The Global Economy and Southeast Asia

1. The Global Economy and Southeast Asia

2. Global Economy • Common to buy clothing anywhere in US which has a tag labeled, ‘Made in Malaysia, Indonesia or Vietnam’ • Simple observation reminds us that our consumption of goods has a strong international character • Increasingly true to speak not only of national economies but a larger, highly inter-connected and interdependent- GLOBAL ECONOMY • Before discussing basic mechanisms of industrialization and economic change within Southeast Asia, important to look at the broader global industrial environment within which these nations are forced to compete

3. Setting the Stage: Origins of the Global Economy • Since 1970s world economy hit by turbulent forces • Unemployment in western countries • Traditional industries (iron and steel) have declined • LDCs bearing huge financial debts which threaten drive for development • Trading tensions have emerged between industrial countries and the newly industrializing countries

4. Causes of These Conditions? • Some argue that continuing OPEC escalation of oil prices through limited production is root cause • Had some effect but too simple an answer • More profound changes in world economic structure were underway before this • Increasingly growing consensus that world economy has become more volatile, complex and tightly connected • Countries affected by what is happening abroad and at larger geographical scale

5. Internationalization of Trade and Labor • As with Japanese autos, American computers and Taiwanese calculators there is an emergence of a “new international division of labor” • Basically a change in geographical pattern of specialization at the global scale-constantly changing and very dynamic • Example: movement of textile and shoe production from Indonesia to China

6. International Division of Labor • Division of labor has taken on spatial dimensions- some areas come to specialize in certain types of economic activity • At broad scale : industrialized countries --- manufactured goods while non-industrialized countries --- raw materials • However this simple pattern no longer exists • Now much more complex structure involving fragmentation of many processes and their geographical relocation on a global scale

7. Forces Surrounding Global System of Production • These four factors are affecting production patterns: • 1. Trans-national or multi-national corporations (MNCs)-firms that operate in many nations • Increasingly these firms have local production points and suppliers that operate across national boundaries providing and securing labor, capital and other resources from a variety of places

8. Forces Surrounding Global System of Production • 2. National governments- through their industrial, trade and foreign policies especially liberalization policies • Liberalization refers to the way in which policies facilitate transactions (trade and sales) of a variety of products and services • Deregulation refers to the easing of taxation, entry and pricing of products or services dictated by government policy • Privatization refers to the ownership of former public sector operations and firms by private corporations and enterprises

9. Forces Surrounding Global System of Production • 3. Enabling Technologies- transport, communications, production and organizational improvements • Explosion of enhanced transport and communication services such as air cargo, integrators offering definite time delivery (FedEx and UPS), electronic mail and electronic data interchange (EDI) • Advanced inventory management such (just-in-time (JIT)) and new systems of distribution such as third party logistics (3PL)

10. Forces Surrounding Global System of Production • 4. Shifts in Market Conditions and Demand • Economic cycles affect markets and production, e.g. the Asian financial crisis • Dramatic shifts in demand affect over time influence type of good being produced and production schedules • Application of new technology can mean product obsolescence • These changes can be described in part through product life cycle

11. What was the Asian Financial Crisis? • Financial crisis not due to cronyism but failure of private sector • Rapid investment and excessive borrowing after period of liberalization • Bubble economy (prices well above those justified) developed in real estate and financial institutions • Collapse of export growth provided trigger that undermined baht, produced non performing loans and provoked capital outflow • Export collapse caused by increase in real wages, competition from China and labor intensive industry unable to adjust • Devalued currency bad for high import content goods but good for resource based products • Urban areas unemployment and high prices

12. Product Life Cycle- growth in sales of product follows systematic path, from initial introduction to market through development, growth, maturity, decline and obsolescence Competition Monopoly Competitors Innovating firm Sales Decline of production Idea Promotion First competitors Mass production Research and development Growth Decline Maturity Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4

13. Global Financial Centers Hinterland Telecommunications Space Time London Tokyo New York Los Angeles Hong Kong Singapore Stock Market Opening Period

14. Global Production Chains and Networks • Production Chain: Materials > Procurement > Transformation > Marketing and Sales >Distribution > Service • Definition: transactionally linked sequence of functions where each stage adds value to the process of goods and services production • Two aspects important: coordination and regulation and geographical configuration • Production chains may be very localized but increasingly are global in scale to take advantage of international division of labor

16. KIA Auto Parts Flow • Assembled in S Korea KIA Sorrento clear example of global supply chain • Uses 30K parts from all around world • Parts shipped from places as diverse as Wales and Mexico—but very risky • War in Iraq and piracy in Malacca Straits • Demonstrate surprising adaptability due to advance planning, multiple sourcing of parts and ability to shift routes on short notice

17. KIA Auto Parts Flow • Communicates regularly with suppliers-at least once a week • Order several months in advance • If necessary use air freight instead of sea freight • Greater demand forced KIA to air freight airbags from Swedish company which makes them in the U.S. • Greater expense of trans-Pacific flight better than slowing down production line