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The Janus‐Faced Economy: Hong Kong Firms As Intermediaries Between Global Customers And Local Producers In The Electronics Industry

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  • SUSANNE MEYER
  • DANIEL SCHILLER
  • JAVIER REVILLA DIEZ

Abstract

The influence of the institutional framework on governance modes is well covered in economic geography literature but lacks empirical evidence. The main focus of this work is to explain the governance of customer and producer relations of Hong Kong‐based electronics firms by institutional factors. Hong Kong firms are able to deal simultaneously with both the Chinese transitional setting and global markets, thus leading them to be described as Janus‐faced. Producer relations with the Pearl River Delta are mainly organised in hierarchical ways, whereas globally spread customers govern their relations with Hong Kong firms via the market. Despite the differences of the institutional setting, the advantages of spatial concentration of producers in proximity to Hong Kong have been proven.

Suggested Citation

  • Susanne Meyer & Daniel Schiller & Javier Revilla Diez, 2009. "The Janus‐Faced Economy: Hong Kong Firms As Intermediaries Between Global Customers And Local Producers In The Electronics Industry," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 100(2), pages 224-235, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:tvecsg:v:100:y:2009:i:2:p:224-235
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9663.2009.00531.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Wenying Fu, 2016. "Industrial clusters as hothouses for nascent entrepreneurs? The case of Tianhe Software Park in Guangzhou, China," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 57(1), pages 253-270, July.
    2. Fu, Wenying & Revilla Diez, Javier & Schiller, Daniel, 2013. "Interactive learning, informal networks and innovation: Evidence from electronics firm survey in the Pearl River Delta, China," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 635-646.
    3. Fu Wenying & Schiller Daniel & Diez Javier Revilla, 2012. "Strategies of using social proximity and organizational proximity in product innovation: Empirical insight from the Pearl River Delta, China," ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, De Gruyter, vol. 56(1-2), pages 80-96, October.
    4. Moritz Breul & Javier Revilla Diez, 2021. "“One thing leads to another”, but where? – Gateway cities and the geography of production linkages," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(1), pages 29-47, March.
    5. Meyer Susanne, 2012. "The world’s factory and informal ties – organisation of firm networks in the electronics industry in the Greater Pearl River Delta, China," ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, De Gruyter, vol. 56(1-2), pages 9-24, October.
    6. Kilian Pamela Hartmann & Schiller Daniel & Kraas Frauke, 2012. "Workplace quality and labour turnover in the electronics industry of the Pearl River Delta, China: Contrasting employer and employee perspectives," ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, De Gruyter, vol. 56(1-2), pages 58-79, October.
    7. Francis E. Hutchinson, 2021. "In the gateway's shadow: Interactions between Singapore's Hinterlands," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(1), pages 71-87, March.

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