Countering Overseas Power in Global Value Chains: Information Asymmetries and Subcontracting in the Plastics Industry

Resource Dependency Theory (RDT) and Global Value Chain (GVC) analysis have been deployed in the strategic and international management literatures to address questions of power in dyadic relationships and global production networks, respectively. This paper integrates the two theoretical approaches in order to expand RDT, using insights from Hirschman's exit/voice model to show the options available to some firms but not others. Using the relationship between buyers and contract manufacturers from GVC analysis, we find a correlation between firm size and choice of strategic action in response to contract manufacturers' dependence on buyers. Large firms follow an acquiescence strategy while small manufacturers follow an avoidance strategy, able to use both exit and voice strategies. Enabled by scale or control over information, both of these approaches successfully reduce uncertainty and provide a source of sustained competitive advantage. Using a study of the production chain in consumer plastics manufacturing in China, we show how dependent firms respond to GVC induced pressure. We find that based on the size of the contract manufacturer, the range of strategic responses to power is constrained by the nature of the dependency in global value chains. This opens important insights into the role that structural characteristics of organizations (like size) play in determining strategic freedom.     

An integrated approach for the electronic contract manufacturer selection problem

In the global competitive environment, lead companies have to outsource their manufacturing to electronic contract manufacturers (ECM) in order to reduce operational cost and capture higher profit. Thus, the process of selecting contract manufacturers to be strategic partners is important for these companies. For this reason, this paper proposes an integrated approach for the electronic contract manufacturer selection problem, combining the voting method and the goal programming (GP) model to take into account quantitative factors involved in the selection process, which is applied to a real-world ECM selection problem encountered by a leading provider of complete broadband access solutions. Results of the case study indicate that the voting method can acquire the rating information quickly from manufacturing managers based on suitable evaluating criteria. The rating information simultaneously incorporates ECMs' performance scores as a weight for each ECM. A production planner can easily employ the GP model and ECMs’ weight information to effectively assign demand quantities to ECMs. Therefore, the integrated approach is a practical and useful tool for solving the contract manufacturer selection problem.     

Modelling Chinese manufacturers' technology adoption behaviour

Abstract

This paper uses firm-level survey data from Hong Kong to identify determinants of technology adoption. The data analysis was guided by proposing a new model that was built upon the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Technology Acceptance Model. Three types of determinants are considered. They are determinants controllable by the technology suppliers and technology buyers, respectively; an external determinant that is not controllable by both the technology suppliers and buyers. This paper reviews research in related areas and the proposed model suggests ways in which behavioural, environmental and organisational issues may be important to technology adoption. The result reveals that behavioural and organisational issues are relevant to technology adoption decision, whereas the relevance of environmental issues is questionable.     

关键事件技术及其应用——以制造商转换行为的研究为例

作为一种定性研究方法,关键事件技术特别适用于理论发展和管理有效性等研究目的。目前,该方法被广泛应用于教育、管理、零售、服务接触以及关系管理等领域进行探索性研究,其信度和效度也一再得到检验和证明。本文首先介绍了关键事件技术,并将其运用到制造商转换行为的研究之中。研究表明:价格、产品质量、物流能力、公司采购战略、服务质量是影响制造商转换的最为重要的原因。而且,不同的转换原因对制造商的满意度有不同的影响。在进一步分析的基础上,本文还得出85%的制造商转换属于复杂转换以及关系对顾客保留的影响可能与供应商所能提供的顾客价值有关等等富有意义的结论。     

“双积分”政策下汽车制造商竞争定价与减排策略研究

“双积分”政策的实施对汽车制造商的定价决策产生了重要影响。考虑卖方由同时生产燃油车和新能源汽车的制造商1和仅生产新能源汽车的制造商2组成,在消费者低碳偏好和价格竞争影响下分别针对制造商1对燃油车采取和不采取节能减排措施的情况,研究“双积分”政策下汽车制造商的定价策略和减排决策,探讨新能源汽车积分值和积分比例要求对政府和企业决策的作用效果。进一步,通过对不同情形的结果进行分析,得到“双积分”政策的出台、消费者低碳偏好及制造商采取节能减排措施对制造商定价和减排决策带来的变化,并通过算例分析验证了结论。研究结果表明：(1)“双积分”政策可以降低新能源汽车的价格,提高新能源汽车制造商的利润,促进燃油车主动减排。(2)当新能源汽车的需求价格弹性系数和需求交叉价格弹性系数处于较高水平时,政府要制定较高的每台新能源汽车积分值。(3)燃油车的油耗水平存在一个环境属性标准,当油耗水平低于一定值时,随着新能源汽车积分比例要求的不断增大,制造商1选择提高燃油车价格。(4)消费者低碳偏好是提高燃油车减排水平的重要因素,政府可以对减排技术先进的燃油车制造商进行低油耗认证,提高消费者低油耗燃油车需求,激励燃油车制造商积极减排。     

制造商竞争下闭环供应链的押金返还制度研究

本文研究制造商竞争环境下,政府对闭环供应链成员实施押金返还制度时,废旧电器电子产品的回收决策问题。首先构建了制造商完全垄断情形的闭环供应链基准决策模型,然后考虑制造商之间的竞争,分别构建政府对制造商和对回收商实施押金返还制度的闭环供应链决策模型,最后对结果进行比较和分析。研究表明：押金返还制度可以使新产品的零售价和废旧产品的回购价降低;制造商间的竞争和押金返还制度均可以提高闭环供应链中废旧电器电子产品的回收率;与对制造商实施押金返还制度的情形相比,对回收商实施押金返还制度时闭环供应链的总利润和回收率更高。     

制造企业生存和发展的推动力--技术创新

技术创新是制造企业发展的原动力和核心竞争力.培养员工的创新精神,营造有利于创新的企业文化环境,制定符合制造企业发展要求的创新策略,建立鼓励创新的管理机制和创新能力评价体系是提高制造企业创新能力的关键.     

零售企业自有品牌研究述评

在竞争激烈的零售业,自有品牌一直是近些年一个重要的话题。当前,自有品牌的研究主要集中在制造企业、零售企业和消费者三个方面,消费者为何选择自有品牌而不是制造商品牌、消费者的购买行为和特征、零售企业的自有品牌发展战略是研究中的热点话题。未来的研究应该更关注零售企业与制造企业的合作、自有品牌的品牌形象和价值以及自有品牌的社会价值、社会成本等因素。     

离散型制造企业RFID应用策略研究

本文回顾了RFID在离散制造企业的应用研究成果,分析了应用中存在的主要问题和应用需求.在此基础上,提出了离散制造企业RFID应用的目标和原则,把RFID应用分为单元业务应用、部门级应用、企业整体优化应用和供应链应用四个层次.最后提出了企业的RFID应用策略,并以江淮乘用车关键件跟踪方案为例,验证了策略的合理性.     

汇率传递效应与厂商决策行为——基于人民币升值背景下出口产品定价的理论分析

现有的关于汇率传递效应的分析和研究,主要集中在汇率波动对出口价格的影响、进出口价格的贸易条件,以及与此相关的反映汇率传递程度的产品替代性、地域性特征和市场组织等方面,而没有对引发汇率传递效应的厂商决策行为予以关注。其实,汇率传递效应是特定汇率制度下厂商决策行为的结果。人民币升值背景下的出口产品定价,可以在理论上看成是受汇率波动驱动而关联于物价水平、产品结构、技术梯度、国际收支平衡等的函数;厂商是出口产品定价者的事实,会涉及对上述函数中各因素的认知,而这种认知会形成厂商的选择偏好和效用期望,从而决定厂商的决策行为。作为对人民币升值背景下出口产品定价的一种理论探讨,可以围绕汇率波动来刻画厂商在出口产品定价中的选择偏好和效用期望,以说明汇率传递效应与厂商决策行为之间的联系。