Global supplier without a global brand name : a case study of Hong Kong’s electronics industry

The production capacity of Hong Kong’s electronics manufacturers for certain electronic products has reached the number-one ranking amongst world export suppliers in terms of total quantity, quality and values. Yet, there is an absence of global brand name electronic products in the industry. This paper aims to explore how this development pattern is possible by conducting indepth interview research with 35 managing directors and CEOs from the manufacturer companies, and analyzing secondary data from the Hong Kong government. The research findings indicate that without government support and assistance to overcome the structural difficulties in the production process, and market and product diversification, an individual manufacturer can hardly grow bigger in company size continuously and mobilize large amounts of capital to develop global brand name products. The study also indicates that the role of the government has no effect on the growth of the export sector; however, it influences the industrial organizational structure and industrial specialization pattern.