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Global Value Chains, Contract Manufacturers, and the Middle-Income Trap: The Electronics Industry in Malaysia

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  • Gale Raj-Reichert

Abstract

The electronics industry has been a cornerstone to the successful industrialisation process in Malaysia since the 1970s. However, since the 2000s the industry, which is deeply integrated in global value chains, has failed to upgrade. Its stagnation is indicative of the general economic situation in Malaysia which has contributed to its middle-income trap. This paper argues two key factors combined have led to the electronics industry’s inability to upgrade within the global value chain. First is Malaysia’s excessive reliance on foreign investment which has contributed to a prolonged dominance of foreign firms, particularly large transnational contract manufacturers, which have maintained low-value-added production in the country. Second is the influx of low-skilled and low-waged foreign workers, which has contributed to trapping the industry in labour-intensive lower rungs of the value chain.

Suggested Citation

  • Gale Raj-Reichert, 2020. "Global Value Chains, Contract Manufacturers, and the Middle-Income Trap: The Electronics Industry in Malaysia," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(4), pages 698-716, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:56:y:2020:i:4:p:698-716
    DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2019.1595599
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    Cited by:

    1. Bhushan Praveen Jangam & Hari Venkatesh, 2022. "Global Value Chains and Exchange Rate Disconnect," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 41(4), pages 347-359, December.
    2. Upalat Korwatanasakul, 2023. "Thailand and the Middle-Income Trap: An Analysis from the Global Value Chain Perspective," PIER Discussion Papers 202, Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research.
    3. Chen, Hanxue & Wang, Shuhong & Song, Malin, 2021. "Global Environmental Value Chain Embeddedness and Enterprise Production Efficiency Improvement," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 278-290.
    4. Iliopoulos, Panagiotis (Takis), 2022. "A quantitative analysis of governance structures in the world economy," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 599(C).

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