Who profits from commoditizing Christmas: Development prospects for Georgia in the Nordmann fir global production network

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Review of the Literature: Global Production Network...
• Methodology.
• The political economy of Georgia.
  • Development of the business environment
  • Labor market structure and labor rights
  • Bargaining power under given conditions
• Study case: Nordmann fir global production network.
  • Mapping the Nodrmann fir global production network
  • Company's perspective
  • Labor conditions…………………
• Interpretation and discussion
• Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This master thesis aims to examine the developmental prospects of the Racha region in Georgia by analyzing the global production network of Nordmann fir. It seeks to understand how this network contributes to regional development, focusing on value creation, enhancement, and capture trajectories. The research draws on the Global Production Network literature, considering the potential for “strategic coupling” and exploring the region's ability to secure a favorable position in the global network.

• Global Production Network (GPN) approach
• Regional development prospects in the Racha region of Georgia
• Value creation, enhancement, and capture trajectories in the Nordmann fir GPN
• Strategic coupling and the ability of the Racha region to secure favorable positions in the global network
• The political and institutional framework of Georgia in the context of the Nordmann fir GPN

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: This chapter introduces the research topic, outlining the significance of the Nordmann fir global production network for the Racha region in Georgia. It highlights the importance of understanding value creation and capture within this network, considering the region's limited economic activities beyond subsistence agriculture and tourism.
• Review of the Literature: Global Production Network: This chapter discusses the Global Production Network (GPN) approach, highlighting its strengths and limitations compared to Global Commodity Chain (GCC) and Global Value Chain (GVC) perspectives. It delves into world-systems analysis by Wallerstein and the core-periphery model, examining how this framework relates to the Nordmann fir GPN.
• Methodology: This chapter outlines the research methodology used for the analysis, clarifying the approach taken to examine the Nordmann fir GPN.
• The political economy of Georgia: This chapter provides context by discussing the political and institutional framework of Georgia, examining its historical development and the role of the Soviet Union. It explores the business environment, labor market structure, labor rights, and bargaining power within the region.
• Study case: Nordmann fir global production network: This chapter presents a detailed analysis of the Nordmann fir GPN, mapping the network and exploring the perspectives of different actors involved, including the Danish company Fair Trees, local workers, and the Forest Office administration.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The central keywords of this work include: Global Production Network (GPN), Nordmann fir, Racha region, Georgia, regional development, value creation, value capture, strategic coupling, political economy, labor market, bargaining power, and international trade.