Global Value Chain ◽  
Western European ◽  
Pass Through ◽  
Complex Methods ◽  
The Eu

This article presents the transformation of foreign trade in 10 post-socialist countries, current members of the EU. Special focus is given to the more significant role these countries began to play in global value chains (GVCs) as a result of liberalisation processes and integration within the EU. In addition, the article evaluates their place in global vertical specialisation. To locate each country on a global value chain and to compare them with selected countries, more complex methods of measuring the level of participation of European post-socialist countries in GVCs were employed. These methods allow the position of a country downstream or upstream in GVCs to be established. We concluded that (a) post-socialist countries differ in the levels of their participation in GVCs. Countries that have stronger links with Western European countries, especially with Germany, are more integrated; (b) a large share of post-socialist countries’ exports pass through Western European GVCs; (c) most exporters in Central and Eastern Europe are positioned in downstream segments of production rather than upstream markets.

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