World Factory Research Articles

China en América Latina: los casos de Ecuador y Perú entre los años 2009-2012, ¿es posible una apuesta hacia el futuro?

In contrast to a few decades ago, the current Chinese economic dynamism has promoted a higher activity level in its relations with Latin American countries. Within Latin America, in the Andean region, Ecuador and Peru experience an increasing inflow of Chinese capitals looking to secure the raw materials needed to support what is now the “world factory”, based on an economic view of the Chinese phenomenon that hides the political and social situation of the Asian giant. This article reviews the historical development of China’s foreign policy towards Latin America, since the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) by Mao Zedong in 1949, until today in the early twenty-first century, and describes, through the cases of Ecuador and Peru, the current characteristics of China’s relationship with Latin America. Although the context suggests a growing Chinese threat to Latin American economies, a thorough study could provide the basis for a pragmatic and urgent integration in the region.

Yakaar, Dakar-Dubaï-Guangzhou : trajectoire des commerçantes de Dakar

Dans les années 1970, le rôle de la femme dans le commerce en Afrique de l’Ouest est devenu un objet d’intérêt, avec les nanas Benz de Lomé, suivi des driankés à Dakar. Au Sénégal, les driankés acquirent leur renommée en s’approvisionnant en marchandises dans les comptoirs d’Asie du Sud-Est et de Dubaï. Avec les réformes économiques chinoises, suivies par la crise en Asie du Sud-Est, Guangzhou et, tout récemment, Yiwu sont devenues les destinations des commerçantes sénégalaises.

Installation, Disassembly, and Debugging Analysis of Vertical Turret Controller Based on Numerically-Controlled Lathe

After China joins into WTO, the world factory position has been established. Our numerical control machine obtains great development. The vertical turret controller is the most important part of numerically-controlled lathe. This article introduces the installation, disassembly, and debugging of the vertical turret controller. Moreover, it is based on the common fault during the installation and debugging. The emphasis analysis is the fault of the vertical turret controller of numerically-controlled lathe and provides the relative maintenance plan.

Global, regional and local: new firm formation and spatial restructuring in China’s apparel industry

The rise of China as the ‘world factory’ has been attributed to the export-oriented industrialization largely driven by some fundamental transformations unfolding in China’s economic, political and cultural arenas, since the Reform and Opening-Up policies. As production costs and competitive pressures both rise, the flexible business environment that export-led production used to embed in has undergone dramatic restructuring and this has further pushed forward new rounds of spatial restructuring and industrial relocation, especially in China’s highly export-oriented apparel industry. Using a large firm-level dataset on new firm formation, we show the articulation of global, regional and local factors are shaping the new firm formation pattern and industrial relocation in interactional and collective ways. The econometric estimations also indicate the ways in which and the extents to which these factors affect firm location choice are highly determined by firm-specific capability.

Promoting Entrepreneurship and Innovation in China: Enhancing Research and Transforming University Curriculum

In the last three decades or so, China has managed to become the second largest economy in the world, especially after engaging in economic reforms since the late 1970s. Despite being a “world factory” and playing a very significant role in manufacturing products and exporting to different parts of the globe, the Chinese government has realized that depending upon this production mode cannot sustain the country’s long term economic growth and development. Hence, the Chinese government has tried to invest more in advancing technology, research and innovation, knowledge transfer, and promoting entrepreneurship education. This article sets out to critically examine the major strategies and policies that the Chinese government has adopted in promoting entrepreneurship and innovation against the wider policies outlined above, with a focused reflection given to the major challenges facing Chinese universities during the process of promoting entrepreneurship and innovation, and entrepreneurship education.

Dental Laboratory Technology Education in China: Current Situation and Challenges

Modern dentistry and dental education in China were first introduced from abroad by Dr. Lindsay in 1907. However, advancements in the field of dental laboratory technology did not occur to the same degree in specialties such as prosthodontics and orthodontics. Since the 1990s, orders from abroad demanding dental appliances surged as the image of China as the "world's factory" strengthened. The assembly line model, in which technicians work like simple procedure workers, was rapidly applied to denture production, while the traditional education system and apprenticeship systems demonstrated little progress in these years. The lack of advancement in dental laboratory technology education caused insufficient development in China's dental technology industry. In order to alter the situation, a four-year dental laboratory technology undergraduate educational program was established in 2005 by West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University (WCSS, SCU). This program was based on SCU's undergraduate education and WCSS's junior college education systems. The program introduced scientific methods in relevant subjects into laboratory technicians' training and made many improvements in the availability of trained faculty, textbooks, laboratory facilities, and curriculum.

Preliminary Research on Energy Consumption in Machinery Manufacturing Industry in China Based on Input-Output Analysis Method

As china become the world factory, machinery manufacturing industry accounts for more and more part of economic development and energy consumption in china nowadays. Based on input-output analysis method, the direct and complete coefficients of energy consumption in machinery manufacturing industry were calculated, and the percentage of energy consumption driven by different factors was also computed respectively. It can be demonstrated machinery manufacturing industry will induce the energy consumption in the other industries extensively and exporting is the main factor which drives the energy consumption in machinery manufacturing industry.

Spanish business investment in China from the perspective of the consulting firm Garrigues

PurposeThis article aims to analyse the reasons for Spanish companies to invest in China and the factors that influence the success or failure of the venture during the implementation process.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on an interview held with the two partners of the Garrigues office in Shanghai, Francisco Soler and Manuel Torres. Francisco Soler was responsible for opening and subsequently managing the office from 2005 through to August 2011, when he handed over the reins to Manuel Torres.FindingsThe main reason for investing in China is its market. It is worth mentioning here that there has been a paradigm shift whereby China has gone from being the “world's factory” to the “world's market”, not just because of its size but also because of the dizzying speed at which it continues to grow. To minimise the risks of investing in China, the interviewees pointed out the crucial importance of the company committing a significant amount of all kinds of resources to the venture. They also maintain that the investing company should ensure that the people responsible for the project are fully committed to the company and completely familiar with its operations and corporate culture.Originality/valueThe value of this study lies in contrasting the practical viewpoint of Garrigues legal consulting firm with the existing literature on the topics discussed in the interview: the reasons why companies invest in China, and the factors that lead to their success or failure.

Spatial polarization and dynamic pathways of Foreign Direct Investment in China 1990–2009

The spatial and sectoral distribution of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in China has changed dramatically in the past two decades. FDI was largely concentrated in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) and other Southern Coastal provinces in early stages and shifted to the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and the Bohai Economic Rim (BER) sequentially in later stages. It created unique and dynamic paths of the spatial evolution of FDI in China. Although many provinces have received relatively more FDI since the late 2000s, Guangdong and Jiangsu are still the two major recipients of FDI in China, demonstrating and over-arching polarization process. Furthermore, most FDI in China has been in the manufacturing sector, making China well-known as the “World Factory of Manufacturing”. This paper analyses the most recent trends, characteristics and patterns of FDI in China. It portrays the factors that determined the investment location and the dynamic pathways of different kinds of FDI. This paper also foresees the possible changes in spatial and sectoral distribution of FDI in the near future and provides policy suggestions for both China and other developing countries in seeking new FDI inflows and transforming their industrial structures and economies in this particular phase of globalization.

A fast LP‐based solution to the production planning problem with capacity constraints including setup considerations

PurposeResource capacity and product changeovers must be both considered in the preparation of a realistic production plan. The purpose of this paper is to present a heuristic for enforcing resource availability and the accompanying changeover realities into a continuous‐variable linear programming formulation that would otherwise require a mixed‐integer model. The results from both approaches are compared in terms of objective function values and computational requirements; the effectiveness of the heuristic approach is demonstrated.Design/methodology/approachA case study search was conducted to identify relevant data sets that could be used to exercise the optimization and heuristic models. The case studies found in the literature were too small and simple compared to the problem complexity desired. The authors developed a case study based on the development of a production plan for a typical flashlight. It includes two end‐products that differ in their bills of materials and process requirements. Basic processes include plastic part preparation and final assembly; various raw materials with pre‐defined lead times are purchased from external suppliers. The results of the LP‐based heuristic and the mixed‐integer programming (MIP) optimization algorithm are then compared through a statistical experiment. The experiment includes four factors: number of products, number of periods, number of machines, and percentage line capacity utilization.FindingsWhen a MIP algorithm is applied to obtain the results, most of the time the planner would have to wait days or even weeks for the algorithm to provide a solution. However, the authors' linear programming‐based procedure provides the same quality of solution in minutes and for some problems in seconds.Originality/valueThe originality of the heuristic approach resides on the avoidance of the lengthy MIP computer runs. At each iteration, the authors solve the LP production planning problem without changeover considerations, and then subtract from the original capacity the time associated with the changeovers resulting from the last LP solution. After a small number of iterations the heuristic always converges to the optimal MIP solution. The contribution of this research can be appreciated by someone who is using this tool to generate a production plan in a real world factory where setups are important and the results can immediately suggest changes to some of the assumptions or parameters used in the planning exercise.

Research on the Problems and Countermeasures of Higher Engineering Education in China

China’s economy steps into the globalization, and be recognized as the "world factory". Meanwhile, China’s higher engineering education is facing dual challenges of industry globalization and engineering education globalization. This paper analyzed the current situation and existing problems of higher engineering education in China, and then proposes reasonable countermeasures for enhancing the development of China’s higher engineering education and the international competitiveness of its industry.

Design, implementation, and performance analysis of the WorldFIP/ATM local bridge

World factory instrumentation protocol (WorldFIP) is a fieldbus network protocol that provides a link between level zero (sensors/actuators) and level one (field controllers such as programmable logic controllers, etc.) in industrial automation systems. Accessing and connecting the WorldFIP remotely is important for monitoring, maintaining, and controlling devices in a factory in which asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) is used as a backbone network. In this study, a transparent WorldFIP/ATM bridge was designed and implemented in order to access devices on WorldFIP via an ATM network. This designed bridge may also provide control of the devices over wide area networks. The bridge's performance was investigated using network simulation software under various message traffic conditions. The results obtained from the simulations showed that the bridge provides real-time communications between WorldFIP and ATM.

Public health and medical care for the world's factory: China's Pearl River Delta Region

While the growth of urbanization, worldwide, has improved the lives of migrants from the hinterland, it also raises health risks related to population density, concentrated poverty and the transmission of infectious disease. Will megacity regions evolve into socially infected breeding grounds for the rapid transmission of disease, or can they become critical spatial entities for the protection and promotion of population health? We address this question for the Pearl River Delta Region (PRD) based on recent data from Chinese sources, and on the experience of how New York, Greater London, Tokyo and Paris have grappled with the challenges of protecting population health and providing their populations with access to health care services. In some respects, there are some important lessons from comparative experience for PRD, notably the importance of covering the entire population for health care services and targeting special programs for those at highest risk for disease. In other respects, PRD's growth rate and sheer scale make it a unique megacity region that already faces new challenges and will require new solutions.

Assessment of risk to humans of bisphenol A in marine and freshwater fish from Pearl River Delta, China

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a high production-volume chemical used in the manufacture of a wide variety of consumer products. However it is also a ubiquitous contaminant that can interfere with endocrine systems of wildlife and humans. China is the “world factory” and the Pearl River Delta is the major manufacturing center and is consequently polluted. Concentrations of BPA in meats of marketable fish had not been previously reported for this region. In the study upon which we report here concentrations of BPA were determined in 20 common species of freshwater and marine fish, collected from markets in Hong Kong, SAR, China. A comprehensive analytical method based on SPE extraction and liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC–ESI–MS/MS) was developed, validated and applied. The method limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.5 and 1.25ngg−1dw, respectively. BPA was detected in 19 species of fish at concentrations, ranging from 0.5 to 2.0ngg−1ww. Average daily BPA intake per person ranged from 1.1×102ngd−1 for marine fish and 2.2×102ngd−1 for freshwater fish. Concentrations of BPA in fish from Hong Kong markets unlikely would be causing adverse population-level effects in humans.

The challenges of corporate social responsibility (CSR) multi-stakeholder practices: searching for a new occupational social work model in China

The emergence of China as a ‘world's factory’ in the new millennium was accompanied by the rise of a new working class which was composed of more than 200 million peasant-workers. As internal migrant labourers, these peasant-workers were deprived of citizenship rights to reside in the city and lacked basic labour rights and protections. In order to address the precarious working conditions of migrant workers who were employed by transnational corporations, a global Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) movement emerged, introducing a wide range of transnational corporate codes of conduct, labour standards and labour rights. This article presents a case study of a transnational CSR multi-stakeholder training programme at a Chinese workplace, in an attempt to demonstrate how capital, transnational NGOs and local labour NGOs – and including social workers – are all involved in the project to promote labour rights in China. Specific focus is placed on the role of social workers in enhancing worker participation in this project; the challenges and dilemmas that they encountered in the process, and suggestions are provided regarding the future development of a new model of occupational social work in China.

Developing a readiness self‐assessment model (RSM) for Six Sigma for China enterprises

PurposeSix Sigma, as a concept, gains more and more attention and importance because of its comprehensive approach for company development and performance improvement of both products and processes. Nevertheless, Six Sigma is recognized for its complicated statistical and non‐statistical tool‐sets for reducing operational deviation. The main challenge for a successful implementation of Six Sigma is the readiness for it. In particular, as China has been developing into the world factory, the quality improvement journey has also been affected by this world‐wide trend and China enterprises have to find ways to adapt to this. This research paper aims at developing a self‐assessment model for determining the readiness of China enterprises to implement the Six Sigma approach, so that organizations can understand their wellbeing and the potential deficiencies in Six Sigma implementation.Design/methodology/approachAn extensive literature review has been conducted to provide sufficient background information on the Six Sigma development, critical success factors and its challenges for implementing organizations, especially for China enterprises. The developed readiness self‐assessment model is validated by survey method and the collected data are analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the model.FindingsThe survey outcomes prove that the developed self‐assessment model is effective in determining the readiness of the organization for adopting a Six Sigma approach. Among the three surveyed companies, only the one with experience in quality improvement projects and Six Sigma implementation passes the assessment test. The model is able to illustrate the potential deficiencies of an organization if it intends to implement Six Sigma.Originality/valueThis paper presents the first research study to develop a Six Sigma readiness self‐assessment model targeting China enterprises. The developed model is of interest to academic researchers, business practitioners, quality improvement consultants and Six Sigma experts. The paper will provide a valuable foundation and also implications for future research studies on readiness self‐assessment models for all kinds of management system programs.

China's energy security: Perception and reality

China, now the world's second-largest economy, is worried about energy security, which underpins the core objectives of Beijing and the political legitimacy of the Communist Party of China. The purpose of this study is to explore certain popular myths about China's energy security. The study consists of six parts. After the introduction, it formulates the obscure concept of “energy security” and attempts to contextualize it with “Chinese characteristics.” Then it explicitly points out that the largest driver of oil demand by China as the “World's Factory” is transport instead of industry. Next, it explores the effectiveness of transnational pipelines as a measure of energy security and explains why they are less effective than many observers have previously assumed. Furthermore, it investigates the global expansion of Chinese national oil companies and questions their actual contribution to energy security. A few concluding remarks then follow.

Restructuring the export-oriented industrialization in the Pearl River Delta, China: Institutional evolution and emerging tension

The rise of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) as a promising workshop of the “world factory” in China has attributed to the export-oriented industrialization driven by foreign direct investment, particularly Overseas Chinese investment from Hong Kong and Taiwan initiated in the late 1970s. The export-oriented industrialization has embedded in the flexible institutions favourable for foreign investors and local authorities, via the salient entry mode, i.e. processing with supplied materials ( lailiaojiagong). Since the mid-2000s, the export-oriented industrialization has undergone dramatic restructuring to cope with the changing business environment at global, national and regional and firm levels. Drawing upon the evolutionary and institutional perspectives in geographical political economy approach, this study argues that the prevailed institutions conducive for the export-oriented processing have evolved into institutional inertia and territorial embeddedness as obstacles for the on-going restructuring, particularly the market reorientation from export to domestic sale. Moreover, difficulties of restructuring through the state-designated relocation have been heightened by the resistance from below and emerging state-firm tension. The institutional evolution of the export-oriented industrialization in the PRD has enriched the literature on industrial restructuring in the context of dynamic global–local interactions, but also provided fundamental implications for formulating well-coordinated restructuring strategies among various institutions and concerned actors.

A multi-period mixed integer programming model for the problem of relocating a global manufacturing facility

In the recent years, changing business conditions have triggered labor-intensive global manufacturers to consider relocating out of the Pearl River Delta of China, known as “The World's Factory.” This article presents a multi-period mixed integer programming model for the problem of relocating a global manufacturing facility. The objective function of the model is to maximize total after-tax profit. The model addresses dynamic aspects of timing, including potential developments in business factors and the need for a gradual capacity transfer in order not to disrupt supply chain activities. The model application generates an optimal capacity transfer schedule and forecasts after-tax profits. In general, a stable exchange rate for the Chinese currency, renminbi (RMB), would make lower-cost areas of China more competitive. Also, a dramatic RMB appreciation would enhance the comparative advantage of Asian lower-cost countries. A rapid increase in oil prices would make locations near major markets more favorable in order to avoid high transportation costs.

Informal job-seeking agencies and their role in the 'World Factory&rsquo|of the Pearl River Delta: A case study in Tangxia Township, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province

Previous research findings have often suggested that rural migrant workers rely on social networks as a job-seeking strategy.But in Dongguan city,a typical area of the Pearl River Delta 'world factory',our study has revealed the existence of many informal and semi-legal small-scale private job agencies. The case study was conducted in Tangxia,a township in Dongguan city.The informal job agencies were examined through thorough research,focusing on their spatial distribution,organisational structure and operational processes.Furthermore,the aim was to understand the conditions of the agencies' appearance and utilities for the involved actors.The methodology employed includes explorative field investigation,participant observation,mapping of 45 informal agencies,a survey of 585 migrant workers in the manufacturing sector,interviews and casual talks with 22 migrants and agents. Their location along a street in the 138 Industrial Zone is suitable for collecting job demand information from the firms in the vicinity.The entire process of the agencies' operations is characterised by informality.Five main reasons for the existence of the informal job agencies were identified.The informal job agencies' advantages are that they are non-binding and offer comparably low cost services and flexibility.The attitude of the local government to these informal job agencies is one of tolerations,opening one eye,and closing the other eye. Moreover,it has become obvious that the informal job-seeking agencies are playing an increasingly important role in the migrant workers' second and further job seeking after they have become familiar with the environment of the 'world factory'. Finally,it became apparent that(1) the informal job agencies' services cover not only the township of Tangxia,but also several places across Dongguan and Shenzhen.This facilitates intraregional information flow and labour mobility within the Pearl River Delta.(2) Most of the involved stakeholders are previous factory workers who gathered personal contacts to staffing departments of factories.(3) Most informal job agencies have been established in a niche,serving both consumers and suppliers of labour,but the lack of control and sanctions to prevent fraud gives them a bad reputation.