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Upgrading the technological capabilities of foreign transnational subsidiaries in developing countries: the case of electronics in Thailand.

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 05:15 authored by Michael Hobday, Howard Rush
Although substantial research shows the importance of transnational corporations (TNCs) to export-led growth in some developing countries, it cannot be assumed that TNC subsidiaries will automatically upgrade their capabilities through time or in a uniform fashion. This paper explores the pattern and pace of a sample of exporting TNC subsidiaries operating in the electronics industry in Thailand, showing how the different architectures of global value chains (centralised versus decentralised) shaped the technological progress of subsidiaries in this country. The case evidence suggests a wide variety in upgrading through time, with some subsidiaries failing to develop capabilities and remaining as ‘assembly only’ plants. Other more dynamic plants developed process engineering and product design skills, investing heavily in capability building. One common determinant in capability building appears to be the overall technology strategy of the global value chain leader (or parent company). In those subsidiaries which did not upgrade beyond assembly, technology decisions and processes were tightly controlled within the parent headquarter locations in relatively centralised international value networks. By contrast, the more dynamic plants exercised more discretion over local capability building. The latter operated in relatively decentralised networks, more open to domestic policies to encourage upgrading. The study suggests that governments should tailor upgrading policies not only according to the approximate level of capabilities attained by local subsidiaries, but also according to how receptive subsidiaries are to upgrading, arguing that capability building and policy receptiveness go hand-in-hand. Other countries hoping to upgrade the quality of foreign direct investment might also wish to focus policies on the more technologically capable, ambitious and receptive categories of foreign subsidiary.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Research Policy

ISSN

0048-7333

Publisher

Elsevier

Issue

9

Volume

36

Page range

1335-1356

Pages

22.0

Department affiliated with

  • SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit Publications

Notes

By matching the literature on capability building to that on global value chains and production networks, this paper argues that government policies in latecomer countries should be directed towards policy-receptive subsidiaries of MNCs. The argument is illustrated by reference to the case of the electronics industry in Thailand. In this example of joint SPRU-CENTRIM collaboration, Prof Hobday contributed more of the analytical framework and policy orientation.

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-02-06

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