Global value chains and development

Redefining the contours of 21st century capitalism

Bibliographic Data

ID12694205
AuthorsAri Van Assche (0000-0003-4992-1743, HEC Montréal, corresponding author)
Year2019
Volume19
Issue5
Pages1169-1170
Publication date2019-05-28
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Economic Geography (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1468-2702 • E-ISSN: 1468-2710
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/jeg/lbz015
OpenAlexW2977102819
LanguageEN
Citations received34
References cited3

The global value chain (GVC) framework has taken the development policy world by storm. Since its academic origins 25 years ago, the framework has rapidly evolved into a major paradigm that is used by a wide range of international organizations, including the International Labor Organization, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization. The policy appeal of the framework lies in the developmentalist angle that academic pioneers such as Gary Gereffi have provided to GVC thinking. Starting from the premise that global lead firms have the corporate power to define the terms and conditions of supply chain membership, Gereffi (among others) has focused on the consequences of the expansion of GVCs into developing countries on local firms and workers, and has studied the policies that enhance upgrading prospects. In Global Value Chains and Development, Gereffi traces back the intellectual foundations and evolution of the GVC framework through a compilation of 2 original essays and 13 of his most influential articles. The introduction, which is an original contribution, is the book’s most personal chapter. Gereffi describes the dominant perspectives on the international economy and development in the 1970s and 1980s (modernization, dependency and world-systems theory) and explains how they helped set the stage for the emergence of the GVC framework. He skillfully intertwines the discussion with his own experiences and successes as a graduate student and young scholar, decidedly showing how his interactions with international organizations were present from the start of his academic career

Capitalism · Comparative advantage · Economic growth · Economics · Global value chain · Modernization theory · Neoclassical economics · Political science · Premise · Sociology · Value (mathematics · Global trade and economics · Global trade, sustainability, and social impact · Innovation and Socioeconomic Development · Law

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