IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/pocoec/v30y2018i2p193-215.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Upgrading in China’s apparel industry: international trade, local clusters and institutional contexts

Author

Listed:
  • Shengjun Zhu
  • Canfei He

Abstract

This article focuses on the concept of upgrading, and seeks to move away from a firm-centred approach of industrial upgrading towards a framework that recognises not only a firm’s integration into global value chains, but also its embeddedness within local networks and the context of wider institutional arrangements. Based on one firm-level database, this article measures upgrading in China’s apparel industry at the firm level, which allows us not only to evaluate the extent of upgrading in the industry as a whole and to compare its extent among individual firms and selected groups of firms, but also to differentiate and measure different types of upgrading. Empirical results confirm that the heterogeneity of firms, global and local linkages and the wider historical, political, institutional and economic context have all played a critical role in the process of upgrading, suggesting that a focus on dynamics of firm upgrading alone is insufficient.

Suggested Citation

  • Shengjun Zhu & Canfei He, 2018. "Upgrading in China’s apparel industry: international trade, local clusters and institutional contexts," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(2), pages 193-215, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:pocoec:v:30:y:2018:i:2:p:193-215
    DOI: 10.1080/14631377.2017.1362099
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/14631377.2017.1362099
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/14631377.2017.1362099?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bancalari, Antonella & Berlinski, Samuel & Buitrago, Giancarlo & García, María Fernanda & Mata, Dolores de la & Vera-Hernández, Marcos, 2023. "Health Inequalities in Latin American and the Caribbean: Child, Adolescent, Reproductive, Metabolic Syndrome and Mental Health," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 13158, Inter-American Development Bank.
    2. Staritz, Cornelia & Morris, Mike, 2013. "Local embeddedness and economic and social upgrading in Madagascar's export apparel industry," Working Papers 38, Austrian Foundation for Development Research (ÖFSE).
    3. Artola, Ner & Zepeda, Eduardo & Rabellotti, Roberta & Gomes, Raquel & Amighini, Alessia & Maggi Campos, Claudio & Villaschi Filho, Arlindo & Pietrobelli, Carlo & Cassiolato, José Eduardo & Parrilli, M, 2006. "Upgrading to Compete: Global Value Chains, Clusters, and SMEs in Latin America," IDB Publications (Books), Inter-American Development Bank, number 247, December.
    4. Staritz, Cornelia & Morris, Mike, 2012. "Local embeddedness, upgrading, and skill development: Global value chains and foreign direct investment in Lesotho's apparel industry," Working Papers 32, Austrian Foundation for Development Research (ÖFSE).
    5. Ner Artola & Eduardo Zepeda & Roberta Rabellotti & Raquel Gomes & Alessia Amighini & Claudio Maggi Campos & Arlindo Villaschi Filho & Carlo Pietrobelli & José Eduardo Cassiolato & Mario Davide Parrill, 2006. "Upgrading to Compete: Global Value Chains, Clusters, and SMEs in Latin America," IDB Publications (Books), Inter-American Development Bank, number 13158 edited by Roberta Rabellotti & Carlo Pietrobelli, February.
    6. repec:idb:brikps:34578 is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Shi, Xin & Jiang, Haizhou & Li, Huan & Wang, Ying, 2020. "Upgrading port-originated maritime clusters: Insights from Shanghai's experience," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 19-32.
    2. Mahmudul Hasan Fouji & Imranul Hoque, 2021. "Supplier Internationalization Through Upgrading in Global Supply Chain: Evidence from the Garments Industry of Bangladesh," International Journal of Global Business and Competitiveness, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 116-129, December.
    3. Ayesha Javed & Rao Muhammad Atif, 2021. "Global Value Chain: An Analysis of Pakistan’s Textile Sector," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 22(4), pages 879-892, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rocco Macchiavello & Thomas Reardon & Timothy J. Richards, 2022. "Empirical Industrial Organization Economics to Analyze Developing Country Food Value Chains," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 14(1), pages 193-220, October.
    2. Heidi Wiig Aslesen & Gouya Harirchi, 2015. "The effect of local and global linkages on the innovativeness in ICT SMEs: does location-specific context matter?," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(9-10), pages 644-669, October.
    3. Marta Gancarczyk & Jacek Gancarczyk & Joanna Bohatkiewicz, 2017. "SME Roles in Modular Value Chains: Perspectives for Growth and Innovativeness," Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, Centre for Strategic and International Entrepreneurship at the Cracow University of Economics., vol. 5(3), pages 95-117.
    4. Juan L. Martinez-Covarrubias & Helena Lenihan & Mark Hart, 2017. "Public support for business innovation in Mexico: a cross-sectional analysis," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(12), pages 1786-1800, December.
    5. William MILBERG & Deborah WINKLER, 2011. "Economic and social upgrading in global production networks: Problems of theory and measurement," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 150(3-4), pages 341-365, December.
    6. Jan Vang & Cristina Chaminade, 2007. "Cultural Clusters, Global-Local Linkages and Spillovers: Theoretical and Empirical Insights from an Exploratory Study of Toronto's Film Cluster," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(4), pages 401-420.
    7. González, Andrea & Hallak, Juan Carlos & Schott, Peter K. & Soria Genta, Tatiana, 2012. "Insertion of Argentine Firms in Global Value Chains Not Oriented to the Mass Market: The Cases of High-End Footwear and The Basso Group," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 4253, Inter-American Development Bank.
    8. Thomas Reardon & Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool‐Tasie & Ben Belton & Michael Dolislager & Bart Minten & Barry Popkin & Rob Vos, 2024. "African domestic supply booms in value chains of fruits, vegetables, and animal products fueled by spontaneous clusters of SMEs," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 46(2), pages 390-413, June.
    9. Marion Werner & Jennifer Bair & Victor Ramiro Fernández, 2014. "Linking Up to Development? Global Value Chains and the Making of a Post-Washington Consensus," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 45(6), pages 1219-1247, November.
    10. -, 2012. "Latin American Economic Outlook 2013: SMEs policies for structural change," Coediciones, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), number 1464 edited by Oecd.
    11. Fernando MARTÍN & Roberta CURIAZI, 2020. "Distritos Industriales En Las Provincias De Ecuador Y El Sector Manufacturero Del Cuero De Quisapincha," Regional and Sectoral Economic Studies, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 20(2), pages 121-138.
    12. Thomas Farole & Deborah Winkler, 2014. "Making Foreign Direct Investment Work for Sub-Saharan Africa : Local Spillovers and Competitiveness in Global Value Chains," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 16390.
    13. John Pickles, 2012. "South African horticulture: opportunities and challenges for economic and social upgrading in value chains," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series ctg-2012-13, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    14. Fernando Barrios Aguirre & Carolina Carcamo Vergara, 2013. "La innovación en la industria manufacturera de la Región Caribe colombiana," Revista Economía y Región, Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar, vol. 7(2), pages 119-147, December.
    15. Paola Perez-Aleman, 2010. "Standards as Institutions Supporting the Cluster Emergence Process: The Case of Aquaculture in Chile," Chapters, in: Dirk Fornahl & Sebastian Henn & Max-Peter Menzel (ed.), Emerging Clusters, chapter 7, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    16. Thomas Bernhardt & William Milberg, 2012. "Does economic upgrading generate social upgrading? Insights from the horticulture, apparel, mobile phones and tourism sectors," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series ctg-2011-07, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    17. Banacloche, Santacruz & Cadarso, María Ángeles & Monsalve, Fabio, 2020. "Implications of measuring value added in exports with a regional input-output table. A case of study in South America," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 130-140.
    18. Brito, Marcel Moreira & Ferenc Istvan, Bánkuti & Sandra Mara Schiavi, Bánkuti & Geraldo, Tadeu dos Santos & Júlio César, Damasceno & Ely Mitie, Massuda, 2015. "Horizontal Arrangements and Competitiveness of Small-Scale Dairy Farmers in Paraná, Brazil," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 18(4), pages 1-18, November.
    19. Sutter, Christopher & Webb, Justin & Kistruck, Geoff & Ketchen, David J. & Ireland, R. Duane, 2017. "Transitioning entrepreneurs from informal to formal markets," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 420-442.
    20. Morris, Mike & Staritz, Cornelia, 2014. "Industrialization Trajectories in Madagascar’s Export Apparel Industry: Ownership, Embeddedness, Markets, and Upgrading," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 243-257.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:pocoec:v:30:y:2018:i:2:p:193-215. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/CPCE20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.