Call for Papers on Trade, Global Value Chains and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Country-Level (Case) Study

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Trade, Global Value Chains and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Country-Level (Case) Study
Asian Development Bank Institute
Tokyo, Japan
February 2020

The Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) invites submissions of paper proposals for the ADBI Research Project on “Globalization and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Asia.”

Project Theme

The globalized economic environment driven by active foreign trade and foreign direct investment has provided small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) with ample opportunities for growth. Various types of SMEs have been able to increase their production and sales by taking advantage of opportunities provided by the globalized economic environment. For example, a number of SMEs have been able to increase their production by starting to export or expanding exports in foreign markets. Some SMEs have benefited from being able to get involved in global value chains (GVCs) developed by multinational enterprises. Through these activities, SMEs can obtain both technology and management know-how as well as access to sales and procurement networks thereby contributing to their growth. However, despite the presence of ample opportunities, relatively few SMEs have been able to take advantage because they face various obstacles such as financial, technical, and human resource constraints.

Against this backdrop, this research project will investigate how SMEs have responded to the globalized economic environment. The focus on SMEs is due to their important position in many developing countries in terms of quantity, including the number of firms, and in terms of quality such as firm dynamism. Paper submissions should examine how globalization has impacted SMEs’ activities including international trade and GVC participation. Papers should also identify obstacles faced by SMEs in participating in these activities and examine how successful SMEs overcome such obstacles. Comparisons between large firms and SMEs are desired to help discern special patterns related to SMEs. Papers are expected to undertake detailed, statistical research using firm-level/plant-level data for a selected country/economy. Authors are expected to draw policy implications from the research findings.

Important Dates
  • Deadline for submission of research proposals: 31 August 2019
  • Deadline for submission of draft paper: 31 December 2019
  • Workshop date: February 2020
  • Deadline for final paper submission: March 2020
Application Procedure

Please email research proposals to Shujiro Urata ([email protected]) by 31 August 2019. Early submission is encouraged. Authors will be notified of proposal selection decisions no later than 15 September 2019.

Support

ADBI will provide a modest honorarium for accepted papers. ADBI will also cover the travel costs of one author per paper to attend the project workshop. Selected research papers shall be published as ADBI Working Papers. A book containing the accepted papers is also planned for publication.

Proposal Outline

Proposals should include the following:

  • Title of the paper
  • Author(s)
  • Background of the chosen theme
  • Brief literature survey
  • Objectives
  • Methodology
  • Data
  • Expected result
  • Expected policy implications
  • References