The Politics Of Global Competitiveness

This book documents the recent developments of what Marx called the 'general law of social production', and the leading roles of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the World Bank as advocates of a single global model of capitalist development. Marx's 'general law of social production', proposed in Capital (1867), suggests that as the capitalist system of production becomes global, and competition between capitalists becomes more intense, workers are compelled to be versatile (multi-skilled), flexible, and mobile in order to survive. This general law, resulting from scientific and technological innovation and continuous advances in the division of labour generated by competition between capitalists, has given rise to global production chains, 'zero hours' contracts, and the breaking down of production processes into smaller and smaller individual steps, increasingly supported by advanced machines and digital platforms. This book identifies the universal policy framework that promotes these developments as the politics of global competitiveness, and shows that the Washington-based World Bank and the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), working together, are its principal advocates. They do not narrowly promote the interests of the advanced capitalist economies, or the 'West' and its transnational corporations, but rather the unlimited development of the global capitalist system and the world market as a whole. When their policies are examined together and compared, they reveal a single, shared programme, focused not on the relationship between the developed and the developing world, but on the global relationship between capital and labour. Put at its simplest, their aim is to ensure that as many people as possible across the world have the potential to be productive workers, and to propose reforms to welfare or social protection that will oblige them to offer themselves to capitalists for work.

This book documents the recent developments of what Marx called the 'general law of social production', and the leading roles of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the World Bank as advocates of a single global model of capitalist development. Marx’s ‘general law of social production’, proposed in Capital (1867), suggests that as the capitalist system of production becomes global, and competition between capitalists becomes more intense, workers are compelled to be versatile (multi-skilled), flexible, and mobile in order to survive. This general law, resulting from scientific and technological innovation and continuous advances in the division of labour generated by competition between capitalists, has given rise to global production chains, ‘zero hours’ contracts, and the breaking down of production processes into smaller and smaller individual steps, increasingly supported by advanced machines and digital platforms. This book identifies the universal policy framework that promotes these developments as the politics of global competitiveness, and shows that the Washington-based World Bank and the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), working together, are its principal advocates. They do not narrowly promote the interests of the advanced capitalist economies, or the ‘West’ and its transnational corporations, but rather the unlimited development of the global capitalist system and the world market as a whole. When their policies are examined together and compared, they reveal a single, shared programme, focused not on the relationship between the developed and the developing world, but on the global relationship between capital and labour. Put at its simplest, their aim is to ensure that as many people as possible across the world have the potential to be productive workers, and to propose reforms to welfare or social protection that will oblige them to offer themselves to capitalists for work.

The first volume in a major new series, this book will be an essential read for all those who need to deal with the causes and consequences of rapid technological change in an increasingly globalized world, whether they be government policy-makers, managers of multi-national corporations, commentators on the international scene or specialists in and students of international politics, economics and business studies. The authors discuss three related areas: * How do we think about technology and international relations/international political economy? How does technology relate to competitiveness? How does it inlfuence our culture and how is it influenced by it? * In what sense is technology a fundamental component of national competitive advantage and what ought national, local and corporate policy to be in the light of this? * What is the relationship between technological innovation and global political and economic change? Technology is discussed not just in an instrumental sense - as a tool of power and an object of policy - but equally in a transcendental sense - as a key to shaping and structuring how we understand and interpret reality. The final section of the book presents case studies of three core sectors of the world political economy, finance , aviation and automobiles.

Competitiveness and Death examines the increase and reduction of regulatory barriers to trade across three industries: environmental, labor, and safety rules on automobiles, consumer protection regulations on meat, and intellectual property regulations on medicines. The fundamental negotiation in trade and regulatory policymaking occurs between businesses, activists, and government officials. Gary Winslett builds on new trade theories to explain when and why businesses are most likely to lobby governments to reduce these regulatory trade barriers. He argues that businesses prevail when they can connect with broader concerns about national economic competitiveness. He examines how activist organizations overcome collective action problems and defend regulatory differences, arguing that they succeed when they can link their desire for barriers with preventing needless death. Competitiveness and Death provides a political companion to new trade theories in economics, questioning cleavage-based explanations of trade politics, demonstrating the underappreciated importance of activists, suggesting the limits of globalization, providing in-depth examination of previously ignored trade negotiations, qualifying the California Effect (the shift toward stricter regulatory standards), and showing the relative rarity of regulations used as disguised protectionism.

This book is concerned with how the pursuit of national economic competitiveness by states has come to be intertwined with a globalised gender agenda—one in which women and the household economy are seen as ‘untapped’ resources. In many East and Southeast Asian economies, competitiveness and the dangers of the middle-income trap dominate economic policy agendas: states’ commitments to gender equality goals are frequently framed around ‘business case’ logics in which women’s empowerment and women’s increased engagement in the productive economy is linked to the national economic project of building and enhancing competitiveness. This book looks to the case of Malaysia in order to assess how the increasingly dominant view that gender equality is ‘smart economics’ plays out in practice. Drawing upon extensive case study research and interview data, the book hones in on the complex gender politics that are at work within government initiatives that seek to enhance competitiveness via increasing women’s labour force participation, efforts to strengthen marriage and family life, and attempts to boost women’s entrepreneurialism and status within the corporate world. Providing an account of the gender politics at work within ongoing processes of state transformation in Asia, this book will appeal to researchers and students in gender studies, Southeast Asian studies, International Political Economy and public policy.

'This is a very timely book which provides an unprecedented analysis of the factors which have shaped the competition law systems of ten Asian countries and Australia. The comprehensive discussion from varying viewpoints against the backdrop of the significantly different environments within which the respective regimes have developed creates a framework for the comparative assessment of competition law systems elsewhere in the world.' Lutz-Christian Wolff, The Chinese University of Hong Kong 'New competition laws have been adopted throughout Asia in recent years, and some of the older laws have been significantly strengthened. This makes Asia a fascinating region in which to look at the political and economic circumstances of the countries in which such laws are to be found, and to consider the very different conditions that exist within them. This book will be an invaluable guide to anyone with an interest in the developing competition law regimes of this immensely important part of the world.' Richard Whish, King's College London, UK This detailed book describes and analyses the essential political economy features that provide the backdrop to the competition policies and competition law regimes of several of the most important Asian economies. The book also discusses the impact of these political economy influences in determining whether the adopted competition policy is effective. Each of the authors experts in their respective countries offer specific insights into the nature and structure of their competition regimes and discuss to what extent the varied political economy factors unique to that country help to determine whether and to what extent the established system promotes or hinders economic competition in that jurisdiction. Comprising wide coverage of Asian jurisdictions, including Australia, this book will strongly appeal to students and academics of law, politics, economics and economic development, policy makers in national governments, international agencies and competition authorities, as well as practicing competition lawyers and in-house counsel.

The author argues that the countries that, at the end of the 20th century, have economic, social and ecological success will not be unleashed market economies but "active and learning societies" that attempt to solve their problems via an organizational and governance-related pluralism.

The years since the global financial crisis have seen something of a renaissance in the manufacturing industry. The United States has launched its Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, and China owes much of its spectacular economic boom in the last decades to its being the 'world's factory'. Is there room for the EU in this landscape? This timely new book explores Europe’s role in this evolving environment. It argues that on the one hand, in terms of sheer numbers, the role of the manufacturing industry in the EU is on a par with other major global economies. However, the book also states that Europe falls short of its global competitors (the USA in particular) in terms of its involvement in the most innovative manufacturing sectors. The volume therefore argues that this creates the opportunity for a new European industrial policy. Exploring the development of current EU policy, the book puts forward suggestions as to how the EU can improve in terms of the competitiveness of its technology policy. Placing the EU’s position in the context of the industrial structures of the USA, Japan and the BRICs, the book blends theoretical models and practical examples in order to offer a the state of the art look at the current and future direction of Europe’s industrial policy. This book will be of relevance to all those with an interest in European economics, industrial economics, public policy, European politics and European studies.