New IT Business Models in the "Asian Age" - Multilateral Collaboration and Business Innovation

China, after its implementation of foreign direct investment policy in December 1978, has continued to receive investments from international companies, and this has been one of the primary driving engines behind the Asian business development. Electronics products originating either from U.S.A. or Europe have experienced tremendous industry shifts to the Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China. This paper examines, from the general perspective, the recent development of the Asian electronics industry and business models focusing on the personal computers and mobile communication products. Based on the analysis of the basic characteristics of the business models developed in Asia, future strategic directions for Japanese firms in the “Asian Age” will be discussed. Due to the interconnected global environment, the competition field has increasingly become leveled out. In the light of the global nature of the playing field, a multilateral collaboration approach will be emphasized and a complementary relationship will be sought.IT Business; "Asian Age"; China; Multilateral Collaboration

Global Production Networks and Industrial Upgrading in China: The Case in Electronics Contract Manufacturing.

The paper analyzes the networks of U.S. and Taiwan based electronics contract manufacturers in South China, today the world´s most important location for low-cost mass production in the electronics industry. Based on extensive empirical research, the paper traces the production sites, the organization of manufacturing, and the workforce policies of contract manufacturers in the region, and discusses perspectives and limits of industrial upgrading, especially with regard to the role of labor. In theoretical terms, the author attempts to integrate an analysis of "global flagship networks" with concepts of industrial sociology.

A Region-based Business Ecosystem for Industrial Upgrading: Evidence from the Electronics Industry of Shenzhen

This dissertation explores the underlying mechanisms for the upgrading process of the electronics industry in Shenzhen. Industrial upgrading has been an international phenomenon since the globalisation of manufacturing in the late 1970s but to date no comprehensive framework has been proposed for the industrial upgrading in a region. In recent decades, the trend of manufacturing regionalisation and growing uncertainties associated with electronics products in the global market have driven regions that specialise in electronics manufacturing, such as the Chinese city of Shenzhen, to continuously adjust its industrial systems. Such adjustments are mainly based on the evolving business ecosystem they inhabit, which comprises region-specific resources that can be flexibly leveraged by players such as local firms and the government. To elucidate the interactive mechanisms among actors that facilitate industrial upgrading within the regional business ecosystem, this research integrates and extends the existing literature on industrial upgrading from global and local perspectives and applies a business ecosystem framework to address the main research question and sub-questions: How does a region act as a business ecosystem to facilitate the upgrading of a region- specific industry? 1. What is the evolutionary pattern of a regional resource pool? 2. How to understand the upgrading of a region-specific industry? 3. How does a regional resource pool interact with regional industrial systems to facilitate industrial upgrading? In order to answer these questions, a qualitative study on the Shenzhen-based business ecosystem with two streams of embedded cases – electronics companies that have experienced upgrading in Shenzhen and milestone events in Shenzhen’s industrial development – was conducted following an inductive approach. After detailed individual and cross-case analyses, the research revealed three main findings. Firstly, the evolution of the regional resource pool is driven by both milestone events throughout the industrial development of the region and local firms’ feedback impacts. Secondly, the regional industrial upgrading is an iterative and dynamic process and should be interpreted by adding the regional dimension. At the regional level, there co-exist established industrial systems transformation and new industrial systems emergence throughout the upgrading journey of a region-specific industry. Thirdly, the underlying mechanisms for regional industrial upgrading are enabled by the region-based business ecosystem. A total of eight interactive mechanisms between the regional resource pool and regional industrial systems – four transformation impacts from the resource pool on the industrial system and four feedback impacts from the industrial system on the resource pool – result in an iterative and dynamic co-evolution model that defines the region-based business ecosystem. Theoretically, these findings fill the current scholarly neglect of the fact that a region as a whole can function as a business ecosystem to enhance long-term regional growth through industrial upgrading. In addition to these three main theoretical findings, this PhD research project has a number of practical implications. A mapping tool can be developed for firms or regional governments to use in decision making for industrial development. In addition to the tool development, firms and local government should collaborate following an ecosystem logic to enhance resource strengthening and creation, so as to sustain the regional industrial upgrading. In summary, this dissertation contributes to industrial systems and business ecosystem literatures in its re-conceptualisation of region-based business ecosystems. By introducing the regional dimension into the research of industrial upgrading, the integrative region-based business ecosystem model enriches our understanding of the co-evolution between the industrial systems and resources in a developing region

Platforms, network effects and small business dynamics in China : case study of the Shanzhai cell phone industry

This paper seeks to argue the significance of platforms on emerging markets through a case study of the Shanzhai cell phone industry in Shenzhen, China. In this industry, value chains are being driven by both the technology platforms and the market platforms. The former include MTK baseband chipset, and so-called Shared PCBA and Shared Mould. The latter include the North Huaqiang Market and the Purchasing and Money Platform. Technology platforms greatly reduced the technological barriers to entry for independent design houses and system integrators, while market platforms markedly improved their poor marketing and purchasing abilities. Due to factors such as social networks, supporting industries, informality and platform governance, strong network effects have been exhibited in the two types of platforms, which have not only fostered numerous start-ups, but have also led to effective exploitation of emerging markets.China, Electronic industries, Telephone, Network, Platform, Network effect, Shanzhai Cell Phone, Emerging markets

Internationalization strategy of a service firm: live forum TV in Hong Kong

Throughout the age of globalization, the internationalization of business and entities grows importance. When considering a mode of internationalization, various different factors come into play that effect how to create a strategy for entering a new market. Regardless of cultures merging to a new global society, each market faces its own new challenges and obstacles coming from one country into the next. When studying the literature on the internationalization of services, a standardized strategy proves nonexistent, with limited scientific and academic the models and theories for the entry mode strategy. Nevertheless throughout the age of globalization, the internationalization of business and entities grows importance. This research will examine which country would prove as the best fit for the launch of Live Forum Foundation and furthermore analyse the risk in launching in that country. The objective of this research is to define what is the best fit internationalization strategy for the organization, foreign market will best sustain the launch of Live Forum TV, and what are the risks and recommendations in launching in that market. Live Forum TV is a television format created by the Foundation headed by Michael Davis. The TV format will be launched on local broadcasting in a foreign market that currently struggles with miscommunication between the government officials and public. The debates discussed on the TV program will prove as a solution for the inefficiencies nations currently face in a budding or developed democratic system. Hong Kong proves as the best-fit market for the internationalization of Live Forum TV as the telecommunication infrastructure of the market is the strongest in the Asia- Pacific region with high penetration of cable TV in households and usage of internetconnecting devices such as smartphones. Most importantly, Hong Kong currently faces a great need for solution to the political gridlock between pro-democratic and pro- Beijing forces that struggle to find a balance on topics such as universal suffrage

Introduction

This book investigates restructuring in the electronics industry and in particular the impact of a \u2018Chinese\u2019 labour regime on work and employ - ment practices in electronics assembly in Europe.1 Electronics is an extremely dynamic sector, characterized by an ever-changing organi - zational structure, as well as cut-throat competition, particularly in manufacturing. Located primarily in East Asia, electronics assembly has become notorious for poor working conditions, low unionisation and authoritarian labour relations. However, hostile labour relations and topdown HR policies are not unique to East Asia. They have become associated with the way the sector is governed more broadly, with a number of Western companies also coming to rely on such practices

The case of Foxconn in Turkey: benefiting from free labour and anti-union policy

Starting from the 2000s Foxconn invested in Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Russia and Turkey, implementing a territorial diversification strategy aimed at getting nearer to its end markets. This chapter investigates the development of Foxconn in Turkey where the multinational owns a plant with about 400 workers. A few kilometres from the city of \uc7orlu and close to highways, ports and international airports, the plant enables Foxconn to implement an efficient global supply chain. We illustrate this process by examining the company\u2019s localisation within a special economic zone, underlining the economic advantages derived from such a tax regime, bringing labour costs down to the Chinese level and obtaining proximity to European, North African and Middle East customers, thus lowering logistic costs. We also analyse the roles of labour flexibility and trade unions. In order to impose far-reaching flexibility on its workers Foxconn put in place a range of strategies, including an hours bank system, multitask operators and the recruitment of apprentices thanks a special programme funded by the state. We show how these have been crucial for Foxconn\u2019s just-in-time production contrasting its labour turnover problem. Finally, we highlight how the company has been able to implement a flexible working pattern, weaken the trade unions and undercut workers\u2019 opposition, thanks to favourable labour laws approved by successive governments in the past thirty years

Flexible workforces and low profit margins: electronics assembly between Europe and China

This book investigates restructuring in the electronics industry and in particular the impact of a \u2018Chinese\u2019 labour regime on work and employ - ment practices in electronics assembly in Europe.1 Electronics is an extremely dynamic sector, characterized by an ever-changing organi - zational structure, as well as cut-throat competition, particularly in manufacturing. Located primarily in East Asia, electronics assembly has become notorious for poor working conditions, low unionisation and authoritarian labour relations. However, hostile labour relations and topdown HR policies are not unique to East Asia. They have become associated with the way the sector is governed more broadly, with a number of Western companies also coming to rely on such practices