This book provides a novel theoretical framework to explain the real source of competitive advantage of Chinese manufacturing. More importantly, such a framework can be generalized to analyze the potential of catch-up for large emerging economies in the globalization era. The book also provides insights for policy makers to rethink their design of policies.

The rise of Made-in-China products has been widely attributed to low labour cost advantage and imitation advantage. However, as these two advantages are nearly innate to all late-developing countries, they cannot be regarded as the key factors that drive the rapid growth of China's manufacturing industry, or China's economy, over the past few decades. In this book, the author proposed a theory — 'the catch-up ladders theory', to explain the rise of China's manufacturing industry. The manufacturing advancement of any country is in essence a process of catching-up in both market and technology, during which enterprises will form a ladder-like holistic structure due to their differences in capabilities, technology and market positioning. In light of this, the continuity of the catch-up ladder will greatly determine the catch-up efficiency of an industry and even a country at large. Such a perspective is more applicable to large emerging economies, especially those with over one hundred million population and thus huge potential domestic market demand.

Contents:

• 
  

  Miracle of China's Economic Growth:

  
  
  
  
  • The Birth of a Growth Miracle
  
  
  • The Rise of China's Manufacturing Industry: A Historical Perspective
  
  
  • How to Interpret the Source of Advantages of Made-in-China?
  
  
  • Catching-Up Ladder: A Brand New Way of Interpretation
  
  
  • A Unique Market
  
  
  • 'Cold Start' in Early Catching-Up
  
  
  • Are Chinese Enterprises Facing Globalization or Localization?
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  The Market Ladder:

  
  
  
  
  • A Market Ladder with Diversity
  
  
  • An 'Easy Mode' of Catching-Up
  
  
  • How was the Market Ladder Formed?
  
  
  • The Dynamics of the Market Ladder
  
  
  • Continuity: The Key to the Catch-Up Ladder
  
  
  • Underlying Competence for Competing in the Chinese Market
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  The Technology Ladder:

  
  
  
  
  • Why Does the Technology Ladder Matter?
  
  
  • How is the Continuous Technology Ladder Formed?
  
  
  • Continuity, Continuity, Continuity!
  
  
  • Another 'Invisible' Technology Ladder
  
  
  • An Indispensable Instrument in Global Industry Gaming
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  Decomposition and Recombination in Technological Catch-Up:

  
  
  
  
  • The Cold Start Paradox in Technological Catching-Up
  
  
  • Learning in Technological Catch-Up: Decomposition and Recombination
  
  
  • Strengthen Decomposition and Recombination Capabilities via Purposive Business Strategies
  
  
  • The Role of Universities and Academic Institutions in Deconstructing Technology
  
  
  • Innovation Generated from Imitation
  
  
  • Never Underestimate the Significance of Manufacturing Ability in the Transformation from Imitation to Innovation
  
  
  • Never Ignore the Value of Implicit Innovation
  
  
  • Seize the Time Window of Catching-Up
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  Competing in a Good-Enough Market:

  
  
  
  
  • A Good-Enough Market is Becoming More Important Than Ever Before
  
  
  • Two Types of Good-Enough Markets
  
  
  • How to Survive in a Good-Enough Market
  
  
  • Product Development Strategy in a Good-Enough Market
  
  
  • A Good-Enough Market is Different from the Bottom of a Pyramid Market
  
  
  • The Shanzhai Phenomenon: The Symbiosis of Positive and Negative Factors
  
  
  • Dynamic Shift in a Good-Enough Market
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  China's Advantages in the Field of Complex Product Systems:

  
  
  
  
  • What is a 'Complex Product System'?
  
  
  • Technology Decomposition Under Complex Product System
  
  
  • Technology Recombination Under the Complex Product System
  
  
  • Resorting to External Competence to Accelerate Decomposition and Recombination
  
  
  • China's Catching-Up Experience in the Field of Complex Product Systems
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  The Rise of Internet Companies in China:

  
  
  
  
  • What is Behind the Rise of Chinese Internet Companies?
  
  
  • Advantages of Network Effect Brought by Market Size
  
  
  • The Shift of Market Ladder and the Realization of Opportunities
  
  
  • Specific Advantage in Internet Cost of China
  
  
  • 'Waterloo' of Western Internet Companies in the Chinese Market
  
  
  • The Rise of Industrial Internet
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  Multinational Corporations: Role Change from 'Teacher' to 'Peer':

  
  
  
  
  • Challenge Launched by 'Students' to 'Teachers'
  
  
  • Glocalization of Multinational Corporations: Experience from Philips
  
  
  • Behind the Chinese Market Strategy
  
  
  • Challenges That Must Be Faced
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  Rules of Survival in the Chinese Market:

  
  
  
  
  • Capturing the Unmet Market Needs
  
  
  • Building Strength on Low-Cost Manufacturing Capabilities
  
  
  • Integrating Localized Innovations
  
  
  • Seeking a Delicate Balance Between Low Cost and Reasonable Quality
  
  
  • Harnessing the Power of Business Model Innovation
  
  
  • Maintaining Fast Market Response
  
  
  • Exploring Game-Changing Business Opportunities
  
  
  • Leveraging Glocalization Advantages
  
  
  • Never Stop Running
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  The Future of Made-in-China:

  
  
  
  
  • History is a Pathway to the Future
  
  
  • Awakening of Individualism Amid Consumption Upgrade
  
  
  • The Ongoing 'Downward Market Penetration'
  
  
  • Can the Labor Cost Advantage Sustain?
  
  
  • The Development of Technological Dominance
  
  
  • Back to the Ivory Tower
  
  
  • The Age of Discovery of China
  
  
  • More Inclusive Integration into Globalization
  
  
  • Symbol of the True Rise of Made-in-China
  
  
  
  

Readership: For students, researchers and professionals who are interested to understand the real sources of competitive advantage of Chinese manufacturing and the Chinese economy.

Key Features:

• This book provides a novel theoretical framework for explaining the real source of competitive advantage of Chinese manufacturing


• Rich and interesting details in the book made it more attractive to both academic professionals, managers and general readers