Workers in labour-intensive industries in developing countries have been described as the ‘hidden hands’ in the making of valuable goods in global production networks (GPNs). The process of improving the rights and entitlements of workers in GPNs have been referred to as ’social upgrading’. However, literature on social upgrading has tended to overlook the role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and there is still little scientific understanding of how small businesses in developing countries can engage in social upgrading. The aim of this thesis is to enhance the understanding of how SMEs in developing countries can improve working conditions and labour rights. Through a qualitative case study, this study goes beyond statements of leading Fair Trade brands to provide insights based on voices of both workers and owner-managers in a small garment factory in Nepal. This study brings forward observations where SMEs, shaped by their characteristics, are enabled to evade responsibilities concerning working conditions and labour rights.

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面對全球化浪潮的衝擊，外國直接投資(Foreign direct investment, FDI)對於國家經濟與區域發展所扮演的角色越來越重要，此些FDI跨國企業所採取全球生產網絡(Global production networks, GPNs)佈局的投資行為，影響國際間不同區域的產業發展與消長，同時也牽動著台灣地區的產業生態，特別是在中國崛起後對台商所產生磁吸效應的壓力下，如何吸引廠商植根或回流台灣，便成為相當重要的課題。 新竹工業區於開發之初即劃設僑外專區，近幾年來園區的總產值居國內各編定工業區之冠，且區位鄰近新竹科學園區，其產業群聚現象正可作為分析全球生產行為的重要對象。基此，本研究一方面以FDI理論為基礎探討新竹工業區內外資廠商的演進變化，另一方面以GPNs理論建立本研究之分析架構，對工業區內的廠商進行深度訪談並輔以問卷調查，探討工業區內廠商的全球生產營運情況，以及全球生產網絡影響下之投資決策及區位變化。 研究結果發現，外資廠商在1980年代大量聚集在新竹工業區周邊，但在全球化浪潮影響下逐漸撤離台灣或轉進大陸，而之後進駐工業區的外資廠商受到先行廠商的影響，在投資產業類別乃至於資金來源都相當類似，一些未撤離的廠商，則是進一步從生產中心的角色轉化為以知識密集為主的研發中心。 另外，工業區內廠商在全球佈局的投資策略下則是將新竹工業區視為第二鏈(2nd tier)的生產與代工者，以圖像化(mapping)分析的方式(Henderson et al., 2002)發現工業區內廠商(如錸德集團)在價值的創造、增強與獲取上雖然比較低，但在全球與跨界的生產網絡中，其決策的權力卻具有極高的地位，而在地方鑲嵌上則與地區機構與同異業廠商建立一定程度的關係。 / Facing the globalization trend, foreign direct investment (FDI) plays an important role in national economic and regional development. Global production networks (GPNs) of transnational corporations (TNCs) have influence over worldwide industry and the circumstances of Taiwan. Hsin-chu industrial park planned foreign zone at initial phase of development, and is now with the highest manufacture productivity than other industrial parks in Taiwan. Owing to its proximity to Hsin-chu Science Park, the industry cluster of Hsin-chu industrial park and their production networks shouldn’t be examined with traditional industrial parks. Therefore, this research based on the concept of FDI and GPNs to build a framework for analyzing firms’ changing, globalization decision making and the relocation behavior by using questionnaire and interview. Research results find that the foreign firms can follow up the firms who had left Hsin-chu industrial park, and those who stayed changed their operation type from labor-intensive in1980s to knowledge-intensive at nowadays. Besides, firms in Hsin-chu industrial park play key producers, OEM and ODM in global production networks (2nd tier). By mapping analysis, this research also finds that flag firms (ex: RITEK) have lower value added, enhancement and capture, but have higher power of decision in GPNs and cross-border production networks and embedded deeply in local.