Lead firm strategies in the global textile and apparel industry: Are disruptions reconfiguring the geographies of production?
研究全球生产网络中的颠覆如何改变主导企业战略和生产地理，发现自2010年代中期以来，在线销售增长和地缘政治紧张促使企业增加近岸外包、垂直整合和“中国+1”策略，但投入品生产仍集中在中国。
Abstract This article examines how disruptions in global production networks (GPNs) reshape lead firm strategies and the geographies of production. We adapt the GPN 2.0 framework by incorporating three mediating factors on lead firm strategy—supplier investment case, path dependencies, and state action. Focusing on textile and apparel GPNs, we find: (1) since the mid-2010s, lead firm strategies have been disrupted by increased online sales and geopolitical tensions; (2) lead firms adapted their sourcing strategies by increasing nearshoring, verticality, and ‘China + 1’ strategies; (3) these strategies materialized in apparel assembly, while production of inputs (fabric, fibers, accessories) remains concentrated in China.