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The Governance of Global Production Networks and Regional Development: A Case Study of Taiwanese PC Production Networks

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  • DANIEL YOU‐REN YANG
  • NEIL M. COE

Abstract

This article applies a global production networks (GPN) perspective to the trans‐border investments of Taiwanese personal computer (PC) companies in the Northern Taiwan, Greater Suzhou and Greater Dongguan regions. The findings of extensive field research are used to illustrate two conceptual arguments. First, we show the on‐the‐ground complexity of inter‐firm governance arrangements within the PC industry, thereby casting doubt upon attempts to reduce notions of governance to simplistic, industry‐wide categorisations. Second, by comparing Greater Suzhou and Greater Dongguan, we demonstrate that even within a single production system, there is geographical variation in the nature of the strategic coupling between the GPN and local institutional formations. We argue that conceptualising such geographical and organisational complexity is critical to understanding the regional development potential of GPNs.

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  • Daniel You‐Ren Yang & Neil M. Coe, 2009. "The Governance of Global Production Networks and Regional Development: A Case Study of Taiwanese PC Production Networks," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(1), pages 30-53, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:growch:v:40:y:2009:i:1:p:30-53
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2257.2008.00460.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Chun Yang & Canfei He, 2017. "Transformation of China's ‘World Factory’: Production Relocation and Export Evolution of the Electronics Firms," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 108(5), pages 571-591, October.
    2. Kirsten Martinus & Thomas Sigler & Iacopo Iacopini & Ben Derudder, 2019. "The role of tax havens and offshore financial centers in Asia-Pacific networks: evidence from firm-subsidiary connections," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 18(5), pages 389-411, November.
    3. David W Edgington & Roger Hayter, 2012. "New Relationships between Japanese and Taiwanese Electronics Firms," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 44(1), pages 68-88, January.
    4. Ronald V. Kalafsky, 2016. "Examining the Global Machine Tool Industry: Transitions or Continuity?," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(2), pages 138-156, June.
    5. Noronha, Ernesto & D'Cruz, Premilla, 2020. "The Indian IT industry: A global production network perspective," IPE Working Papers 134/2020, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    6. Emil CRI?AN, 2016. "A Separation between Supply Chain Management and Supply Chain Governance," REVISTA DE MANAGEMENT COMPARAT INTERNATIONAL/REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE MANAGEMENT, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 17(3), pages 240-249, July.
    7. McWilliam, Sarah E. & Kim, Jung Kwan & Mudambi, Ram & Nielsen, Bo Bernhard, 2020. "Global value chain governance: Intersections with international business," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(4).
    8. Hu Wen & Daniel You-Ren Yang, 2010. "The Missing Link between Technological Standards and Value-Chain Governance: The Case of Patent-Distribution Strategies in the Mobile-Communication Industry," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 42(9), pages 2109-2130, September.

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