Publications

The objective of this project for ILO's Sector department was to identify and analyze apparel industrial strategies across countries over the last decade. I compared common elements of the policies and prepared a report and presentation to illustrate the research results and to present the steps in an ideal policy development process. The following aspects of industrial policies were collected and evaluated:

This report defines and describes the global digital business process–related services ecosystem, presents Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) countries’ participation, and provides considerations for increasing participation. From a global perspective, the LAC region is viewed as an offshore destination for cost reduction and workforce availability rather than innovation.

This technical report was written by Stacey Frederick for the Donor Committee for Enterprise Development (DCED) Business Environment Working Group. It examines how the business environment can support positive integration and upgrading of formal firms in global value chains (GVCs).

This background paper provides a value chain map of the global electronics industry across five stages based on International Standard of Industrial Classification (ISIC) codes. It then uses national data from Vietnam to map the country's participation in the industry along the chain based on the number of establishments and workers.

IDB commissioned eight industry sector reports to investigate the reconfiguration of GVCs and the impacts, opportunities, threats and strategies for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). My report covered the pharmaceutical industry, and covered three main areas: global analysis of the pharmaceutical industry, LAC’s participation, and recommendations for LAC.

This report investigates the digital transformation occurring within GVCs and describes the implications those changes carry for APEC cooperation. The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to accelerate the digital transformation and bolster the digital economy as work is underway to overcome this unprecedented crisis. Under these circumstances, understanding digital transformation within GVCs is critical to surmounting the COVID-19 crisis and preparing for a post-pandemic era.

I worked with Jordan’s apparel industry for two years between February 2020 and December 2021 developing a national strategy for the country. The project was supported by Better Work Jordan (BWJ) and the Fulbright Specialist program in 2020. I spent two weeks in Jordan (Feb. 2020) to meet and interview apparel companies, government, and civil society stakeholders to understand dynamics in the industry.

It is well-established that bringing more women into the formal labor force is critical for economic development. One strategy often cited is further integrating developing countries into global trade, particularly global value chains (GVCs), to contribute to female labor market outcomes through the expansion of female-intensive industries.

This synthesis review establishes occupational safety and health (OSH) vulnerability profiles and identifies the common drivers that could be leveraged and the constraints that should be addressed to improve OSH in garment factories. It also identifies research gaps and suggests areas for future research. The report is published by the ILO Vision Zero Fund.

This synthesis review identifies common drivers and constraints for OSH improvements in agricultural global supply chains. The findings provide information that can assist in developing effective strategies to improve OSH in agricultural global supply chains and to identify research gaps and potential for future research. The report is published by the ILO Vision Zero Fund.

This op-ed was published on October 20th in Trade4Development News.

UNIDO supported a multi-year project focused on the health and medical device industries in Oman. In this second phase, I developed a national strategy for the healthcare manufacturing industry in Oman. 

Abstract: Global value chain research has evolved over the last two decades from a theoretical framework to an applied research approach widely used in industrial organization and development studies to address a myriad of research questions. A key element of conducting such research is establishing a clear, repeatable process to identify and describe the stakeholders and concepts of the analysis across a range of industries and topics.

This background paper provided an overview of the global information technology (IT) services industry including the structure of the value chain, outsourcing destinations, key firms, and important standards and institutions influencing the industry. 

The ILO requested a comprehensive study to map and analyze the different approaches to obtain and manage supply chain information and data collection strategies given the diversity of approaches and techniques used within the ILO to determine decent work deficits in GSCs.

Costa Rica has sought to improve its position in the global economy by prioritizing export growth in two high-tech manufacturing industries led by foreign direct investment (FDI): electronics and medical devices. We use a global value chain (GVC) perspective to identify key commonalities and contrasts in Costa Rica’s performance in upgrading these two sectors.

In 2019 the World Bank global trade and regional integration unit supported a project on IT services skills mapping in Cambodia. I wrote a background technical report on IT Services Skills Mapping and Cambodia: Jobs Diagnostic.

This article is related to research conducted as part of a collaboration between KIET and the GVC Center. The article was published in the March/April 2019 KIET Industrial Economic Review, Volume 24, Issue Number 2, p. 14-27. It was accompanied by a longer background paper prepared for KIET's occasional paper series in October 2018.

Chapter 5. The Philippines: A Sequential Approach to Upgrading in Manufacturing Global Value Chains”, p. 107-131 in D. Nathan, M. Tewari & S. Sarkar (eds.), Development with Global Value Chains: Upgrading and Innovation in Asia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Reviewed the ILO Value Chain Development (VCD) department's guides and publications related to value chains, and provided recommendations for including a global lens in the research process.

This study on Pakistan's apparel industry was sponsored by the World Bank in order to understand potential upgrading strategies to enhance the country’s competitiveness in the GVC. It begins by providing an overview of the apparel GVC to present a clear understanding of the scope of the industry, how markets are structured and how changing distribution of demand and supply destinations and lead firm organization alter structural dynamics in the chain.

This report describes and defines the digital economy, provides a case study that illustrates how Industry 4.0 impacts the capital equipment GVC and provides analysis of the activities taking place in different countries including the US, China, India, Singapore, and Korea.

The World Bank Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice commissioned a series of skill diagnostic reports in Vietnam (2017) and Cambodia (2018). For these projects, I prepared two internal reports for the World Bank entitled Apparel Skills Mapping and Upgrading in Vietnam and Cambodia.

The economic and social gains from electronic commerce (e-commerce) that promote innovation, industry upgrading and economic growth have been widely discussed. China’s successful experience with e-commerce has had a positive effect in transforming consumer-goods sectors of the economy and motivating economic reform.

UNIDO sponsored research to understand value chain dynamics in the apparel and electronics industries globally and in Asia (China, India, and Vietnam). I prepared seven background papers for the project on the global electronics value chain, apparel value chain, and country-specific papers for China, India, and Vietnam in each industry. These were the basis for Chapter 5 on Sectoral Variation in GVC Integration and Outcomes (p.

This research uses the global value chain (GVC) framework to analyze Central America’s participation in global manufacturing value chains, to understand the region’s competitiveness drivers and to evaluate potential risks to continued participation if US trade policies were to change. Central America’s entry into manufacturing GVCs has been through the insertion in various chains including apparel, wire harnesses (automotive) and medical devices.

Over the course of four months I helped Cambodian stakeholders develop a strategy for the Garment and Footwear Sector with the Cambodia Ministry of Finance and Better Work Cambodia. The Cambodian Supreme National Economic Council (SNEC), the body responsible for developing economic policies, issued a mandate in 2017 to form a technical team to develop a strategic policy program to guide the future of the apparel industry in the country.

This report uses the Global Value Chains (GVC) framework to analyze Korea’s participation and leadership in the electronics global value chain. As one of the most highly traded industries, it provides significant insight into how countries engage in global chains.

Chapter 2 reviews the policies that impact industrial development in Korea across all industries, and examines how the country’s approach to economic development has evolved over the past few decades. The review included identifying key stakeholders, trade, industrial and labor-related policies and programs.

The GVC framework has been developed over the past two decades by a global network of researchers from diverse disciplines in order to understand the phenomenon of globalization. This chapter outlines how this tool addresses economic development issues.

This chapter investigates the shipbuilding value chain and Korea’s position in the regional and global industry.

Chapter 5 reviews Korea's participation in electronics and shipbuilding, provides policy-related suggestions for continued success in manufacturing GVCs, and discusses innovation systems in East Asia.

ISI 2017 conference paper and background for conference presentation.

ISI 2017 conference paper and background for conference presentation.

The World Bank Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice commissioned a series of skill diagnostic reports in Vietnam (2017) and Cambodia (2018). For these projects, I prepared two internal reports for the World Bank entitled Apparel Skills Mapping and Upgrading in Vietnam and Cambodia.

This report provides an overview of the shipbuilding global value chain and the Philippines position within the industry and opportunities for upgrading. It was prepared for USAID/Philippines, through the Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for Development (STRIDE) Program.

Vietnam has emerged as an Asian manufacturing powerhouse, carving out a role for itself within global value chains (GVCs). In this World Bank Group publication, readers will gain a strong understanding of Vietnam’s current and potential engagement with GVCs and learn about strategic policy tools that can help developing countries achieve economic prosperity. Its findings will be of particular interest to policymakers, development practitioners, and academics.

Stacey authored chapters 2 and 5 in this World Bank book on the apparel industry. The book is motivated by South Asia's need to create more and better jobs for a growing population; it investigates the region's potential for expanding and improving jobs in the labor-intensive apparel sector. It estimates the effects of rising wages in China on apparel exports, employment, and wages in South Asia, and provides policy recommendations to leverage the sector for greater job creation.

The electronics industry has been the backbone of Philippine manufacturing exports over the past decade. This report uses the global value chain framework to support the country’s efforts to expand beyond its role in semiconductor assembly and testing towards higher value products and market niches. In addition, it examines potential to leverage synergies with other manufacturing sectors in the country.

This report uses the GVC framework to examine the role of the Philippines in the global automotive industry and identify opportunities for upgrading.

This report describes the structure of the global aerospace industry and the numerous subsystems of which it is composed to provide insight for entry and upgrading strategies in country's like the Philippines. 

This introduction outlines the analytical framework of the study, examines the Philippines recent economic growth and revitalization of the manufacturing sector, and provides an introduction to the Philippines investment, trade, and education policies. 

This report uses the global value chain (GVC) framework to examine the role of the Philippines in the global chemical industry and identify opportunities for the country to upgrade. The Philippine chemicals sector is growing alongside economic expansion and a revival in manufacturing. In 2013, the chemicals sector as a whole accounted for 6.7% of GDP. Chemicals exports reached US$2.2 billion in 2014, approximately 3.5% of the country’s export basket.

This working paper draws on research from the World Bank project on FDI and spillovers in Africa project. It appears as an Austrian Research Foundation for International Development (ÖFSE), Working Paper 59. 

This report was written for the Embassy of Bahrain (Washington, DC). It analyzed the situation and potential future outcomes of Bahrain’s apparel industry in light of the country's tariff preference level (TPL) expiration in July 2016.

This article evaluates the impact of the temporary Tariff Preference Levels (TPLs) granted to Nicaragua under the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and the consequences of TPL expiration. Using trade statistics, country- and firm-level data from Nicaragua’s National Free Zones Commission (CNZF) and data from field research, we estimate Nicaragua’s apparel sector will contract as much as 30-40% after TPLs expire.

Oxfam commissioned the GVC Center to prepare a report on the asymmetric power relations in global value chains. The report examines the limits of private governance and its development implications for local firms and producers in developing countries by drawing on the cases of apparel, cocoa-chocolate, and sugar-‘soft drink’ global value chains. 

During this project I spent a week in Tanzania (February 2015) with the local consultant. We conducted 12 interviews with industry representatives along the textile-apparel supply chain, including manufacturers, trade partners (import and export agents), textile associations, and government bodies. As the international consultant on the project, I ensured the research captured global dynamics relevant to Tanzania.

Dr. Frederick prepared this report on the global apparel industry as part of a project between the GVC Center and Gerber Scientific.

This California Research Bureau Short Subject (February 2015 S-15-002) provides an introduction to nanotechnology, its potential risks and applications, and current regulation in the United States and California. "Nano" refers to particles and effects scaled at billionths of a meter. Emerging applications hold great promise in many areas, including new ways to treat cancer.

Abstract: Mexico is the second country in Latin America regarding Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Research and Development, according to various indicators. Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies are viewed as strategic areas in government policy since 2001. In the last few decades, important policy changes in Science and Technology (S&T) have been implemented with an aim to integrate the business sector with government scientific research.

This discussion paper describes the existing gap between the work of GVC academics and that of economists, international NGOs, and statistical agencies analyzing global production fragmentation. The purpose is to explore how these two approaches can be combined. GVC studies compare or describe an industry- or product-specific value chain across countries and regions.

The textile and apparel value chain has changed rapidly in the past decade.

Stacey and Cornelia prepared an apparel sector case study that was published as Chapter 7 (p. 209-244) in a World Bank book on FDI, sub-Saharan Africa, and local spillovers across industries. The chapter is a summary of our  detailed background paper on FDI and GVCs in Sub-Saharan Africa: Understanding the Factors that Contribute to Integration and Spillovers in the Apparel Sector.

The report provides an introduction to the furniture value chain including an overview and map of the key segments with industrial classification codes and lead firms. The second half describes North Carolina's footprint in this industry using industrial and trade statistics and provides key findings and strategic considerations for the future of the industry. The research was published by the GVC Center and sponsored by the High Point Market Authority (HPMA).

The report begins with an overview of the electronics and electrical (E&E) components GVC including a discussion of the key segments of the chain, the governance structure, upgrading trajectories, and workforce development. Understanding the manner in which the industry operates at a global level is essential to determine how Costa Rica may be able to grow in the future. This is followed by experiences from Malaysia, Israel, and Singapore to provide potential lessons for Costa Rica.

The goal of this study was to provide a set of recommendations to the Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX) that provide guidance on improving the country's position in four value chains. These included medical devices, electronics & electrical, aerospace, and offshore services.

Stacey Frederick and Cornelia Staritz wrote 10 chapters in the following World Bank book: Sewing Success? Employment, Wages, and Poverty following the End of the Multi-fibre Arrangement, p. 41-86 and pp. 211-497 in G. Lopez-Acevedo & R. Robertson (Eds.), Washington, DC: The World Bank.

This article on the California in the Nano Economy website was published in the National Nanomanufacturing Network Newsletter, 5(8).

This report was included in the Skills for Upgrading: Workforce Development and Global Value Chains in Developing Countries report series by the GVC Center for RTI. This report analyzes the apparel industry in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Lesotho, and Nicaragua.

This article uses the global value chain approach to analyze the upgrading trajectories of leading apparel exporters adapting to the end of textile and apparel quotas and the economic recession. These events have been coupled by the consolidation and reconfiguration of global supply chains. China has been the big winner while other Asian suppliers are expanding their roles, largely at the expense of regional suppliers.

This article presents a model and resources for undergraduate research on societal implications of nanotechnology, based on an innovative undergraduate internship program developed at the University of California, Santa Barbara Center for Nanotechnology in Society (CNS). The research approach developed for the internship project is based on the Global Value Chain (GVC) framework and value chain analysis.

This World Bank Policy Research Working Paper examines the impact of two crises on the global apparel value chain: the World Trade Organization phase-out of the quota system for textiles and apparel in 2005, which provided access for many poor and small export-oriented economies to the markets of industrialized countries, and the current economic recession that has lowered demand for apparel exports and led to massive unemployment across the industry's supply chain.

Stacey Frederick and Gary Gereffi wrote Chapter 5. The Global Apparel Value Chain, Trade and the Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities for Developing Countries, p. 157-208 in the World Bank book: Global Value Chains in a Postcrisis World: A Development Perspective.

My dissertation was to develop a research approach to evaluate industrial organization and dynamics along the entire value chain. In my research I also apply the approach to North Carolina's textile industry. 

This report was prepared for the NC Department of Commerce.

As the complexity of the textile industry has increased because of international regulations, advancements in technology, and resultant globalization, so too have the frameworks and theories used to explain these phenomena and how firms and countries can succeed within these new parameters of competition.

Report prepared for the NC Department of Commerce.

Frederick and Gereffi and wrote the chapter on Protectionism in Textiles and Apparel, p. 321-344 in the book Effective Crisis Response and Openness: Implications for the Trading System published by the World Bank and the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR).

Frederick and Gereffi wrote the chapter on Review and Analysis of Protectionist Actions in the Textile and Apparel Sector, p. 65-68, in the World Bank and Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) book, The Fateful Allure of Protectionism: Taking Stock for the G8.

This briefing paper describes the factors, types, and determinants of governance, and gives some recommendations for practitioners to intervene to effect systemic change and industry behavior.

Report on the development of the SC Textile Connect database and website for the SC Council on Competitiveness.

This article was published in the Journal of Textile & Apparel Technology and Management (JTATM), 5(4).

This article was published in the Journal of Textile & Apparel Technology and Management (JTATM), 5(4).

Report for the SC Council on Competitiveness.

Report for the NC Department of Commerce on the development of NC Textile Connect.

My research on the textile industry began with conducting the first ever in-depth mapping of the NC textile industry (2006). This entailed developing a database of over 1,000 companies, providing a detailed analysis of NC’s position in the chain and identifying geographic clusters. This report was for the NC Department of Commerce.