Univ. of Washington, Geography 349: Response paper 3

University of Washington
Geography 349
Response paper 3

Questions for the Gereffi article

How does Gereffi define “globalization”? Compare this to some other definition you’ve read or used – how does his definition reflect his focus and how does it affect his analysis, compared to the other definition?

What roles do FDI, international trade, and internet-based technologies play in globalization? Do these roles complement one another, or serve as substitutes?

What is a supply chain? Value chain? Commodity chain?

Compare the definition, likely industries, organization, and geography of US-based producer-driven versus buyer-driven commodity chains. What sorts of strategic asset(s) are likely to be the basis for the lead firm in a producer-driven chain? In a buyer-driven chain?

From the perspective of a US lead firm, what forms of international business are used in producer-driven commodity chains? Buyer-driven commodity chains? Can you relate the forms to the strategic asset being exploited?

What determines the relative level of profitability of a firm within a global commodity chain?

What are the key impacts of internet technologies on the organization of global commodity chains?

Suggest one way in which you might find (an) idea(s) from this article useful in your life as a citizen, professional, or student/researcher.

Questions for the Sturgeon article

How does Sturgeon compare “globalization” and “internationalization”?

Sturgeon traces several definitions of “globalization.” Compare two of them: how does each definition reflect a different focus? How does each affect the kinds of analysis you’d do?

What is a “value chain”? (Feel free to quote Sturgeon, but if you do, follow that with your own interpretation of the quote). What are the key steps in analyzing a value chain?

What sorts of strategic asset(s) are likely to be the basis for each of the types of actor in Sturgeon’s Table 3?

In your own words, what are the key differences in “authority,” “relational,” and “virtual” production networks? Which rely on FDI? Suggest one advantage and one disadvantage of each type.

How does the value-chain approach differ from the kinds of analysis we did in Project 1? How does it complement that macro analysis? For what purposes (what sorts of policy questions) would one approach be more useful than the other? Can the two approaches be combined?

Suggest one way in which you might find (an) idea(s) from this article useful in your life as a citizen, professional, or student/researcher.