Global supply network embeddedness and power: An analysis of international joint venture formations

As a subset of the international business literature, cross-border equity based partnerships have drawn significant academic attention. In the context of inter-firm partnerships, the power dynamics between parties and the implications that power has on the relational dynamics between firms is an important consideration. Research that connects power with network theory has recently emerged, suggesting that the network, as a source of power, plays a significant role in inter-firm dynamics. Yet, while there has been a substantial body of work either articulating the antecedents and consequences of power, little research has paid attention to the role that power plays in international JV formations; this presents a significant gap in the international business literature. Consequently, this study investigates the role that global network structure plays in the formation of new equity based international partnerships. Secondly, it contributes to the international JV literature by developing and testing a theoretical framework that examines inter-firm power dynamics as derived from the network position of each firm in the global network. Global network prominence, brokerage and weakness are key factors utilized in the analysis. The hypotheses are tested using a global manufacturing joint venture longitudinal dataset that contains 985,689 observations from 1985 to 2003. The results of the event history analysis indicate that for the manufacturer global network prominence, brokerage and weakness play an important role in new joint venture formations. On the other hand, only global network prominence is a significant factor for the potential partner.     

Output Expectations and Forecasting of UK Manufacturing

This paper analyses both quarterly data from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Survey on respondents’ expectations of recent and forthcoming manufacturing output and monthly Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures on actual manufacturing output within the UK. Quarterly output expectations of the CBI manufacturers are explained from the monthly ONS observations using a bounded rationality approach. The logistic formulation models the diffusion process across respondents. There is a backward-looking CBI Survey perspective, explained by past ONS observations, and a forward-looking perspective, explained from future ONS statistics. Also, the forecasting of monthly manufacturing output from earlier values, along with the quarterly CBI Survey information, is examined and tested against the alternative Pesaran/Thomas method. The study provides econometric evidence for the validity of the logistic model and shows that bounded rationality can explain the formation of predictions among business managers in the UK manufacturing sector. The emerging consensus from the literature, supported by this paper, is that the logistic format is a superior approximation to the true data generating process compared with the earlier standard Anderson/Pesaran/Thomas approach. An adjustment to the Survey is used, which achieves perfect symmetry with up and down versions of the data. The benefits of this adjustment are tested in the forecasting section.

制造业信息化的必由之路——绿色制造

信息技术促使制造技术在发生质的飞跃,在制造业信息化的过程中,为尽可能地避免环境污染和提高资源的利用效率,绿色制造是趋势。它不但使社会健康地发展,而且使制造业赢得市场竞争优势,是人类社会可持续发展战略在制造业中的体现。     

工业互联网平台对产业融合影响的实证研究

工业互联网是推进我国经济高质量发展的重要引擎,是制造业转型升级的加速器。工业互联网平台已成为一种新的经济业态和服务载体,并渗透到产业与企业各个层面,深刻影响着制造业产业融合水平。基于2013—2019年省级面板数据,运用面板分位数回归法,分析工业互联网视角下平台经济发展水平与产业融合的关系,揭示工业互联网平台发展水平对产业融合的作用机理,检验制造业升级对平台经济发展水平与产业融合的中介效应。结果表明,工业互联网平台发展对技术融合与生产性服务业和制造业融合的影响不显著,对供应链与价值链融合有显著正向影响。进一步分析发现,制造业升级在工业互联网平台对供应链与价值链融合的影响中具有完全中介效应。研究结果对揭示工业互联网平台、制造业升级和产业融合三者间关系,推动工业互联网平台赋能制造业融合发展具有重要意义。     

数字经济如何影响制造业全球价值链地位：机制分析与空间溢出

当前,数字经济已成为稳定经济增长的新优势。构建数字经济影响制造业全球价值链地位的数理模型,利用2005—2020年中国省级面板数据,从数字产业化和产业数字化两方面构建省级数字经济发展水平综合评价指标体系,实证研究数字经济对制造业全球价值链地位的影响。结果表明,数字经济能显著提升省域制造业全球价值链地位且具有动态非线性递增效应;与东部地区和非“一带一路”沿线地区相比,数字经济对中西部地区和“一带一路”沿线地区制造业全球价值链地位的提升作用更大。就内在机制而言,提高技术创新能力和推动产业结构升级是数字经济影响制造业全球价值链地位的两条基本路径。进一步的空间杜宾模型分析表明,数字经济对制造业全球价值链地位的影响存在空间溢出效应。     

开放式创新驱动制造业绿色转型了吗——一个有调节的中介效应模型

“双碳”目标和能源转型战略背景下,能否以及如何通过开放式创新驱动制造业绿色转型意义重大。根据2013—2020年中国内地30个省份面板数据,构建有调节的中介效应双向固定效应模型,探究开放式创新对制造业绿色转型绩效的影响效果及实现路径。结果表明,开放式创新通过提升技术研发能力、优化能源消费结构显著影响并提升制造业绿色转型绩效,其作用效果受到市场结构调节。异质性分析发现,双向开放式创新对制造业绿色转型绩效的作用存在差异,内向型开放式创新的驱动作用强于外向型开放式创新。研究可为中国制造业扩大创新优势、加速绿色转型提供政策参考与经验借鉴。     

产业内贸易对劳动力市场调整的影响分析——基于中国制造业面板数据的SAH检验

随着中国经济全球化进程的深化,外贸对国内经济的影响日益显著。根据平滑调整假说(SAH),劳动力市场调整成本会随着产业内贸易水平的提高而降低。基于中国制造业22个细分行业面板数据进行检验,本文发现间隔3年的边际内产业指数最为有效,且产业内贸易水平对劳动力市场调整具有滞后效应,但回归分析结果并不支持SAH。随着产业内贸易比例扩大,劳动力的产业间调整增加,而并非产业内的调整。此外,劳动生产率和国内显性需求对劳动力市场调整有很大影响,在产业内贸易水平较高的行业内,劳动生产率的这种影响更加显著,而显性需求和产业内贸易水平影响作用较弱。     

THE IMPACT OF DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN COMPETITION ON SECTORAL GROWTH: A CROSS‐COUNTRY ANALYSIS

This paper examines the impact of competition on the total factor productivity (TFP) of 21 manufacturing sectors in eighteen OECD countries over the period of time 1990–2006. We assume that the source of TFP growth can be either domestic or foreign innovation or technology transfer from the technological frontier. Trade openness, R&D, and human capital can have two effects: a direct effect on TFP (e.g., through innovation) and an indirect effect depending on the productivity gap between a given country and the technological frontier. We find that tougher domestic competition is always associated with higher sectoral productivity. Both import and export penetrations are positively associated with an increase of TFP. However, the channels through which higher TFP is materialized are different: export penetration works through level effect, while import penetration acts mainly when conditional on the level of technological development. The economical magnitude of the effect is not trivial.     

A conceptual framework for product lifecycle modelling

Product lifecycle modelling is to define and represent product lifecycle data and to maintain data interdependencies. To build a complete, reusable and highly consistent product lifecycle information model, the product lifecycle is divided into five stages: requirement analysis, conceptual design, engineering design, manufacturing, and service and support. Accordingly, five stage product models (requirement analysis model, conceptual design model, engineering design model, manufacturing model, and service and support model) are discussed. To integrate all information of a product lifecycle and support networked manufacturing mode, the key elements of product lifecycle modelling are discussed and a framework of product lifecycle modelling is proposed. Further, the relationship and evolvement of product models at different stages are described. Finally, a Web-based integration framework is proposed to support interoperability of distributed product data sources.     

External linkages and product innovation in small manufacturing firms

The requirement for small firms to collaborate, as a means to supplementing and complementing limited internal resources, has dominated much of the academic and policy debate on regional development and small firm innovation throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. However, relatively little empirical work has sought to look further than simple frequency enumeration - noting that the most innovative and better performing firms are generally more likely to have links with external organizations. Based upon a sample of 228 small West Midlands' manufacturers, this study considers the source, function, geography and strength of innovation-related co-operation. While the general findings point to innovators making greater use of external linkages, of certain types and in particular directions (notably the preponderance of vertical value chain linkages), the results are less emphatic than might have been anticipated. This leads to consideration of the factors contributing to and impeding joint innovation and the firms' perceptions of the impact of innovation. From this, it appears that much of the observed difference between innovators and non-innovators lies in less objective measures. The data suggest the importance of inter-personal dynamics, attitude and expectations in facilitating successful collaboration.