PROGRESS IN GEOGRAPHY ›› 2018, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (6): 844-852.doi: 10.18306/dlkxjz.2018.06.011

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Debates and research trends of local embeddedness of transferred enterprises

Shaoqi PAN1,2(), Yating LI2, Changhong MIAO2, Jiangsu LI2, Kewen LV2   

  1. 1. College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, Henan, China
    2. Key Research Institute of Yellow River Civilization and Sustainable Development & Collaborative Innovation Center on Yellow River Civilization of Henan Province, Henan University, Kaifeng 475001, Henan, China;
  • Received:2017-11-06 Revised:2018-02-13 Online:2018-06-28 Published:2018-06-28
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.41401133, 41430637, 41401129;MOE(Ministry of Education in China) Project of Humanities and Social Sciences, No.14YJC790092

Abstract:

:The concept of "embeddedness" is useful for understanding the process and mechanism of interactive coupling of transferred enterprises, the industrial clusters of receiving places, and the global or trans-regional production network. Since the introduction of the concept of "embeddedness" in economic geography, there exist a debate of "active" and "passive" local embedded intentions of transferred enterprises in the academic circles, as well as two different views of positive effect and negative effect of local embedding of transferred enterprises. By systematically examining studies on the main motivations, influencing factors, evolution processes, regional effects, and so on of the local embeddedness of transferred enterprises, this research finds that, regardless of the willingness of enterprises, the local embeddedness of transferred enterprises is a geographic sensitive strategy to protect and strengthen their competitiveness in the evolution of firm-territory nexus. The embedding process is affected by the condition of the undertaking places and the quality of the transferred enterprises. The embedding process follows the path of "foster relationship-value chain cohesion-build global-local production network ," and gradually achieves relational embedding and structural embedding. The local embeddedness of transferred enterprises provides a "window of locational opportunity" for the transformation and upgrading of the enterprises and industrial clusters of the undertaking places. Finally, this article puts forward four research directions that need to be deepened and strengthened: (1) building a comprehensive research framework that uses "relation-network-evolution" as the main line; (2) strengthening quantitative research of the network role and performance of transferred enterprises; (3) enhancing the research of the interaction of the economic, technological, and social embeddedness of the transferred enterprises; and (4) promoting the research of the "two-way embeddedness" of transferred enterprises and the industrial clusters of the undertaking places.

Key words: industrial transfer, transferred enterprises, local embeddedness, research trend