International sister-region relations and the construction of knowledge pipelines for firm internationalization ——The case of the Zhejiang and Schleswig-Holstein Partnership

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1004-9479.2021.04.2020223

Abstract

Abstract:

The local buzz-global pipeline model in economic geography addresses how local firms - through a long-run and multi-scalar buzz and learning process- form key knowledge pipelines benefiting for internationalization and upgrading. However, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who lack global experiences and capabilities face more risks to build up such pipelines. They get access to key knowledge for "going global" via alternative ways beyond the traditional buzz-global model. This paper focuses on the Zhejiang (China) and Schleswig-Holstein (Germany) partnership and explores the knowledge capture mechanism of Zhejiang's firms when "going out". Our results show: ①partnership institutions act as knowledge gatekeepers, providing firms both from Zhejiang and Schleswig-Holstein accurate, up-to-date and firm-specific tailor-made knowledge; ②international sister-region relations foster the formation of state-guaranteed "global buzz" spaces, enabling SMEs to capture key knowledge with the least input for constructing "social, organizational, cognitive proximity"; ③international sister-region relations build long-term global pipelines between the two regions, which lead to the generation of dynamic "buzz communities" geared to "tailor-made internationalization". This study highlights that international sister-region relations are important public platforms which play a key role in the construction of global pipelines among distant SMEs. The "global buzz-global pipeline" model of firm knowledge capture indeed provides a complementary conceptual account to the traditional local buzz-global pipeline model.

Key words: buzz-pipeline model, global buzz, firm internationalization, knowledge capture, international sister-region relations, Zhejiang, Schleswig-Holstein (Germany)

摘要：

经济地理学中的“本地蜂鸣-全球管道”模型解释了本地企业如何通过长期互动学习，逐步形成有利于企业全球化的重要知识俘获渠道。中小企业因自身能力和国际化经验的缺乏，往往会规避时间成本和风险，另辟蹊径地实施国际化战略。本文以浙江省和德国石荷州国际友好关系为例，通过田野调查和对利益相关人的深度访谈，对该关系框架下浙江中小企业“走出去”过程中的知识俘获机制进行分析。结果显示：①国际区域友好相关机构扮演着“知识守门员”角色，为双边中小型企业的全球化提供准确的、高效的和定制化的信息。②国际区域友好关系推动基于政府担保的、多方参与的“全球蜂鸣”空间形成，使得企业以较低成本获得社会、认知和组织临近，以此俘获“走出去”的关键知识；③国际区域友好关系为两地搭建一种新型的“全球管道”，有利于形成面向“精准全球化”的动态蜂鸣社群。本研究强调：地方政府主导的国际区域友好关系是中小企业“全球管道”构建的重要制度平台，这种“全球蜂鸣-全球管道”知识动态模式是对传统“本地蜂鸣-全球管道”概念的重要补充。

关键词: 地方蜂鸣-全球管道模型, 全球蜂鸣, 企业国际化, 知识俘获, 国际区域友好关系, 浙江, 德国石荷州

Xiaohui HU, Chencen LIANG. International sister-region relations and the construction of knowledge pipelines for firm internationalization ——The case of the Zhejiang and Schleswig-Holstein Partnership[J]. World Regional Studies, 2021, 30(4): 685-695.

胡晓辉, 梁陈岑. 国际区域友好关系和企业全球化的知识管道构建[J]. 世界地理研究, 2021, 30(4): 685-695.

Figures/Tables 3

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机构		名称	访谈对象	地点	时间	企业规模/人
政府		G1:石荷州中国商务中心	主任	石荷州新明斯特	2015.7
		G2:石荷州经济技术促进中心杭州办事处	主任	杭州	2016.9
		G3:浙江北德中心	副主任	杭州	2017.12
浙江企业	已经投资石荷州的企业(正式访谈)	F1:某家纺企业	店长	石荷州施瓦岑贝克	2015.8	80
		F2:某风电企业	技术主管	石荷州弗赖堡	2015.9	50
		F3:某物流企业	总经理	石荷州新明斯特	2015.9	180
		F4:某水处理技术企业	副总	杭州	2016.10	33
		F5：某健康服务企业	总经理	杭州	2017.8	21
		F6：某食品贸易企业	副总	宁波	2017.8	70
		F7：某海洋工程企业	总经理	宁波	2017.11	150
		F8：某房地产投资企业	商务主管	杭州	2017.11	400
	准备投资石荷州的企业(非正式访谈)	F9：某养老服务企业	总经理	杭州	2018.9	25
		F10：某大数据技术企业	商务经理	杭州	2018.9	140
		F11：某农业技术企业	副总经理	杭州	2018.9	70

机构		名称	访谈对象	地点	时间	企业规模/人
政府		G1:石荷州中国商务中心	主任	石荷州新明斯特	2015.7
		G2:石荷州经济技术促进中心杭州办事处	主任	杭州	2016.9
		G3:浙江北德中心	副主任	杭州	2017.12
浙江企业	已经投资石荷州的企业(正式访谈)	F1:某家纺企业	店长	石荷州施瓦岑贝克	2015.8	80
		F2:某风电企业	技术主管	石荷州弗赖堡	2015.9	50
		F3:某物流企业	总经理	石荷州新明斯特	2015.9	180
		F4:某水处理技术企业	副总	杭州	2016.10	33
		F5：某健康服务企业	总经理	杭州	2017.8	21
		F6：某食品贸易企业	副总	宁波	2017.8	70
		F7：某海洋工程企业	总经理	宁波	2017.11	150
		F8：某房地产投资企业	商务主管	杭州	2017.11	400
	准备投资石荷州的企业(非正式访谈)	F9：某养老服务企业	总经理	杭州	2018.9	25
		F10：某大数据技术企业	商务经理	杭州	2018.9	140
		F11：某农业技术企业	副总经理	杭州	2018.9	70

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