Global Value Chain Participation and Labour Productivity among Manufacturing Firms in Vietnam

Authors

  • Tran Thi Hue aculty of Literature, Kobe Women’s University; 2-1 Aoyama Higashisuma, Suma-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 654-8585 Japan.
  • Upalat Korwatanasakul Faculty of Social Sciences, Waseda University; 1-6-1 Nishiwaseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169- 8050 Japan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22452/IJIE.vol15no4.2

Keywords:

Global value chain participation, Labour productivity, Learning-by-exporting, Learning-to-learn, Vietnam

Abstract

This study assesses the state of global value chain (GVC) participation
by manufacturing firms in Vietnam and examines the impact of GVC participation
on labour productivity. Utilising firm-level data from the Vietnam Technology and
Competitiveness Survey and Vietnam Enterprise Survey from 2009 to 2018, we
employ panel fixed-effect regression to analyse the dynamics. The findings show that
Vietnam’s GVC participation has been driven mainly by backward rather than forward
linkages, signifying a reliance on foreign inputs for exports. The study found a positive
impact of backward and forward GVC participation on labour productivity. However,
the results show a stark contrast when considering the degree of GVC participation
(i.e. GVC participation index). While forward GVC participation positively impacts
labour productivity, backward GVC participation demonstrates a negative effect. The
results partly reject the learning-to-learn hypothesis while supporting the notion that
productivity improvements in Vietnam are associated with learning-by-exporting and
learning-by-supplying. We suggest that the prioritisation of forward GVC participation
should be accompanied by well-designed backward participation strategies to promote
labour productivity. The study concludes with a few policy implications.

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Published

2023-10-01

How to Cite

Tran Thi Hue, & Upalat Korwatanasakul. (2023). Global Value Chain Participation and Labour Productivity among Manufacturing Firms in Vietnam. Institutions and Economies, 35–62. https://doi.org/10.22452/IJIE.vol15no4.2

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Section

Articles