While COVID-19 has caused significant short-term disruptions in global value chains (GVCs), the longer run, pandemic will not be primary catalyst GVC evolution. As GVCs recover from initial shock, managers make restructuring decisions guided by long-term strategic considerations. This article describes barriers that lead firm may encounter when rethinking location/control for chain activities a...

Corporate social responsibility is a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business activities and interactions  with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis. In this global context, voluntary social and environmental practices of business which go beyond companies’ existing legal obligations play a major role in filling the governance gap in an innovati...

What is the scope for local upgrading strategies where producers operate in global value chains? The literature on industrial clusters emphasises the role of inter-firm co-operation and local institutions in enabling upgrading. The value chain literature focuses on the role of global buyers and chain governance in defining upgrading opportunities. This paper argues that clusters are inserted in...

A value chain is a series of events that takes a raw material and with each step adds value to it. Global interest in the application of natural gas (NG) in production and transportation has grown dramatically, representing a long-term, low-cost, domestic, and secure alternative to petroleum-based fuels. Many technological solutions are currently considered on the market or in development, whic...

There is growing awareness that the SMEs in a value chain are strongly disadvantaged due to asymmetries of information and power in the chain, with few opportunities of upgrading. However, it is argued that technological innovation and the advent of the Internet have diminished many of these asymmetries between larger and smaller actors. This paper intends to offer an outline of the global tour...

Companies today face the challenge of adopting proper supply chain sustainability (SCS) strategies and practices to respond effectively to emerging global sustainability initiatives. Business sustainability has become a strategic imperative, with a focus on both financial and non-financial sustainability performance, which creates shared value for all stakeholders. This paper examines the integ...

This article links key findings from two major research literatures within contemporary development and globalization studies: global commodity/value chains, and world income inequalities. Forging this missing link exposes what I call the “upgrading paradox” within commodity and value chain analysis. The paradox hinges on the disconnect between the global commodity/value chain literature’s focu...