An Analysis Of Globalizing City Networks Based On Global Value Chain

At present,traditional studies and existing literatures on world cities mainly focus on the role of a few international metropolises and advanced producer services.However,specialized cities are not included in the analysis of the world city network,which are involved in the world city network(WCN)by undertaking the global value chain(GVC)division of labor.Although these specialized cities do not have the comprehensive influence of globalization,they already have the specialized functions of globalization in certain segments,i.e.R & D,manufacturing,OEM,etc..Specifically,a large number of traditional regional cities have been connected with the world cities where their headquarters are located,through GVC division of labor,or connected by the gradually expanding division of labor space.In this way,they have become an important part of the world urban network,and formed specialized cities with globalizing functions.With the increasing trend of the integration of transnational production,it is necessary to reexamine the global development of these cities from the perspective of GVC.In view of the fact that this issue is rarely discussed in China,taking iPhone’s suppliers as an example,the paper empirically studies the structural characteristics and influence mechanism of globalizing city network based on the classification and definition of GVC.The above-mentioned works make an attempt for the theoretical integration of GVC and WCN,and expand the perspective and scope of the current WCN research,it also bring enlightenment for Chinese cities from the perspective of GVC,to deploy and improve the professional globalization functions of cities,and enhance global competitiveness.On the whole,this paper selects iPhone’s supplier enterprise datas(2012 and2019),OECD Ti VA database,IDC and i Suppli’s disassembly reports and bill of materials datas,and mainly used methods social network analysis,community detection,GIS spatial analysis,exponential random graph models(ERGMs),etc..The process is divided into seven chapters,1)there is the introduction in the first chapter,where mainly interprets the research background and significance,research progress and reviews,research contents and scientific problems to be solved;2)The second chapter is an analysis of the relevant theoretical foundation through the lens of references and bibliographies;and 3)The studies on theoretical intersection research of GVC and WCN in the third chapter,additionally,the conceptual interpretation framework of iPhone’s globalizing city network based on GVC is built.In the next,Chapter 4-6 are the empirical parts,4)In the forth Chapter,to begin with I elaborate the content,classification and strategies of actors’ configuration of iPhone’s global value chain.Furtherly,I study on the organization and evolution of iPhone’s productive space,and its competitive dynamics and strategic couplings;5)Based on the classification and definition of GVC in the fourth chapter,the city networks of R&D-oriented,production-oriented and OEM service-oriented are constructed,and their structure characteristics and influence mechanism of community structures are discussed in the fifth Chapter;6)In the sixth Chapter,an econometric perspective of motif analysis and ERGMs is conducted to identity the growth mechanism of globalizing city networks;and 7)The seventh Chapter summarizes the research conclusions,shortcomings and innovations,and compares the city network of this article with that of Ga WC.The main conclusions are as follows:1)Value creation,capture,and distribution in global value chains are organized and dominated in world cities,and vice versa,the development of value creation,the configuration of control means and the ability of deploy these values are the fundamental forces in the formation of world cities.The interactive relationship is necessary for the organization of global value chain and the formation of world cities.Besides,the interactive relationship among spatial division of labor,global value chain and global city network is as follows: GVC is a form of spatial division of labor on a global scale,and it relies on the superposition of multi-scale spatial division of labor to achieve.The spatial division of labor is the basis and medium of GVC’s distribution to geographical locations.Thus,the geographical connotation of GVC is realized through the process of “product value chain—corporate value chain—corporate location choice—urban space carrier”,in addition,the globalizing network is the result of the agglomeration of division of labor in different value links in specific regions.2)iPhone’s global value chains and productive space’ organization: iPhone’s value chain is mainly composed of five segments: R&D,manufacturing,OEM assembly,marketing research and after-sale service.The corresponding components and parts are core parts,specialized and generalized parts and OEM services.What’s more,the strategies of configuring iPhone’s global value chains mainly consist of ertrafirm bargaining and interfirm partnership.Additionally,The main actors of the network are the United States,Japan,South Korea,Chinese mainland and China Taiwan province,and the hot spots in the global production network are located in Asia.The competitive dynamics strategy of iPhone’s value chains are cost-capability ratios,market development,financial discipline and managing risks,in addition,the main actors have embedded the global production network of the iPhone through three strategic coupling models(indigenous innovation,international partnership and production platforms),which are deeply embedded in differentiated national/regional industrial policies,corporate strategies,location advantages(proximity effects),industrial clusters,government-enterprise relations,and business institution(family group in home economies).3)Structure characteristics of globalizing city networks: The world city networks are all characterized by polycentricity and diversification,differentiation of nodes’ status and dependence on external connections.The “star” nodes in the network coexist with high power and high prestige,and the power is generally higher than the prestige.Specifically,the network cohesion and rank of R&D-oriented cities are highest,and the network tends to be the primate city distribution,the growth of small group structure and the phenomenon of R&D clusters are obvious;The production-oriented network has the highest connectedness,and it tends to rank-size distribution and equilibrium structure.Its network scale is large,but the ties of many nodes are sparse and decentralized;OEM service-oriented network has the highest relatively centrality,power and information are concentrated in a few city nodes.In other words,many nodes are easily controlled and dominated by the core nodes.4)Community structure and influence mechanism of globalizing city network:The cluster characteristic of R&D-oriented city communities are most noticeable.Moreover,the network has significant long-distance knowledge spillover and cooperation behavior.Enterprises form specialized clusters in R&D-type cities through non-tradable interdependence,and obtain the benefits of localization economies and spatial integrated effects.The cluster tendency of production-oriented city communities are relatively obvious.Geographical proximity and spatial dependence are the main factors of incubating community structure.Enterprises form generalized clusters in the through tradable interdependence to obtain the benefits of urbanization economies and distance attenuation effect;No obvious cluster network has been incubated in OEM serviced-oriented city communities.Polarization phenomenon of The inter-community is extremely significant,that is to say,the core city community in Taiwan,China,radiates to other low-level equilibrium communities,forming a radial community structure.Contract manufacturers seek the cities with low labor costs around the world to carry out standardized production,and realize full competition through scale economies,therefore,a scatter-type city network layout structure is formed.5)The micro processes in the spatial growth of globalizing city network:(1)Reciprocity and intermediary effect are widespread in the three types of city networks,which profoundly affect the connectivity and development mechanism of city networks.(2)The preference attachment and the effects of receiver and sender constitute the core structural mechanism explaining the micro basis of centrality pattern of city networks,these two effects both reflect the path dependence phenomenon with in-degree as the core.(3)Triangular relationship(transmission triangle and circular triad group)and homogeneity are the micro-foundations,which promotes the phenomenon of cluster growth and rich clubs in city network,the impact of homogeneity to city network is mainly reflected in the connection between core cities.Specifically,aim to distance,distance decay law is common in inter-city networking mode,the impact of geographic proximity decreases with increasing spatial distance.