The Impact of Outsourcing on Local Industry Upgrading: a Case of China from a Global Value Chain Perspective

This paper develops a conceptual model to assess effect of outsourcing by integrating the theories of industrial upgrading and global value chain (GVC) governance. Contrary to the widely accepted perception that outsourcing is expected to generate positive spillover in particular, the findings indicate that outsourcing has different effects in different GVC governance modes. Excess outsourcing could structurally inhibit technology and management spillovers to subcontractors within the emerging economy context. Based on a case study of the Chinese textile and apparel (T & A) industry, it is found that the Chinese T & A industry has been trapped in the captive governance relationship with foreign buyers, and at the same time is capped below the function upgrading level. Consequences of the situation and implication are then discussed.