Strategic coupling of local firms in global production networks: The rise of the home appliance industry in Shunde, China

Yi Liu*, Chun Yang

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

    25 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    This paper examines the rise of the home appliance industry in Shunde, a city district of Foshan municipality located in the western Pearl River Delta (PRD), China. It contributes to the literature of Chinas industrialization and regional development by revealing the salient Shunde model, distinctive from the export-oriented development prevailing in the eastern PRD. Based on intensive field investigation and firm-level interviews, this paper argues that the Shunde model is attributed to the proactive roles of local firms in establishing domestic market-oriented production networks and expanding global market reach. They mobilized regional assets to develop strategic coupling with foreign firms in a conducive institutional environment for industrial catch-up. This viable trajectory has valuable policy implications for latecomer regions in the aftermath of global financial crisis.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)444-463
    Number of pages20
    JournalEurasian Geography and Economics
    Volume54
    Issue number4
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Aug 2013

    User-Defined Keywords

    • Catching up
    • China
    • Home appliance industry
    • Local firms
    • Pearl River Delta
    • Shunde
    • Strategic coupling

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