IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ehl/lserod/107523.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The political economy of moving up in global value chains: how Malaysia added value to its natural resources through industrial policy

Author

Listed:
  • Lebdioui, Amir

Abstract

This article investigates the role of industrial policy in promoting upgrading in commodity sectors by examining the case of the petroleum, rubber, and palm oil industries in Malaysia. By doing so, it aims to contribute to an emerging scholarship that bridges the developmental state and the global value chains literature. Several findings emerge from this study. First, linkages do not unfold through market forces alone. Commodity value addition processes can be hindered by a range of barriers, including power dynamics alongside global commodity chains. The existence of high barriers for linkage development in developing nations justifies the need of state interventions. Second, successful government interventions for commodity value addition in Malaysia have gone far beyond fixing market failures and a ‘facilitative’ role of the state. Instead, the productive capabilities necessary for value addition were accumulated through coherent industrial policies and the strategic orientation of rents towards achieving productivity gains and learning. Third, political considerations, such the base of the ruling coalition, the regime type (marked by both executive dominance and political competition), and the influence of the regional intellectual climate, are essential to understanding both the policy will and ability to pursue a developmental approach towards commodity value addition.

Suggested Citation

  • Lebdioui, Amir, 2022. "The political economy of moving up in global value chains: how Malaysia added value to its natural resources through industrial policy," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 107523, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:107523
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/107523/
    File Function: Open access version.
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Schulz, Nicolai, 2020. "The politics of export restrictions: A panel data analysis of African commodity processing industries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    2. Bhagwati, Jagdish N, 1982. "Directly Unproductive, Profit-seeking (DUP) Activities," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 90(5), pages 988-1002, October.
    3. Keun Lee & Marina Szapiro & Zhuqing Mao, 2018. "From Global Value Chains (GVC) to Innovation Systems for Local Value Chains and Knowledge Creation," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 30(3), pages 424-441, July.
    4. Ovadia, Jesse Salah, 2016. "Local content policies and petro-development in Sub-Saharan Africa: A comparative analysis," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 20-30.
    5. Justin Lin & Ha-Joon Chang, 2009. "Should Industrial Policy in Developing Countries Conform to Comparative Advantage or Defy it? A Debate Between Justin Lin and Ha-Joon Chang," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 27(5), pages 483-502, September.
    6. Silvana Tordo & Michael Warner & Osmel E. Manzano & Yahya Anouti, 2013. "Local Content in the Oil and Gas Sector," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 15930, December.
    7. Jeffrey Neilson & Bill Pritchard & Henry Wai-chung Yeung, 2014. "Global value chains and global production networks in the changing international political economy: An introduction," Review of International Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(1), pages 1-8, February.
    8. Amir Lebdioui & Keun Lee & Carlo Pietrobelli, 2021. "Local-foreign technology interface, resource-based development, and industrial policy: how Chile and Malaysia are escaping the middle-income trap," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(3), pages 660-685, June.
    9. Goldthorpe, C.C., 2015. "Rubber Manufacturing in Malaysia," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, number 9789971698362, September.
    10. Jostein Hauge, 2020. "Industrial policy in the era of global value chains: Towards a developmentalist framework drawing on the industrialisation experiences of South Korea and Taiwan," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(8), pages 2070-2092, August.
    11. Vicol, Mark & Neilson, Jeffrey & Hartatri, Diany Faila Sophia & Cooper, Peter, 2018. "Upgrading for whom? Relationship coffee, value chain interventions and rural development in Indonesia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 26-37.
    12. Johnson, Simon & Mitton, Todd, 2003. "Cronyism and capital controls: evidence from Malaysia," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 351-382, February.
    13. Hirschman,Albert O., 1981. "Essays in Trespassing," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521282437.
    14. Radetzki, Marian, 1977. "Where should developing countries' minerals be processed? The country view versus the multinational company view," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 5(4), pages 325-334, April.
    15. Carlo Pietrobelli & Cornelia Staritz, 2018. "Upgrading, Interactive Learning, and Innovation Systems in Value Chain Interventions," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 30(3), pages 557-574, July.
    16. Pritish Behuria, 2020. "The domestic political economy of upgrading in global value chains: how politics shapes pathways for upgrading in Rwanda’s coffee sector," Review of International Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(2), pages 348-376, March.
    17. Cimoli, Mario & Dosi, Giovanni & Stiglitz, Joseph E. (ed.), 2009. "Industrial Policy and Development: The Political Economy of Capabilities Accumulation," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199235278.
    18. Stephanie BARRIENTOS & Gary GEREFFI & Arianna ROSSI, 2011. "Economic and social upgrading in global production networks: A new paradigm for a changing world," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 150(3-4), pages 319-340, December.
    19. Carlota Perez, 2008. "A Vision for Latin America: A resource-based strategy for technological dynamism and social inclusion," Globelics Working Paper Series 2008-01, Globelics - Global Network for Economics of Learning, Innovation, and Competence Building Systems, Aalborg University, Department of Business and Management.
    20. Peter Wad & V.G.R. Chandran Govindaraju, 2011. "Automotive industry in Malaysia: an assessment of its development," International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 11(2), pages 152-171.
    21. Culpepper, Pepper D., 2015. "Structural power and political science in the post-crisis era," Business and Politics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 17(3), pages 391-409, October.
    22. Stefano Ponte & Timothy Sturgeon, 2014. "Explaining governance in global value chains: A modular theory-building effort," Review of International Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(1), pages 195-223, February.
    23. Morris Altman, 2003. "Staple theory and export‐led growth: constructing differential growth," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 43(3), pages 230-255, November.
    24. Klueh, Ulrich H. & Pastor, Gonzalo & Segura, Alonso, 2009. "Policies to improve the local impact from hydrocarbon extraction: Observations on West Africa and possible lessons for Central Asia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 1128-1144, March.
    25. Cramer, Christopher, 1999. "Can Africa Industrialize by Processing Primary Commodities? The Case of Mozambican Cashew Nuts," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 27(7), pages 1247-1266, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Lebdioui, Amir, 2022. "Nature-inspired innovation policy: Biomimicry as a pathway to leverage biodiversity for economic development," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Pritish Behuria, 2018. "The politics of upgrading in global value chains: The case of Rwanda’s coffee sector," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-108-18, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    2. Amir Lebdioui & Keun Lee & Carlo Pietrobelli, 2021. "Local-foreign technology interface, resource-based development, and industrial policy: how Chile and Malaysia are escaping the middle-income trap," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(3), pages 660-685, June.
    3. Lorenzo Cresti & Maria Enrica Virgillito, 2023. "Weak sectors and weak ties? Labour dependence and asymmetric positioning in GVCs," LEM Papers Series 2023/10, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    4. Amir Lebdioui, 2019. "Chile's Export Diversification since 1960: A Free Market Miracle or Mirage?," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 50(6), pages 1624-1663, November.
    5. Arena, Marika & Azzone, Giovanni & Dell’Agostino, Laura & Scotti, Francesco, 2022. "Precision policies and local content targets in resource-rich developing countries: The case of the oil and gas sector in Mozambique," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    6. Zicheng Ma & Liang Wang & Xin Zheng & Jianqi Zhang, 2022. "National Innovation Systems and Global Value Chain Participation: The Role of Entrepreneurship," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(2), pages 897-920, April.
    7. Lazzarini, Sérgio G., 2012. "Strategizing by the Government: Industrial Policy and Sustainable Competitive Advantage," Insper Working Papers wpe_289, Insper Working Paper, Insper Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa.
    8. Rasmus Lema & Roberta Rabellotti & Padmashree Gehl Sampath, 2018. "Innovation Trajectories in Developing Countries: Co-evolution of Global Value Chains and Innovation Systems," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 30(3), pages 345-363, July.
    9. Pipkin, Seth & Fuentes, Alberto, 2017. "Spurred to Upgrade: A Review of Triggers and Consequences of Industrial Upgrading in the Global Value Chain Literature," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 536-554.
    10. Neilson, Jeffrey & Dwiartama, Angga & Fold, Niels & Permadi, Dikdik, 2020. "Resource-based industrial policy in an era of global production networks: Strategic coupling in the Indonesian cocoa sector," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    11. Stephanie Barrientos & Gary Gereffi & John Pickles, 2016. "New dynamics of upgrading in global value chains: Shifting terrain for suppliers and workers in the global south," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 48(7), pages 1214-1219, July.
    12. Jeong-Dong Lee & Keun Lee & Dirk Meissner & Slavo Radosevic & Nicholas S. Vonortas, 2021. "Local capacity, innovative entrepreneurial places and global connections: an overview," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(3), pages 563-573, June.
    13. Angela Tregear & à ron Török & Matthew Gorton, 2016. "Geographical indications and upgrading of small-scale producers in global agro-food chains: A case study of the Makó Onion Protected Designation of Origin," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 48(2), pages 433-451, February.
    14. Jonathan Bashi Rudahindwa & Sophie van Huellen, 2020. "Regional developmentalism in West Africa: The case for commodity-based industrialisation through regional cooperation in the cocoa-chocolate sector," Working Papers 239, Department of Economics, SOAS University of London, UK.
    15. Bahar, Dany & Rosenow, Samuel & Stein, Ernesto & Wagner, Rodrigo, 2019. "Export take-offs and acceleration: Unpacking cross-sector linkages in the evolution of comparative advantage," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 48-60.
    16. Margareet Visser & Matthew Alford, 2024. "Governance and Power Across Intersecting Value Chains: The Case of South African Apples," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 189(1), pages 69-86, January.
    17. Lütkenhorst, Wilfried, 2018. "Creating wealth without labour? Emerging contours of a new techno-economic landscape," IDOS Discussion Papers 11/2018, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    18. Hamilton-Hart, Natasha & Stringer, Christina, 2016. "Upgrading and exploitation in the fishing industry: Contributions of value chain analysis," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 166-171.
    19. Kim, Jinhee & Lee, Keun, 2022. "Local–global interface as a key factor in the catching up of regional innovation systems: Fast versus slow catching up among Taipei, Shenzhen, and Penang in Asia," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    20. Keun Lee & Di Qu & Zhuqing Mao, 2021. "Global Value Chains, Industrial Policy, and Industrial Upgrading: Automotive Sectors in Malaysia, Thailand, and China in Comparison with Korea," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 33(2), pages 275-303, April.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    global value chains; heterodox economics; industrial policy; macroeconomic analyses of economic development; natural resources;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East
    • Q17 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agriculture in International Trade

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:107523. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: LSERO Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/lsepsuk.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.