Survival strategy of OEM companies: a case study of the Chinese toy industry
通过中国玩具产业八家企业的多案例研究，分析了代工企业如何在成本压力下生存，并升级为设计制造商或品牌制造商，揭示了从代工到设计制造再到品牌制造的升级路径。
Purpose Although there have been many discussions on the status and development of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), theory on how they survive is minimal. Little is known about how OEMs survive and upgrade to other business models, such as original design manufacturers (ODMs) and original brand manufacturers (OBMs), in emerging economies. The purpose of this paper is to extend the theory on the survival path of OEMs from the perspective of emerging countries by examining how OEMs survive cost pressures and upgrade to ODMs or OBMs. Design/methodology/approach Using a multi-case study method, this study analyzes the survival path employed by OEMs by examining eight firms in the Chinese toy industry. Findings This study shows that OEMs remain weak in the global toy industry chain due to labor costs. While some OEMs move to low-cost regions, others turn to OBM management, after transitioning through an ODM model, by investing in research and development and marketing. Originality/value This study explores the survival paths of OEM enterprises, showing that OEMs can first upgrade to ODMs and then to OBMs, or they can directly upgrade to OBMs. Shifting from OEM to ODM is an important step in the transition process, although the contract that OEMs have with their foreign partners does not change significantly.