"Predictors of Trust in Buyer-Supplier Relations: A Contextual and Cultural Comparison of Japan and Turkey"

Trust is a dimension of buyer-supplier relations being researched widely, but studies have generally focused on developed economies. Developing countries, however, have contextual and cultural factors that may differentiate them from developed countries. This study attempts to apply a theoretical model developed for the US, Japan, and Korea to a developing country context, namely Turkey. While Turkey has cultural similarities to Japan in terms of collectivism and risk aversion, the results of the theoretical model show that is does not fit the Turkish case. Suggestions are made to extend the model theoretically and measurement-wise to help explain trust building factors in developing countries.

Selective Industrial and Trade Policies in Developing Countries: Theoretical and Empirical Issues

This paper analyses the case for selective industrial and trade policies in Africa, drawing upon the lessons of East Asia. It reviews the theoretical arguments for government intervention in the context of technological learning, and relates this to the new environment of rapid technical change and globalisation of production. It also considers the risks of government failure in mounting selective policies, and concludes that the degree of selectivity has to be much less than in East Asia. The case for selective policies nevertheless remains strong, if Africa is to make any industrial progress.

Upgrading strategies in global furniture value chains

Abstract not available

Retailer Brand Development and Handling Processes: A Comparative Study of Tesco Korea and Local Korean Retailers

This research began with the question: why is the retailer brand market share of Tesco Korea higher than that of local Korean retailers? Of the foreign grocery retailers who have expanded into Korea, Tesco has achieved the most outstanding performance, with the highest retailer brand share in the market. After the withdrawal of Wal-Mart and Carrefour from Korea in 2006, Tesco Korea has been positioned as the successful foreign retailer. Accordingly, how the retail operation of Tesco Korea differs from that of the local Korean retailers attracted the author’s interest, specifically in terms of the development and handling processes of the retailer brand. Rather than examining the customer perceptions of both Tesco Korea and the domestic Korean retailers, the researcher concentrated on identifying the differences between both parties from the point of view of their retailer brand program operations. Based on in-depth interviews with retailers and suppliers, store observations, the author’s own experience in retailer brand development, and company documentation, this research explored the differences between Tesco Korea and domestic Korean retailers in how they develop and handle their own brands. Tesco Korea has taken advantage of retailing know-how, that is, retailer brand development skills created by Tesco UK. With the help of Tesco UK, the retailer brand development process of Tesco Korea is differentiated in a number of areas from that of the local Korean retailers. The flows of retailing know-how from Tesco UK to Tesco Korea has also influenced the whole retailer brand market in Korea, as well as stimulated the local Korean retailers to improve their retailer brand development skills. The entry of retailers with advanced retailer brand development knowledge into markets where retailer brands are less well developed is a catalyst in promoting retailer brand markets, and in intensifying retail competition. Also, the retailer brand development know-how of domestic retailers is enhanced by imitating or benchmarking foreign retailers. This research suggests that retailer brand share is related to the degree to which retailers are proactively involved in the development and handling processes for retailer brand product ranges, as well as to how sophisticated or advanced their knowledge of the retailer brand development process is. Advanced development and handling skills make a considerable contribution to increasing retailer brand share in markets with a lower share or no presence of retailer brands

Biosafety decisions and perceived commercial risks: The role of GM-free private standards

"We herein investigate the observed discrepancy between real and perceived commercial risks associated with the use of genetically modified (GM) products in developing countries. We focus particularly on the effects of GM-free private standards set up by food companies in Europe and other countries on biotechnology and biosafety policy decisions in food-exporting developing countries. Based on field visits made to South Africa, Namibia, and Kenya in June 2007, and secondary information from the press and various publications, we find 31 cases of interactions between private GM-free standards and biosafety policy decisions in 21 countries. Although we cannot infer the direct involvement of supermarkets and food companies in biosafety policy processes in developing countries, we find that by setting up GM-free standards, these actors are indirectly influential via their local traders, who face the possibility of exclusion if they do not comply with the standards. Organic producers' and anti-GM organizations also play a role in spreading perceptions of commercial risks that are not always justified. By comparing cases, we differentiate three types of relevant commercial risks: real risks, potential risks, and unproven risks. We then identify two critical, yet misleading, presumptions perpetuated by the various interest groups to spread the fear of potential or unproven risks: the infeasibility of non-GM product segregation and the lack of alternative buyers. We also find that information asymmetries and risk-averse behaviors related to perceived market power can help insert unfounded export concerns into biosafety or biotechnology policy decisions. The results of our analysis are used to suggest a simple framework to separate real commercial risks from others, based on five critical questions designed to aid decision makers when they face pressures to reject GM crop testing, application, consumption or use for fear of alleged export losses. " from authors' abstractGenetically modified food, Private standards, International trade, Biosafety, Science and technology, biotechnology, Developing countries,

Contribution of foreign direct investment to poverty reduction: The case of Vietnam in the 1990s

In the current context of increasing globalisation, there exist many arguments against it in that it does not benefit the poor. Globalisation through foreign direct investment (FDI) might do nothing for the poor since foreign investors usually recruit skilled workers who are likely to be non-poor. FDI may outcompete local small enterprises making local workers become poor or the poor workers worse. Nevertheless, whether this presumption is true in every developing country is still open to discussion. The paper aims at analysing impacts of FDI on poverty reduction in Vietnam in the 1990s because following the economic reform in the late 1980s Vietnam achieved high economic growth, rapid poverty reduction, increasing FDI and trade. FDI is also considered an integral component of the economy. Hence to what extent FDI contributes to poverty reduction may be a relevant question to the country that was characterised by widespread poverty in the 1980s. The paper analyses FDI's impact on poverty reduction in Vietnam through direct and indirect impacts. The direct impact of FDI works through employment creation and it is estimated to be negative but insignificant. The indirect impact of FDI works through FDI's effect on economic growth and through FDI's contribution to the local budgets. Regarding FDI's contribution to growth, estimated coefficients are significantly positive based on panel data covering 61 provinces of Vietnam and the 1990-2000 period. Furthermore, FDI interacts positively with local human capital in affecting economic growth. Economic growth is then estimated to exert significantly positive impacts on the magnitude of poverty reduction results. Therefore, FDI has indirectly helped reduce poverty in Vietnam. Regarding FDI's contribution to the local budget, this effect remains insignificant. Globalisation through FDI thus benefits the poor. Policy implications then include policies that help attract FDI continuously, policies that facilitate the implementation of registered foreign investment projects and policies that upgrade the quality of the labour workforce. --

Expectations in Relation to Factory Closures and Mass-Dismissals Clean Clothes Campaign E-Bulletin, September 2007

This document is part of a digital collection provided by the Martin P. Catherwood Library, ILR School, Cornell University, pertaining to the effects of globalization on the workplace worldwide. Special emphasis is placed on labor rights, working conditions, labor market changes, and union organizing.CCC_Expectations_FactoryClosures.pdf: 84 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

EXPANDING DEVELOPING COUNTRIES´ EXPORTS IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY THE NEED TO EMULATE THE STRATEGIES USED BY TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

World exports have expanded considerably during the past three decades. Developed countries gained more than other countries from this increase because of the strategies adopted by their transnational corporations (TNCs). The strategies of TNCs for international business emphasizes key elements for strengthening the competitiveness of enterprises, especially technology creation and outward foreign direct investment (FDI) to access resources and markets. Most export promotion and development activities carried out by export-oriented enterprises in developing countries contribute little to boosting and upgrading their exports because these activities are based on concepts - basically free trade, comparative advantage and interrelated concepts - that do not capture the driving forces for trade development in today’s global economy. Proponents of almost total trade liberalization and of a limited role of the State in the economy nevertheless overstate the importance of these concepts when advising developing countries on trade strategies. This ideological consideration benefits mainly developed countries’ TNCs, which now dominate world trade. To obtain greater benefits from an outward-oriented development strategy, policy makers in developing countries should support export-oriented enterprises emulating TNCs’ strategies for international business.

Strategic Implications of the Open-Market Paradigm Under Digital Convergence: The Case of Small Business C2C

This article presents the open-market paradigm in the context of digital convergence and proposes strategic directions for open-market participants. Although not a new phenomenon, open market has become the most popular e-business model, linking millions of buyer and seller individuals (Customer to Customer: C2C). This article examines the drivers of digital convergence that enable the open-market paradigm and conducts industry and Blue Ocean analyses for open-market business. Finally, a real-world application – the Cyworld market of Korea – is presented as an illustrative example

Analysis of the Competitiveness of the Pork Industry in Denmark

Now days in the pig industry as well as in other agro food sectors is the competitiveness that declare the success or failure on the global market. In the case of the pig industry, to be competitive it means to be able to offer a product of higher quality than rivals, but at similar price. The Danish pig industry has reached this level of competitiveness mainly thanks to its forward vertical integrated production chain. This specific coordination, besides than to reduce the transaction costs, push toward a production of excellent quality, that can be promptly adjusted according to the consumers demand.competitiveness, Danish pork industry, vertical integration, Livestock Production/Industries,