Informal Dynamics of Agile Firm Organisation in the Greater Pearl River Delta (SPP 1233 phase 1)

Joint research project within the priority program 1233

Poster
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Joint research project within the priority program 1233
(Megacities - Megachallenge: Informal Dynamics of Global Change)

Economic activities in the Greater Pearl River Delta (GPRD) are embedded into fragmented global value chains and shaped by the spatial division of labour between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland. Business success in such competitive environments depends on competences and resources of firms to capitalise on both informal and formal institutions. Against this background, our project is based on the assumption that a firm can achieve a sustained competitive advantage by agile firm organisation – an organisational innovation to seize opportunities and to cope with uncertain threats in volatile markets proactively.

Our multidisciplinary consortium covers 1) the informality continuum of governance and institutions facilitating agile firm organisation in the GPRD, 2) the regional economic rationale of agile firm organisations, and 3) social dynamics that stabilise and smoothen regional agility. Mega-urban regions offer the best conditions for agile firm organisation due to thick input markets and distinct global-local interfaces. Agile firms are boosting megaurban economies and have wider impacts on its social, political, and ecological development. Hence, our topic is an eminent emerging field to explain the informal dynamics of global change in mega-urban regions.

"The Agile Enterprise": Hong Kong Industrialist, October 2008, S. 14-19, published by the Federation of Hong Kong Industries.

Publications:

• Revilla Diez, J.; Schiller, D.; Meyer, S. (2013): Capitalising on Institutional Diversity and Complementary Resources in Cross-Border Metropolitan Regions: The Case of Electronics Firms in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta. in: Klaesson, J.; Johansson, B.; Karlsson, C. (eds.): Metropolitan Regions Knowledge Infrastructures of the Global Economy. Springer. 393-424.
• Revilla Diez, J.; Schiller, D.; Meyer, S. (2010): 探讨香港-珠江三角洲的联系：跨界的制度多样性如何促进电子企业的竞争力 (Exploring the Hong Kong-Pearl River Delta Link: How Institutional Diversity across Border Regions Fosters the Competitiveness of Electronics Firms). South China Journal of Economics 28(5): 69-80.
• Kroll, H.; Schiller, D. (2010): Establishing an interface between public sector applied research and the Chinese enterprise sector: Preparing for 2020. Technovation 30 (2): 117-129.
• Meyer, S.; Schiller, D.; Revilla Diez, J. (2009): The Janus-faced Economy: Hong Kong Firms as Intermediaries between global Customers and local Producers in the Electronics Industry. In: Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie (TESG) 100, No. 2, pp. 224-235.
• Kroll, H.; Schiller, D. (2009): Managing the Interface between Public Sector Applied Research and Technological Development in the Chinese Enterprise Sector. Fraunhofer ISI Discussion Papers Innovation System and Policy Analysis, No. 17. Download
• Revilla Diez, J., Schiller, D., Meyer, S., Liefner, I., Brömer, C. (2008): Agile Firms and their Spatial Organisation of Business Activities in the Greater Pearl River Delta. Die Erde 139(3): 251-269.
• Schiller, D.; Meyer, S. (2008): Agile Unternehmensorganisation und Wirtschaftsnetzwerke im Perlflussdelta. Geographische Rundschau 60(5). S. 36-43.

Presentations to Scientific Audiences:

• Schiller, D.: Spatial and organisational transition of an East Asian high-growth region: the electronics industry in the Greater Pearl River Delta. 3rd Summer Conference in Regional Science. Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung. Hannover, 25.-26. Juni 2010.
• Schiller, D.: The localization of electronics manufacturing in the Greater Pearl River Delta: Do Global Implants Put Down Local Roots? TransCoop-Workshop on Transnational Corporations, Knoweldge, and Networks in China''s Regional Economy. Gießen, 21.-23. Juni 2010.
• Schiller, D.: Innovation and corporate governance in the electronics industry of South China: in what way do foreign and domestic firms differ? DIME Workshop on "Industrial Dynamics and Sectoral Systems in Developing Countries" 10.-11. Dezember 2009. Università Bocconi. Mailand.
• Schiller, D.: Die wirtschaftsgeographische Dimension des Aufstiegs Chinas. Vorträge auf Einladung der Schulbuchverlage Westermann, Schroedel, Diesterweg, Schöningh und Winklers. 02. November 2009 in Braunschweig, 04. November 2009 in Hannover, 27. November 2009 in Bramsche.
• Meyer, S.: Adapting to Institutional and Industrial Dynamics: Governance Modes of the Electronics Industry in the Greater Pearl River Delta Agglomeration (China). European Summer School on Industrial Dynamics: Agglomeration, Industries and Innovation. 31.08. - 04.09.2009. Barcelona.
• Schiller, D.: Innovation and corporate governance in the electronics industry of South China: in what way do foreign and domestic firms differ? Workshop on "The Impact of Transnational Corporations on Innovation and Regional Development in China" 11.-13. August 2009. Shanghai.
• Meyer, S.: Organisation of customer-producer-relations in the Greater Pearl River Delta: Institutional Setting and Governance Modes. Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers (AAG). 22.-27. März 2009. Las Vegas, NV.
• Schiller, D.: Die Bedeutung von Informalität für Geschäftsprozesse in der Elektronikindustrie Hongkongs und des Perlflussdeltas. 10. Symposium zur Wirtschaftsgeographie. 23.-25. April 2009. Rauischholzhausen.
• Hennemann, S.; Fu, W. : Firm Agility, upgrading of managerial, technological and individual capabilities in GPRD. Presentation at Cooperation Workshop Megacities-Megachallenge. Informal Dynamics of Global Change. Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou, China. 14.11.2008.
• Meyer, S.: Increasing agility in customer-producer relations. Sun-Yat-sen University Guangzhou, Workshop "Agile Firm Organisation in the GPRD". 12. September 2008. Guangzhou.
• Schiller, D.: The agile firm model in Hong Kong and the PRD: strategies and performance. Workshop of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council on “How the Agile Firm Model can be Transformed into a Sustained Competitive Advantage in the Electronics Industry”. 11. September 2008. Hongkong.
• Meyer, S.: Increasing agility in customer-producer relations, Hong Kong Trade Development Council Workshop zu "How the Agile Firm Model can be Transformed into a Sustained Competitive Advantage in the Electronics Industry". 11. September 2008. Hongkong.
• Schiller, D.: Hong Kong firms as intermediaries between global customers and local producers in the electronics industry. 48th Congress of the European Regional Science Association (ERSA). 27.-31. August 2008. Liverpool.
• Schiller, D.: Informal Dynamics of Agile Firm Organization in the Greater Pearl River Delta. Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers (AAG). 15.-19.April 2008. Boston, MA.
• Meyer, S.: Agile Produktionsnetzwerke im Perlflussdelta - ein strategischer Wettbewerbsvorteil. DGA-Nachwuchstagung Asienforschung. 25.-27. Januar 2008. Freiburg/Wiesneck.
• Schiller, D.: Informal Aspects of Agile Firm Organisation in the Greater Pearl River Delta. Cooperation Workshop of the DFG Priority Program "Megacities - Megachallenge: Informal Dynamics of Global Change". 19. November 2007. Guangzhou.
• Meyer, S.: Agile Wertschöpfungsketten im Perlflussdelta - Die Rolle informeller Institutionen zur Steigerung unternehmerischer Wettbewerbsfähigkeit.  Tagung des AK Industriegeographie. 16./17. November 2007. Eschwege.
• Schiller, D.: Informelle Aspekte der Unternehmensorganisation in Hongkong und im Perlflussdelta. Tagung des AK Industriegeographie. Eschwege. 10./11. November 2006.