Economic and Social Upgrading in Global Value Chains

This book investigates how global value chain governance, public institutions and strategies in the area of industrial policy and industrial relations by stakeholders such as national or global trade unions, governments, companies or international NGOs shape upgrading in the Global South. A special feature is its interdisciplinarity, combining sociological, economic, legal and political dimensions. Case studies systematically compare different industry trajectories. Furthermore, it encompasses far-reaching insights into the role of global value chains for development, economic catching-up of countries and socio-political aspects such as working conditions and interest representation.

• Global value chains and labour
• Vertical global value chains
• Social inequalities in global value chains
• Globalization and value systems
• Global value networks
• Regimes of production
• Collective bargaining
• Social upgrading in agriculture
• Upgrading in the garment sector
• Political economy of social upgrading
• Global value chains in emerging technologies
• Industry-specific trajectories
• Corona crisis and global value chains

“Finally, a set of analyses that explicitly brings power relations into the study of Global Value Chains. This excellent book highlights various dimensions of a critical but understudied feature: power asymmetries of both demand and supply at each stage, which give rise to rent-seeking in the upper levels and reduce capacities for upgrading at the lower levels of the chain. Public policies are crucial in determining the outcomes, which makes this book essential reading for anyone interested in economic development.”

—Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics, Universiy of Massachusetts at Amherst, USA. 

“This book is an important contribution to the debate on global value chains. It is particularly important because it takes the perspective of the Global South and shows the risks for developing countries integrating through global value chains in a global economy with massive power imbalances. It also gives some hope that risks can be turned into success with strategic industrial and trade policies, social upgrading, strong international human rights due diligence regulations and a strong voice for workers.”

• HWR Berlin (Berlin School of Economics and Law), Berlin, Germany

  Christina Teipen, Petra Dünhaupt, Hansjörg Herr, Fabian Mehl

Christina Teipen is Professor for social sciences with a focus on economic sociology at HWR Berlin (Berlin School of Economics and Law).

Petra Dünhaupt is a research associate and lecturer at HWR Berlin.

Hansjörg Herr is Professor (retired) for supranational integration at HWR Berlin.

Fabian Mehl is a research associate and lecturer at HWR Berlin.

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