14.2 Flashcards

1
Q

factors leading to growth in Starbucks

A
  • strong branding/brand loyalty: consistent experience, 100% ethically sourced coffee
  • aggressive global expansion strategy: rapid store growth - over 38,000 worldwide and adapting to the market - e.g matcha in Japan
  • innovation in technology: starbucks app/rewards program, drive-thrus and self-service kiosks
  • market domination: acquisition of competitors, e.g Teavana, supply control (owns its coffee farms)
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2
Q

reasons for expansion of starbucks

A
  • market saturation in US
  • rise in global demand for coffee - first-mover advantage in international market
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3
Q

spatial and organisational structure of starbucks

A

Transnational Vertical integration:
- Controls multiple stages of production and distribution:
- Direct coffee bean sourcing and farming: owns coffee farms in Costa Rica/Rwanda and workers directly with farmers through its C.A.F.E practices program
- owns/operates major roasting plants worldwide and centralised distribution centres ensuring efficient logistics
- mainly operate company-owned stores but use licensing in select markets (e.g Tata in India)

Host-market production (for local adaptations):
- Regional adaptation of menu items are produced locally, e.g Masala Chai in India
- Dairy, pastries and sandwiches are often produced with countries to maintain freshness

Multi-layered spatial organisation:
- Global Headquarters (Seattle, USA)
- Regional divisions: North America, China and Asia-Pacific, Europe Middle East & Africa, Latin America and Caribbean
- National and local market adaptations: each country has national management teams

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4
Q

how does starbucks use new international division of labour?

A
  • new international division of labour divides production into different skills and tasks that are spread across regions and countries rather than within a single company.
  1. Sourcing Raw materials:
    - Sources coffee beans from countries with favourable growing conditions, such as Brazil, Colombia and Ethiopia
  2. Processing and Manufacturing:
    - Operate roasting plants in various location, such as US and the Netherlands allows Starbucks to efficiently serve different regional markets
  3. Distribution and Retail:
    - vast network of retail stores worldwide, including Europe, Asia and North America
  4. Outsourcing and partnerships:
    - Collaborate with local suppliers and partners optimising supply chain efficiency
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5
Q

how does starbucks use the fordist characteristics of manufacturing?

A

fordist manufacturing: mass production of standardized goods on a moving assembly line using dedicated machinery and semiskilled labour

  1. Standardisation of products: consistent offerings, meaning customers receive the same product quality/taste worldwide
  2. Assembly line production: in-store operations function like an assembly line: each barista performs a specific task
  3. Centralised Manufacturing facilities: e.g Kent Flexible Plant in Washington, handles roasting, blending and packaging of coffee and tea products
  4. Economies of scale: high volume production – 1.5 million pounds of coffee beans per week
  5. Automated equipment
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6
Q

impact of starbucks on host country

A

Positive:
- job creation: e.g almost 6,000 in the UK
- economic growth: stimulate local economies, e.g Starbucks purchase milk from local suppliers: Arla Foods in the UK
- tax revenue: (issue of tax avoidance)
- investment in infrastructure
- skills development: transferable (logistics)

Negative:
- market saturation/impact on local businesses
- european tax evasion: e.g no tax payments on £1.3 million of sales between 2010-2012 in UK
- anti-competitive behaviour: e.g cluster several locations to saturate the area
- opening without planning permission, e.g branch in Brighton
- overpricing
- exploitation of workers
- pollution
- cultural impacts

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7
Q

impacts of Starbucks in origin country (USA)

A

Positive:
- economic contribution: $681.2 million in US federal taxes in 2024
- employment: approx 211,000 individuals in 2024
- innovation/business practices: sets new standards improving customer experience

Negative:
- exploitation of workers: low wages in high cost areas
- tax avoidance
- cultural impact
- homogenisation of products as other independent shops conform to starbucks mode;
- cultural appropriation: diverse culture symbols just used for marketing?

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8
Q

what are the economic factors influencing the emergence/growth of NICs?

A
  1. FDI:
    - boost industrialisation
    - e.g China’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) attracted FDI
  2. Export-oriented growth:
    - South Korea’s chaebols (Samsung, Hyundai) driving exports
  3. Availability of cheap labour:
    - large, low-cost workforce attracts labour intensive industries - textiles
    e.g Bangladesh’s garment industry benefiting from low wages.
  4. Infrastructure development:
    - China’s high-speed rail and port development supporting trade.
  5. Integration into global markets:
    - boost free trade = higher exports
    - e.g Mexico and USMCA - higher trade with US
  6. Gov policies:
    - tax incentives, free trade zones and pro-business policies encourage industrialisation

Evaluation: government policies most important: responsible for a lot of the other easons, e.g trading blocs, skills training etc

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9
Q

what are the social factors influencing the emergence/growth of NICs?

A
  1. Strong education system/skills:
    - skilled workforce for high-tech industries
    - e,g South Korea’s focus on STEM education boosted tech sector
  2. Urbanisation:
    - provides workers for industrial hubs
  3. cultural work ethic/productivity:
    r
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10
Q

nature of change in the Location of Economic Activity (Outsourcing & Offshoring)

A
  • Outsourcing: Contracting third-party firms in other countries to handle production or services.
    Example: Apple manufactures iPhones in China (Foxconn) but designs them in the USA.
  • Offshoring: Relocating a company’s own operations (manufacturing or services) to another country.
  • also can be used for tax avoidance, e.g Amazon offshoring profits to Luxembourg (paid no corporation tax in Europe in 2020)
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11
Q

causes of Changes in the Location of Economic Activity (Outsourcing & Offshoring)

A
  • Lower Labour Costs: Wages are lower in NICs (e.g., textiles in Bangladesh).
  • Improved Transport & Technology: Faster shipping, automation, and digital connectivity enable global business.
  • Trade Liberalisation & Free Trade Agreements: Tariff reductions encourage relocation (e.g., NAFTA → USMCA).
  • Growing Consumer Markets: MNCs move closer to emerging markets (e.g., car manufacturing in Mexico).
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12
Q

Impacts of Changes in the Location of Economic Activity (Outsourcing & Offshoring)

A

Host:
Pos:
- economic growth/job creation
- technology transfer/skill developemnt
Dis:
- low wages/poor working conditions
- environmental damage
- tax avoidance

Source:
Adv:
- cheaper consumer goods/increased profits for MNCs = higher wages/better quality goods if reinvested?
- shift to high skilled service industry, e.g finance
Dis:
- job losses/deindustrialisation: e.g Sheffield steel industry decline
- widening of economic inequality - job losses

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13
Q

what is the spatial organisation of a company?

A
  • different divisions of an organisation often located in countries with different characteristics
  • head office in HIC country of origin or low business-tax country
  • R&D often in countries with** highly-skilled scientists and engineers + world-class universities***
  • branch plants: manufacturing where reliable product efficiently produced without threats to long-term continuity
  • assembly often occur close to major market for final product
  • sales, marketing and service: close to main market
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14
Q

what is globalisation?

A
  • increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of the world economically, culturally and politically
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15
Q

what is global shift?

A
  • refers to the large-scale
    filter-down of economic activity from
    MEDCs to NICs and LEDCs
  • bulk investment through TNC, which are the main drivers, whereas nation states individually/collectively set the rules for the global economy
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16
Q

factors responsible for economic globalisation

A
  • emergence of NIDL meant production has changed from just being mainly organised within national economies like it was pre 1950
  • increasing complexity of international trade flows as this process has
    developed.
    -Major advances in trade liberalisation under the World Trade Organization.
  • emergence of free-market governments in the USA/UK around 1980 (Thatcher and Reagan) with attendant policies which were copied around the world
  • emergence of an increasing number of NICs.
  • Old USSR and Eastern European states become capitalist, meaning no significant group of countries outside free-market
  • opening up of other economies, particularly those of China and India.
  • deregulation of world financial markets.
  • ‘transport and communications revolution’ allows management of complex networks of production and trade that exist today
17
Q

influences on the globalisation of economic activity

A
  • decreasing barriers to world trade: free trade
  • increasing economic power of major trade blocs: EU
  • increasing influence of large TNCs
  • greatest ever global connectivity in transport and communication
  • Rising levels of
    international migration
  • Increasing levels of
    outsourcing to lower- wage economies
  • emergence of an
    increasing number
    of NICs
  • Growing influence of
    global brands: Mcdonaldisation
  • highest ever levels of
    international tourism
  • Increasing cultural
    diversity in a growing
    number of countries
  • Capitalism now virtually
    unchallenged as the
    global model for
    economic development - apart from Korea
18
Q

advantages for economic activity working at the global scale

A
  • Sourcing of raw materials and components on a global basis reduces costs.
  • TNCs can seek out the lowest-cost locations for labour and other factors.
  • High-volume production at low cost in countries such as China helps to
    reduce the rate of inflation in other countries and helps living standards to
    rise.
  • Collaborative arrangements with international partners can increase the
    efficiency of operations considerably
    .
  • Selling goods and services to a global market allows TNCs to achieve very
    significant economies of scale.
  • Global marketing helps to establish brands with huge appeal all around the
    world
19
Q

what are the locational changes of a TNC as it develops

A
  1. export-led development: home country where labour/sourcing established but exports may have tariffs
  2. overseas location of branch plants: incentives of cheaper labour, market access and financial incentives from host govs
  3. shift R&D and HQ function: new locations become semi-autonomous as products carefully tailored
  4. Rationalisation: increasing competition, concentrating activities in best locations
20
Q

how has containerisation improved transport connections

A
  • TEU invented in 1956 - allows easy transfer between road/rail/sea
  • containerships now carry 90% of global trade
  • allows easier, cheaper transport of good = more efficient
  • flight transport quicker but much more expensive
21
Q

measurements of level of globalisation in countries

A
  1. Kearney index: four main indicators
  2. KOF index: 3 aspects
22
Q

NIDL

A
  • labour is now increasing outsourced to developing nations, while developed countries focus on high-skill, high-wage industries like finance and services

Factors contribution:
1. rise of TNCs
2. advancements in transport and communication: container shipping, air freight made it more cost-effective
3. neoliberal economic policies: free trade, deregulation allowed production to relocate

  • from 1953 to late 1990s, industrialised economies’ share of world manufacturing output declined from 95% to 77% and developing share more than quadrupled from 5% to 23%
23
Q

where are raw materials for apple sourced

A

30 chemical elements
Gold from peru
Copper from chile
Cobalt from congo

24
Q

Apple R&D in America

A
  • create 20000 new jobs
  • already employs 84000 people in all 50 states
25
Q

Where and why is the apple sales headquarters located (market, profitability)

A
  • cork, ireland
  • due to low tax rates
  • and expansion into the european market
  • given a 13 billion tax break by the government
26
Q

Where are apple products ultimately assembled

A

In taiwan by Foxconn and Pegatron

  • because of increased manufacturing that one manufacturing unit cannot handle
27
Q

what are the motives for FDI?

A
  1. market-seeking motives:
    - gain access to new market/opportunities
    - follow key customers
    - compete with key rivals in their own market
  2. resource/asset-seeking motives:
    - access raw materials
    - gain access to knowledge/other assets
    - access to technological/managerial know-how in key market
  3. efficiency-seeking motives:
    - reduce sourcing/production costs
    - locate production near customers
    - gov incentives
    - avoid trade barriers: e.g NAFTA increased FDI between US, Canada and Mexico to $452 billion in 2012
    - higher profits
28
Q

example of FDI

A

Toyota FDI:
- in georgetown kentucky, invest $8 billion into its largest manufacturing plant in the world
- gives jobs to over 9,000 employees

29
Q

pros/cons of FDI

A

Pros:
- creates jobs
- recipient country benefits from improved knowledge/expertise of TNC
- investment could lead to higher wages/improved working conditions especially if TNC worried about public image

Cons:
- TNCs get controlling rights within foreign companies: could perhaps influence local politics - get favourable laws
- convenient way to bypass local environmental laws - developing countries may be tempted to compete on reducing environmental regulation to attract FDI
- wealth may not be distributed within recipient country
- TNCs criticised for poor working conditions (e.g Apple)

30
Q

Special Economic zone

A
  • often exempt from federal laws regarding taxes, quotas, labour laws etc

Example: Chinese SEZs
- by 2020, number of SEZs in China reached 45
- 1980 it created the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone.
- Exports soared from $2 billion in 1980 to $200 billion in 2000
- In many Chinese SEZs wages are now high by global standards and countries like Vietnam are more competitive

31
Q

de-industrialisation in HICS
causes
concerns
positive vs negative

A

Causes:
- technological change allows manufacturing to be more capital intensive and mobile
- consequence of a global shift of manufacturing to NICs filtering down from HICs
- growth of tertiary sector in HICs

Concerns:
- spatial concentration of secondary jobs from industrial revolution period means concentration of negative impacts (job losses) when industries have closed, e.g manchester
- negative multiplier effects severe as associated industries/services hit
- rapid pace pf decline made adjustment (creation of alternative employment) tough
- no smooth decline, manufacturing decline concentrated during recessions
- defence concerns if strategic industries disappear, e.g aerospace, steel etc
- service jobs are less reliable so more risk, e.g from COVID

Positive: share of employment in manufacturing falls due to rapid productivity growth but displaced labour absorbed in non-manufacturing sector, economy nearly at full employment and GDP per capita is rising
Negative: decline in share of manufacturing due to slow growth/decline in demand and displaced labour = unemployment