Abstract:
This paper contributes to debates regarding the lack of theorization of the state and the overemphasis on lead firms in studies of global value chains (GVCs) and global production networks (GPNs). This paper combines the GVC/GPN frameworks with a strategic-relational approach (SRA), a SRA conceptualization of the developmental state, and literature about the embeddedness of firms. Empirically, the paper analyzes the conflictual relationship between firms and the state's strategies that structure and re-structure the development, industrial policy regime, and GVC/GPN integration of the Ethiopian leather and leather products (LLP) industry.