Manufacturing activities in the personal computer industry are organised in a complex global production network (GPN) led by a variety of branded global lead firms. Increasingly, considerations on environmental, health and safety governance have emerged as an important element to the management and co-ordination of these production networks by lead firms. Within the personal computer GPN, the printed circuit board (PCB) industry is commonly subcontracted by branded firms to suppliers located in developing countries such as Penang, Malaysia. The activities of PCB manufacturing and assembly involve the use of various hazardous chemicals that pose environmental health risks to workers. This research aims to understand how governance over environmental health is implemented in the GPN led by Hewlett Packard (HP) and in particular with lower tier suppliers in the printed circuit board industry in Penang, Malaysia. The main research question is: how are environmental health concerns managed by governance mechanisms in GPNs that involve the relocation of harmful manufacturing activities to developing countries? Governance mechanisms within the GPN include private standards and codes of conduct, which are supplemented by government regulation in the host country. Governance outcomes are shaped by relations between firms and non-firm actors such as government agencies, civil society organisations and trade unions. Therefore, a GPN analytical framework is utilised to understand more specifically how a variety of firm and non-firm actors and their relationships and power dynamics influence governance practices in the industry. Fieldwork for the research was conducted in 2008 and 2010 and consisted of semi-structured in-person and telephone interviews with thirty seven key actors in Malaysia, Western Europe, and the United States. Key informants included HP; first tier suppliers to HP and second tier suppliers located in Penang, Malaysia; global and Malaysian civil society organisations; an international federation of trade unions and Malaysian trade unions; Malaysian government agencies; and a politician, occupational health doctor and journalist in Penang. The findings from this research show that a combination of factors results in a weak scenario for governing environmental health risks of suppliers in Penang. These factors are resource constraints among suppliers; weak host country capacity and willingness to regulate; weak knowledge of environmental health risks by firms and regulatory agencies; and weak contestation by external stakeholders. Findings from the analysis also show the need to have differentiated views of power amongst different actor relationships in order to understand the complexity of GPN governance.

ABSTRACTDate: Seminar Date: 2 June 2020, Submission Date: 7 June 2020Level: Bachelor thesis in Business Administration, 15 crInstitution: School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen UniversityAuthors: Gabriel Arteaga Fakhri Qusay Shehab Christine Katusabe Mukidi(96/03/31) (99/01/05) (97/05/15)Title: Global Value Chains, the effects and responses of Multinational Enterprises in a crisis environment: A case study on the effects of the COVID-19 crisisTutor: Edward GillmoreKeywords: Global Value Chain, Contingency, Resource-based Management, Global Crisis, Multinational EnterprisesResearch questions:RQ 1: How does a global crisis affect the parts of multinational enterprises’ global value chain?RQ 2: How do multinational enterprises respond to a global crisis with their functions and actions?Purpose: This study seeks to gain in-depth understanding of how a global crisis can affect an MNE’s production and what response an MNE can use to mitigate the consequences of a global crisis.Method: The method consisted of an abductive approach with the combination of secondary data and semi-structured qualitative interviews with varied top- and middle-level managers within the chosen MNE, to help answer the research questions of the thesis.Conclusion: The global crisis disrupted parts of the MNE’s GVCs and affected demand, business relationships and caused production facilities to shut down. Since the GVCs are being impacted, the COVID-19 crisis has also impacted the way in which an MNE operates. Both MNEs showed the importance of flexibility and adapted their strategies and operations as the crisis progressed.

Globalization transformed supply chains, resulting in increased productivity, complexity, and risk exposure. Textile supply chains are complex and facing similar challenges along with more specific for the industry. Africa is of increasing interest in textile supply chains due to low cost of production. Participating in supply chains through manufacturing, and infrastructural issues limit the possibility of adding value, which is an issue for African countries. The aim of this thesis is to analyze effects of participating in a global textile supply chain, current trends in textile manufacturing, and African countries’ role. Especially of concern for this thesis are South Africa, eastern African countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, and northern African countries such as Morocco. The questions that have been answered are; (1) what trends are impacting textile supply chain manufacturing from a global perspective? and (2) what role does the African region play in textile manufacturing within global supply chains? For this thesis inductive research was performed with relativistic ontology, constructionist epistemology and single case study methodology. Qualitative data was gathered through semi-structured interviews and secondary data, and that data will be thematically analyzed with triangulation between the primary and secondary data. The research found and concluded that the major trends in textile manufacturing are sustainability and nearshoring. Africa’s role in global textile supply chains is mainly through manufacturing with complex supply chains, low education levels, and limited value adding activities. Due to young populations and sustainable practices, there are opportunities for the continent to continue to develop and add more value in the future.

Den globala ekonomin har under de senaste åren påverkats i flera olika aspekter däribland geopolitiska spänningar samt ökade transport-och arbetskostnader, vilket har utmynnat i utmaningar för företags globala värdekedjor. Företag som har globala värdekedjor har ofta valt att utkontraktera delar av sina processer till internationella leverantörer, främst för att ta del av expertis, billig arbetskraft samt närhet till råvaror. Trots fördelarna tillkommer utmaningar och risker som företagen behöver hantera. Det kan vara allt från osäkerheter i form av längre transportsträckor samt svårigheter i att granska standarder och kvalitén vid utkontrakterade produktioner. I samband med detta har företag genom åren velat profilera sig som hållbara och utgått från att försöka balansera miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska hållbarhetsaspekter. Detta är lättare sagt än gjort, och i jakten på högre vinster har de sociala och miljömässiga aspekterna inte alltid blivit lika prioriterade. Detta har bland annat resulterat i att företag utkontrakterar till internationella leverantörer som bland annat har bristande arbetsförhållanden och produktframställning. De miljömässiga konsekvenserna uppstår både på plats där själva aktiviteterna sker och i samband med transportsträckorna. Trots detta har företag av olika anledningar kvar sina internationella leverantörer där företagens förhållningsätt kring de hållbarhetsrelaterade aspekterna skiljer sig åt. Till exempel har en del företag varit omotiverade att hantera problem som inte har en tydlig ekonomisk effekt. Ökade påtryckningar från konsumenter och utökade regleringar har pressat företagens hållbarhetsarbete, både för att bibehålla konkurrenskraft och marknadsposition. Därav finns det företag idag som kan behöva ändra sina värderingar. Detta innebär i sin tur att företagen även kan behöva se över sina befintliga utkontrakteringsstrategier och valet av deras nuvarande internationella leverantörer. Vår studie syftar till att förstå och analysera hur olika företag hanterar och förhåller sig till sociala och miljömässiga hållbarhetsrisker i sina globala värdekedjor i samband med utkontraktering till internationella leverantörer. Vi har genomfört sex semistrukturerade intervjuer för att samla empiriska data som jämförts med teorier om utkontraktering, återhämtningsstrategier, riskidentifiering, hanteringen och externa påtryckningar. Studien omfattar olika branscher och företagsstorlekar för att belysa företagens förhållningsätt och hantering av risker, vilket i sin tur kan skapa igenkänning och inspirera alternativa tillvägagångssätt. Vårt mål är därmed att bidra med förståelse för området och potentiella strategier som kan minimera sociala och miljömässiga hållbarhetsrisker. Detta kan även bidra till företagens framtida arbete och stärka sin position på marknaden. De fem slutsatserna landar i vikten av ett holistiskt synsätt på hållbarhet, vikten av nära samarbete med internationella leverantörer för att hantera kulturella och geografiska distanser. Vidare belyser studiens att risker kan integreras i befintliga riskhanteringssmodeller där kontrollerande och undvikande responsstrategier anses mest relevanta, samt potentiella möjligheter med ett alternativt fokus på ekologisk dominans. Slutligen lyfts behovet om stöd från externa aktörer och strategiska åtaganden inom företagen. Därmed ger studiens resultat både praktiska och teoretiska bidrag och visar att företag som utkontrakterat till internationella leverantörer verkar stå inför komplexa utmaningar relaterade till sociala-och miljömässiga hållbarhetsrisker i sina globala värdekedjor.

in English This diploma thesis encompasses the idea of the economic role of a state in relation to trends of globalization applying political science, political economy and economic geography. The idea goes on by progressively defined conceptions of societal institutions - the concept of a state and political nation on basis of the social contract, the conception of the fair society on basis of the work called Justice as Fairness by John Rawls, conception of globalization in terms of its trends in the area of changing division of work and rising income inequality, and conception of the character of changing roles of a state in relation to globalization and economy. Reference state is a small, internationaly opened, democratic and developed society, which holds western values and norms. It is assumed that in such society individuals pursue their own happiness as a notion of good life. In this aspect Justice as Fairness theory was chosen as a framework for society of equal citizens where economic transactions are considered fair and everybody is given the chance to pursue their own vision of their lives and such state of society shall remain preserved in time. Two main economic roles of a state are concluded by the analysis of consequences of chosen trends of globalization in relation to the...

This thesis has two basic aims. The first aim is to analyze the global value chain of fruits and vegetables and the current international market with apples. The second aim is to analyze the value chain of apples in Czechia and measure its connection to global value chains. The research was carried out by analyzing secondary sources and basing on an own qualitative survey. This thesis is divided into two major parts. The first part deals with the global value chain (GVC) of fruits and vegetables. This chain is examined through five dimensions which are typical for GVC analysis: input-output structure, geographic scope, governance, institutional context and upgrading. The second part focuses only on one specific crop, apples. Firstly, it is studied at the global level, then the thesis concentrates only on the value chain of apples in Czechia.

Embora o Brasil tenha uma das maiores reservas de minério de ferro do mundo, estimada em 170 bilhões de toneladas, e também possua siderúrgicas próximas às minas de ferro, como a Usiminas, por exemplo, o Brasil exporta minério de ferro e importa produtos semi-acabados de aço de outros países, como o Japão e a China. O objetivo desta pesquisa é modelar a cadeia de valor global de ferro e aço e analisar sua dinâmica estrutural para verificar se esse modelo é capaz de determinar os fatores que impulsionam a geração de valor e que levaram alguns países a ter maior impacto sobre seu desenvolvimento econômico do que outros. A modelagem da cadeia de valor usa a técnica padrão de análise de entrada-saída de balanço de massa (método de modelagem estrutural ampliado de Leontief), detalhado na revisão da literatura. Para obter esses resultados, foi necessário coletar e consolidar diferentes bancos de dados utilizando ferramentas capazes de conciliar, tratar e analisar o grande volume de dados presentes nesses diferentes bancos de dados, em diferentes unidades e níveis de agregação. A análise da dinâmica estrutural revelou uma série de aspectos fundamentais para entender a guerra comercial entre os EUA e a China. A China passou de 10% da produção mundial de aço bruto para 50% em 20 anos, reduzindo a relevância de outros países no contexto da cadeia de ferro e aço. Além disso, a análise revelou que o Brasil exporta quase exclusivamente minério de ferro bruto. A Austrália, por exemplo, conseguiu agregar mais valor do que o Brasil. Isso revela, portanto, que a análise da dinâmica estrutural modelada por hipergrafos pode gerar informações semânticas relevantes sobre o contexto, atores e interesses envolvidos e pode servir como um mapa para orientar decisões e políticas voltadas para uma melhor inserção e atuação de um país em uma cadeia global de produção / Although Brazil has one of the largest reserves of iron ore in the world, estimated at 170 billion tons, and also steel mills near the iron mines, such as Usiminas, e.g., Brazil exports iron ore and imports (semi-)finished steel products from other countries, such as Japan and China. The objective of this research is to model the global value chain of iron and steel and to analyse its structural dynamics to verify if this model is able to determine the factors that drive the generation of value and that have led some countries to have greater impact on their economic development than others. Value chain modelling uses the standard mass balance input-output analysis technique (Leontief\'s extended structural modelling method), detailed in the literature review. To obtain these results, it was necessary to collect and consolidate different databases using tools able to reconcile, treat and analyse the large volume of data present in these different databases, in different units and levels of aggregation. The analysis of the structural dynamics revealed a series of fundamental aspects to understand the commercial war between the USA and China. China has shifted from 10% of the world\'s crude steel production to 50% in 20 years, reducing the relevance of other countries in the context of the iron and steel chain. In addition, the analysis revealed that Brazil exports almost exclusively crude iron ore. Australia, for example, was able to add more value than Brazil. This reveals, therefore, that the analysis of the structural dynamics modelled by hyper-graphs can generate relevant semantic information about the context, actors and interests involved and can serve as a map to guide decisions and policies aimed at a better insertion and performance of a country in a global value chain

O estudo tem como objetivo analisar o potencial da Aliança do Pacífico em desenvolver cadeias regionais de valor e conseguir uma melhor inserção nas cadeias globais. Para tanto, com o respaldo da teoria sobre o tema, são analisadas as principais ações que estão sendo empreendidas pelo bloco para este propósito. O estudo investiga também os principais entraves presentes, que dificultam o avanço do processo, a fim de analisar as possibilidades da Aliança do Pacífico em consolidar o seu projeto de integração produtiva. Para tal análise, este estudo está dividido em quatro capítulos, além da introdução e das conclusões. A primeira parte trata sobre a teoria das cadeias globais de valor que tem como objetivo oferecer subsídios para análise do potencial da Aliança do Pacífico em desenvolver a integração produtiva. O segundo capítulo discute o processo de integração produtiva regional uma vez que diversos estudos e análises empíricas indicam que as cadeias globais de valor, em verdade, são articuladas regionalmente. Para tanto, esta parte apresenta alguns estudos teóricos e também empíricos que mostram como a integração regional pode estimular a integração produtiva regional. O terceiro capítulo trata sobre a evolução da Aliança do Pacífico, desde a sua criação até a entrada em vigor do Acordo Marco, ocorrida em julho de 2015. O quarto capítulo apresenta a análise de dados econômicos, principalmente sobre comércio e investimento estrangeiro, para uma melhor compreensão do atual cenário vivido pelos quatro integrantes do bloco, a fim de identificar os principais obstáculos e oportunidades para uma maior integração produtiva entre eles, como também, de se projetarem ao mundo, em especial, em direção à região da Ásia-Pacífico, por meio das cadeias globais de valor. O resultado desta análise revela que apesar dos esforços da Aliança do Pacífico em promover a integração produtiva existem inúmeros obstáculos que dificultam a concretização deste projeto. Mas à medida que as ações sejam implementadas é possível que o processo de integração produtiva possa ser concretizado. / The study aims to analyze the potential of the Pacific Alliance to develop regional value chains and achieve better integration in global chains. To this end, with the support of the theory on the subject, it analyzes the main actions being undertaken by the bloc for this purpose. The study also investigates the main obstacles present that hinder the progress of proceedings in order to examine the possibilities of the Pacific Alliance to consolidate its productive integration project. For this analysis, this study is divided into four chapters, besides the introduction and the conclusions. The first part deals with the theory of global value chains that aims to provide analysis of the potential benefits for the Pacific Alliance to develop the productive integration. The second chapter discusses the process of regional productive integration since several studies and empirical that analyzes indicate that global value chains, in fact, are coordinated regionally. To this end, this part presents some theoretical and empirical studies that show how regional integration can stimulate regional productive integration. The third chapter focuses on the evolution of the Pacific Alliance, since its conception until the entry into force of the Framework Agreement, which took place in July 2015. The fourth chapter presents the analysis of economic data, especially on trade and foreign investment, for a better understanding of the current situation experienced by four members of the bloc in order to identify the main obstacles and opportunities for greater productive integration between them, but also to designing the world, in particular towards the Asia-Pacific region, through global value chains. The result of this analysis shows that despite the Pacific Alliance efforts to promote productive integration there are numerous obstacles to the realization of this project. But as the actions are implemented it is possible that the productive integration process can be achieved.

No estágio atual do capitalismo mundializado, a internacionalização da produção, o aumento do fluxo de informações e capitais, bem como do comércio internacional suscitou o surgimento cadeias globais de valor também na agricultura. Essa dinâmica é engendrada através de um modelo de agricultura inaugurado pela Revolução Verde e teve reflexos determinantes na agricultura brasileira, cuja inserção nos quadros do comércio internacional através da exportação de commodities ganhou novo vigor a partir da crise cambial de 1999. Nesse contexto, observou-se a expansão, em território nacional, do cultivo de gêneros agrícolas com boa demanda no mercado externo e nos quais o Brasil possui vantagem comparativa, em especial a soja, importante item da pauta de exportações, e indutora da expansão do agronegócio capitalista pelo Centro-Oeste e pelos Cerrados e Amazônia brasileira. Com elevado grau de tecnologia e integração intersetorial com a indústria em todos os elos de sua cadeia de valor, o Complexo Soja é setor estratégico de atuação dos capitais monopolistas transnacionais na agricultura no contexto do capitalismo mundializado. Através de levantamento bibliográfico, de dados, pesquisa de campo e realização de entrevistas semiestruturadas, este estudo busca levantar e analisar a dinâmica regional do Centro-Oeste brasileiro localizando-a nas horizontalidades e verticalidades do espaço produzido a partir das estratégias dos capitais comandantes do capitalismo mundializado, no qual sua inserção se deu a partir da expansão da soja. Essa expansão foi marcada pelos processos de monopolização dos territórios e territorialização dos monopólios, formas de atuação dos capitais monopolistas que comandam cadeia global de valor da soja e que definem e ordenam a expansão territorial do grão e a produção monopolista do espaço do Centro-Oeste como Região Produtiva do Agronegócio (RPA) da soja. Esse processo se imprime no espaço através do processo de urbanização do campo, marcado pelo crescimento de cidades com potencial limitado de retenção da renda das atividades agropecuárias e também pelo crescente controle dos capitais monopolistas sobre a circulação no território. Os indicadores socioeconômicos relacionados a emprego, concentração fundiária e renda indicam também que o Centro-Oeste se caracteriza como um espaço de rápido crescimento econômico marcado pelo aprofundamento das desigualdades. / In the current stage of globalized capitalism, the internationalization of production, the increase of the flow of information and capital, as well as of international trade, has aroused the emergence of global value chains also in agriculture. This dynamic is generated through a model of agriculture inaugurated by the Green Revolution and had a decisive impact on Brazilian agriculture, whose insertion in the international trade frameworks through the export of commodities gained new vigor after the exchange crisis of 1999. In this context, the expansion of agricultural crops with good demand in the foreign market, and in which Brazil has a comparative advantage, mainly the soybean, an important item on the export agenda, and inducing the expansion of capitalist agribusiness by the Center- West and by the Brazilian Cerrados and Amazônia. With a high degree of technology and intersectoral integration with industry at every link in its value chain, the Soja Complex is a strategic sector for the operation of transnational monopoly capital in agriculture in the context of globalized capitalism. Through a bibliographical survey, data collection, field research and semi-structured interviews, this study seeks to analyze the regional dynamics of the Brazilian Midwest by locating it in the horizontalities and verticalities of the space produced by the strategies of globalized capitalism, in which its insertion occurred from the expansion of soybeans. This expansion was marked by the processes of monopolization of territories and the territorialization of monopolies, the forms of action of the monopoly capital that command the global chain of value of the soybean and that define and order the territorial expansion of the grain and the monopolistic production of the space of the Center-West as Soya Agribusiness Productive Region. This process is imprinted in space through the \"urbanization of the countryside\" process, marked by the growth of cities with limited income retention potential from agricultural activities and also by the increasing control of monopoly capital over circulation in the territory. Socioeconomic indicators related to employment, land concentration and income also indicate that the Center-West is characterized as a space of rapid economic growth marked by the deepening of inequalities.

O estudo tem como objetivo analisar o potencial da Aliança do Pacífico em desenvolver cadeias regionais de valor e conseguir uma melhor inserção nas cadeias globais. Para tanto, com o respaldo da teoria sobre o tema, são analisadas as principais ações que estão sendo empreendidas pelo bloco para este propósito. O estudo investiga também os principais entraves presentes, que dificultam o avanço do processo, a fim de analisar as possibilidades da Aliança do Pacífico em consolidar o seu projeto de integração produtiva. Para tal análise, este estudo está dividido em quatro capítulos, além da introdução e das conclusões. A primeira parte trata sobre a teoria das cadeias globais de valor que tem como objetivo oferecer subsídios para análise do potencial da Aliança do Pacífico em desenvolver a integração produtiva. O segundo capítulo discute o processo de integração produtiva regional uma vez que diversos estudos e análises empíricas indicam que as cadeias globais de valor, em verdade, são articuladas regionalmente. Para tanto, esta parte apresenta alguns estudos teóricos e também empíricos que mostram como a integração regional pode estimular a integração produtiva regional. O terceiro capítulo trata sobre a evolução da Aliança do Pacífico, desde a sua criação até a entrada em vigor do Acordo Marco, ocorrida em julho de 2015. O quarto capítulo apresenta a análise de dados econômicos, principalmente sobre comércio e investimento estrangeiro, para uma melhor compreensão do atual cenário vivido pelos quatro integrantes do bloco, a fim de identificar os principais obstáculos e oportunidades para uma maior integração produtiva entre eles, como também, de se projetarem ao mundo, em especial, em direção à região da Ásia-Pacífico, por meio das cadeias globais de valor. O resultado desta análise revela que apesar dos esforços da Aliança do Pacífico em promover a integração produtiva existem inúmeros obstáculos que dificultam a concretização deste projeto. Mas à medida que as ações sejam implementadas é possível que o processo de integração produtiva possa ser concretizado. / The study aims to analyze the potential of the Pacific Alliance to develop regional value chains and achieve better integration in global chains. To this end, with the support of the theory on the subject, it analyzes the main actions being undertaken by the bloc for this purpose. The study also investigates the main obstacles present that hinder the progress of proceedings in order to examine the possibilities of the Pacific Alliance to consolidate its productive integration project. For this analysis, this study is divided into four chapters, besides the introduction and the conclusions. The first part deals with the theory of global value chains that aims to provide analysis of the potential benefits for the Pacific Alliance to develop the productive integration. The second chapter discusses the process of regional productive integration since several studies and empirical that analyzes indicate that global value chains, in fact, are coordinated regionally. To this end, this part presents some theoretical and empirical studies that show how regional integration can stimulate regional productive integration. The third chapter focuses on the evolution of the Pacific Alliance, since its conception until the entry into force of the Framework Agreement, which took place in July 2015. The fourth chapter presents the analysis of economic data, especially on trade and foreign investment, for a better understanding of the current situation experienced by four members of the bloc in order to identify the main obstacles and opportunities for greater productive integration between them, but also to designing the world, in particular towards the Asia-Pacific region, through global value chains. The result of this analysis shows that despite the Pacific Alliance efforts to promote productive integration there are numerous obstacles to the realization of this project. But as the actions are implemented it is possible that the productive integration process can be achieved.