A key feature of globalisation is the increasing economic and political importance of global stan... more A key feature of globalisation is the increasing economic and political importance of global standards. They have emerged to address a wide range of issues, from quality assurance, food safety, working conditions, to various ethical, environmental and social concerns. Compliance with global standards is a key policy concern, especially in developing countries. More gener-ally, understanding the making, working and implications of these standards is important for policy makers and researchers. But the task is a difficult one. A major problem lies in the proliferation of standards. This paper seeks to reduce the complexity and confusion. It pre-sents a typology of global standards in quality assurance, food safety, environment and social concerns. In doing so, it identifies the networks of actors engaged in the stages of formulation and implementation, and shows how distinguishing between different generations of stan-dards helps to understand the bewildering array of current standard...
A critical challenge facing developing country producers is to meet international labour standard... more A critical challenge facing developing country producers is to meet international labour standards and codes of conduct in order to engage in global production networks. Evidence of gains for workers from compliance with such standards and codes remains limited and patchy. This paper focuses on the global football industry, a sector dominated by leading global brands who manage dispersed global production networks. It assesses the work conditions for football stitchers engaged in different forms of work organisation, factories, stitching centres, and home-based settings, in Pakistan, India, and China. It draws on detailed qualitative primary field research with football stitching workers and producers in these three countries. The paper explains how, and why, work conditions of football stitchers differ across these locations through an analytical framework that interweaves both global and local production contexts that influence work condition. In doing so, it argues that current debates on the role of labour in global production networks have to go beyond a narrow focus on labour standards and CSR compliance and engage with economic, technological and social upgrading as factors that could generate sustained improvements in real wages and workers conditions.
Asian trans-national garment manufacturers are transforming the structure of global value chains ... more Asian trans-national garment manufacturers are transforming the structure of global value chains in the apparel industry. Recent studies show such first tier suppliers undertaking a greater range of functional activities. In many cases, these firms originate from the so-called 'Rising Power' economies, particularly 'Greater China' and South Asia. We argue that such, transnational, Asian firms can play a pivotal and strategic role in shaping the geography and organisational restructuring of the global value chain. Drawing on secondary sources and primary research we illustrate how such firms manage complex international production linkages, and ensure the incorporation of Jordan into the global garment industry. The paper contributes to the understanding of the role of these firms and how their behaviour is driven by complex dynamics linked to their own business strategies, their linkages with buyers, and their ability to exploit production and trade opportunities while maintaining high levels of global locational flexibility.
Global trade governance is increasingly characterized by a growing fragility in multilateral inst... more Global trade governance is increasingly characterized by a growing fragility in multilateral institutions and a preference for bilateral negotiations. The literature on such negotiations focuses primarily on successful agreements. Academic research on unsuccessful or stalled bilateral talks is limited, although better understanding of such outcomes may provide lessons for future negotiations. This article contributes to such understanding by proposing a revised open economy politics (OEP) framework, adapted to ‘second generation’ OEP analysis. Our framework highlights the multidirectional linkages between the trinity of interests, institutions and international interactions within trade negotiations, while adding the role of power and ideas to the analysis. We leverage our revised framework to explore why the European Union–India Free Trade Agreement (EUIFTA) negotiations stalled, thus providing insights as negotiators seek to revive them. Drawing on 45 semi-structured interviews co...
Despite the recognition that trade policy—in particular, tariff regimes and rules of origin—can a... more Despite the recognition that trade policy—in particular, tariff regimes and rules of origin—can affect the geography of production, much GPN analyses pay scant attention to the tariff context of the sector studied. This paper proposes an analytical framework to more effectively integrate these regimes into applied GPN research. We test the framework, drawing on analysis of exports to the EU market in four sectors: textiles and apparel, floriculture, fisheries and leather goods. The analysis confirms that, in the presence of high tariffs, preferences do seem to impact on sourcing for the EU market.
Germany. This paper is an output of the research project „The interaction of local and global gov... more Germany. This paper is an output of the research project „The interaction of local and global governance: implications for industrial upgrading“. This project, which is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, is a joint initiative of the Institute for Development and Peace of the University of Duisburg, Germany, and the Institute of Development Studies at the University of
The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and should not be attributed to UNIDO o... more The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and should not be attributed to UNIDO or, in the case of external experts, to the institutions they may represent. Nor do the conclusions represent official policy of UNIDO.
The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and should not be attributed to UNIDO o... more The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and should not be attributed to UNIDO or, in the case of external experts, to the institutions they may represent. Nor do the conclusions represent official policy of UNIDO.
The process of change in the tenurial structure of Punjab's agriculture from sharecropping te... more The process of change in the tenurial structure of Punjab's agriculture from sharecropping tenancy to an owner-cultivation with a wage-labour system of production has been well-documented in. [Alavi (1976); Hamid (1980); Hussain (1980); Khan (1981); Khan (1983); and Mahmood (1977)] . It has been argued that this has come about through the induction of the new technologies (firstly in the form of tube well irrigation and subsequently followed by the biological and mechanical technologies) associated with the "Green Revolution". In Sind, however, in spite of the use of modern technology, the tenancy-based system of production still predominates. According to the 1980 Census of Agriculture, tenant farms were the largest single category of farms in Sind (with 49 percent of all farms). This study, which reports preliminary findings from lower Sind, uses the framework of interlinked factor markets [Bardhan and Rudra (1978); and Bardhan (1980)] to see if mutually desirable in...
Global brands remain under increasing pressure to ensure labor standards and codes of conduct are... more Global brands remain under increasing pressure to ensure labor standards and codes of conduct are met by their suppliers. Little is known about how this is addressed by lower tier suppliers. We investigate whether, and how, occupational health and safety standards permeate down the computer industry value chain. We compare first and second tier suppliers' engagement with a private voluntary industry code, the Electronic Industry Code of Conduct, and the publicly regulated European Union Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances. We find the industry code absent at the lower tier, yet second tier suppliers do implement the European Union Directive. This is achieved without support from public agencies or global value chain linkages. Our findings question the emphasis placed on chain governance in studies of labor compliance in global value chains, and suggest that alternative and complementary approaches may be required for effective labor compliance throughout the value chain.
This paper explores the intersection between three processes associated with globalisation. First... more This paper explores the intersection between three processes associated with globalisation. First, the rise of emerging economies like China, Brazil and India, the socalled 'Rising Powers', and their potential to define the contours of globalisation, global production arrangements and global governance in the twenty-first century. Second, the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals in the shaping of global trade rules and industrial practices. Third, the significance of small firm clusters as critical sites of industrial competitiveness. Some of the most significant examples of successful, innovative and internationally competitive small firm clusters from the developing world are located in the 'Rising Powers' and cluster promotion is a core element of national industrial policy in some of these countries. There is also evidence of engagement by clustered actors with corporate social responsibility goals around labour and environmental impacts. While these three processes have been separately studied there has been no attempt to explore their intersections. This paper addresses this gap through a comparative analysis of secondary data, and a detailed reading of the literature, on CSR and clusters in Brazil, China and India. It assesses the evidence on small firm clusters in the Rising Power economies and considers how these Rising Power clusters engage with CSR goals pertaining to labour, social and environmental standards. It argues for a greater focus on the formal and informal institutional context, termed the 'social contract', in explaining divergent experiences and practices observed across these countries. This raises important questions for future academic and policy research on clusters, CSR and the Rising Powers. The paper concludes by outlining a research agenda to explore the local and global consequences of the relationship between Rising Power clusters and international labour and environmental standards.
Terry Pearce provided most valuable technical support throughout the period of producing this col... more Terry Pearce provided most valuable technical support throughout the period of producing this collection of articles. John Humphrey gave very helpful comments on an earlier draft of this introduction. We are grateful for all support received and accept responsibility for the entire project.
A key feature of globalisation is the increasing economic and political importance of global stan... more A key feature of globalisation is the increasing economic and political importance of global standards. They have emerged to address a wide range of issues, from quality assurance, food safety, working conditions, to various ethical, environmental and social concerns. Compliance with global standards is a key policy concern, especially in developing countries. More gener-ally, understanding the making, working and implications of these standards is important for policy makers and researchers. But the task is a difficult one. A major problem lies in the proliferation of standards. This paper seeks to reduce the complexity and confusion. It pre-sents a typology of global standards in quality assurance, food safety, environment and social concerns. In doing so, it identifies the networks of actors engaged in the stages of formulation and implementation, and shows how distinguishing between different generations of stan-dards helps to understand the bewildering array of current standard...
A critical challenge facing developing country producers is to meet international labour standard... more A critical challenge facing developing country producers is to meet international labour standards and codes of conduct in order to engage in global production networks. Evidence of gains for workers from compliance with such standards and codes remains limited and patchy. This paper focuses on the global football industry, a sector dominated by leading global brands who manage dispersed global production networks. It assesses the work conditions for football stitchers engaged in different forms of work organisation, factories, stitching centres, and home-based settings, in Pakistan, India, and China. It draws on detailed qualitative primary field research with football stitching workers and producers in these three countries. The paper explains how, and why, work conditions of football stitchers differ across these locations through an analytical framework that interweaves both global and local production contexts that influence work condition. In doing so, it argues that current debates on the role of labour in global production networks have to go beyond a narrow focus on labour standards and CSR compliance and engage with economic, technological and social upgrading as factors that could generate sustained improvements in real wages and workers conditions.
Asian trans-national garment manufacturers are transforming the structure of global value chains ... more Asian trans-national garment manufacturers are transforming the structure of global value chains in the apparel industry. Recent studies show such first tier suppliers undertaking a greater range of functional activities. In many cases, these firms originate from the so-called 'Rising Power' economies, particularly 'Greater China' and South Asia. We argue that such, transnational, Asian firms can play a pivotal and strategic role in shaping the geography and organisational restructuring of the global value chain. Drawing on secondary sources and primary research we illustrate how such firms manage complex international production linkages, and ensure the incorporation of Jordan into the global garment industry. The paper contributes to the understanding of the role of these firms and how their behaviour is driven by complex dynamics linked to their own business strategies, their linkages with buyers, and their ability to exploit production and trade opportunities while maintaining high levels of global locational flexibility.
Global trade governance is increasingly characterized by a growing fragility in multilateral inst... more Global trade governance is increasingly characterized by a growing fragility in multilateral institutions and a preference for bilateral negotiations. The literature on such negotiations focuses primarily on successful agreements. Academic research on unsuccessful or stalled bilateral talks is limited, although better understanding of such outcomes may provide lessons for future negotiations. This article contributes to such understanding by proposing a revised open economy politics (OEP) framework, adapted to ‘second generation’ OEP analysis. Our framework highlights the multidirectional linkages between the trinity of interests, institutions and international interactions within trade negotiations, while adding the role of power and ideas to the analysis. We leverage our revised framework to explore why the European Union–India Free Trade Agreement (EUIFTA) negotiations stalled, thus providing insights as negotiators seek to revive them. Drawing on 45 semi-structured interviews co...
Despite the recognition that trade policy—in particular, tariff regimes and rules of origin—can a... more Despite the recognition that trade policy—in particular, tariff regimes and rules of origin—can affect the geography of production, much GPN analyses pay scant attention to the tariff context of the sector studied. This paper proposes an analytical framework to more effectively integrate these regimes into applied GPN research. We test the framework, drawing on analysis of exports to the EU market in four sectors: textiles and apparel, floriculture, fisheries and leather goods. The analysis confirms that, in the presence of high tariffs, preferences do seem to impact on sourcing for the EU market.
Germany. This paper is an output of the research project „The interaction of local and global gov... more Germany. This paper is an output of the research project „The interaction of local and global governance: implications for industrial upgrading“. This project, which is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, is a joint initiative of the Institute for Development and Peace of the University of Duisburg, Germany, and the Institute of Development Studies at the University of
The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and should not be attributed to UNIDO o... more The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and should not be attributed to UNIDO or, in the case of external experts, to the institutions they may represent. Nor do the conclusions represent official policy of UNIDO.
The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and should not be attributed to UNIDO o... more The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and should not be attributed to UNIDO or, in the case of external experts, to the institutions they may represent. Nor do the conclusions represent official policy of UNIDO.
The process of change in the tenurial structure of Punjab's agriculture from sharecropping te... more The process of change in the tenurial structure of Punjab's agriculture from sharecropping tenancy to an owner-cultivation with a wage-labour system of production has been well-documented in. [Alavi (1976); Hamid (1980); Hussain (1980); Khan (1981); Khan (1983); and Mahmood (1977)] . It has been argued that this has come about through the induction of the new technologies (firstly in the form of tube well irrigation and subsequently followed by the biological and mechanical technologies) associated with the "Green Revolution". In Sind, however, in spite of the use of modern technology, the tenancy-based system of production still predominates. According to the 1980 Census of Agriculture, tenant farms were the largest single category of farms in Sind (with 49 percent of all farms). This study, which reports preliminary findings from lower Sind, uses the framework of interlinked factor markets [Bardhan and Rudra (1978); and Bardhan (1980)] to see if mutually desirable in...
Global brands remain under increasing pressure to ensure labor standards and codes of conduct are... more Global brands remain under increasing pressure to ensure labor standards and codes of conduct are met by their suppliers. Little is known about how this is addressed by lower tier suppliers. We investigate whether, and how, occupational health and safety standards permeate down the computer industry value chain. We compare first and second tier suppliers' engagement with a private voluntary industry code, the Electronic Industry Code of Conduct, and the publicly regulated European Union Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances. We find the industry code absent at the lower tier, yet second tier suppliers do implement the European Union Directive. This is achieved without support from public agencies or global value chain linkages. Our findings question the emphasis placed on chain governance in studies of labor compliance in global value chains, and suggest that alternative and complementary approaches may be required for effective labor compliance throughout the value chain.
This paper explores the intersection between three processes associated with globalisation. First... more This paper explores the intersection between three processes associated with globalisation. First, the rise of emerging economies like China, Brazil and India, the socalled 'Rising Powers', and their potential to define the contours of globalisation, global production arrangements and global governance in the twenty-first century. Second, the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals in the shaping of global trade rules and industrial practices. Third, the significance of small firm clusters as critical sites of industrial competitiveness. Some of the most significant examples of successful, innovative and internationally competitive small firm clusters from the developing world are located in the 'Rising Powers' and cluster promotion is a core element of national industrial policy in some of these countries. There is also evidence of engagement by clustered actors with corporate social responsibility goals around labour and environmental impacts. While these three processes have been separately studied there has been no attempt to explore their intersections. This paper addresses this gap through a comparative analysis of secondary data, and a detailed reading of the literature, on CSR and clusters in Brazil, China and India. It assesses the evidence on small firm clusters in the Rising Power economies and considers how these Rising Power clusters engage with CSR goals pertaining to labour, social and environmental standards. It argues for a greater focus on the formal and informal institutional context, termed the 'social contract', in explaining divergent experiences and practices observed across these countries. This raises important questions for future academic and policy research on clusters, CSR and the Rising Powers. The paper concludes by outlining a research agenda to explore the local and global consequences of the relationship between Rising Power clusters and international labour and environmental standards.
Terry Pearce provided most valuable technical support throughout the period of producing this col... more Terry Pearce provided most valuable technical support throughout the period of producing this collection of articles. John Humphrey gave very helpful comments on an earlier draft of this introduction. We are grateful for all support received and accept responsibility for the entire project.
Uploads
Papers by Khalid Nadvi