This dissertation assesses the Mexican government policy in computers during a ten year period (1981-1991). The Mexican computer industry was created by a strategic industrial programme which provided a package of conditions that attracted domestic and international capital during this period. The main policy instruments used initially were the market reserve and import permits. The programme was known in Spanish as 'Programa de Fomento Para la Manufactura de Equipo de C6mputo, Sus Principales M6dulos y Perifericos' or the PF Policy. The analysis follows policy and industry performance developments (from the birth of the PF policy to its successor the 'Programa Para la Modernizaci6n de la Industria de Computo' or PMIC). This perspective on the policy issues raised by the programme is based mainly on the views of firms and interest groups perspective. The analysis is based upon a four dimensional framework developed by the author and based upon a synthesis of theories of technological learning, technology transfer and firms strategic behaviour. This is used to explore the impact of the PF Policy at the firm and industry levels as well as to investigate the performance of government agencies and the impact of the policy on users (diffusion) and social applications. This dissertation explores the PF Policy as the first programme that in rejecting the import substitution industrialisation (lSI) model Mexico had followed for several decades, embraced export oriented industrialisation (EOI). This analysis explores the changes in the regulatory environment which accompanied the transition from lSI to EOI and considers how this shift impacted upon the performance of firms and the computer industry. The transition to EOI resulted in greater production efficiencies, higher quality and cheaper prices but these benefits are shown to have accrued to large volume producing firms (a few domestic and multinational computer firms). With regard to export generation, only the multinational computer firms have shown significant growth rates. The emphasis on export generation, the shift to EOI and rapid liberalisation of consumer and component electronics had a negative impact on the generation of productive linkages within the Information Technology Complex, e.g. the development of a horizontal layer of component producers. During this period of transition from lSI to EOI there were conflicting objectives within the policy environment. For example, policies were implemented to liberalise trade as part of commitments to GATT and policies were introduced to strengthen industrial development in the electronics sector for domestic consumption. The major failure of the PF policy in relation to its initial objectives occurred in relation to technological development. This is illustrated by the limited innovations that occurred over the ten year period among domestic firms producing microcomputers and peripherals. Despite this failure, there is evidence that technological learning occurred 'against all odds'.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:284110 |
| Date | January 1993 |
| Creators | Flores, Jorge Augusto Borrego |
| Publisher | University of Sussex |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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