全球价值链嵌入位置如何影响企业出口产品质量?OACHSSCD

Promoting high-quality exports is essential for sustaining long-term and stable economic development.In the context of the ongoing restructuring of the global trade landscape,relying solely on the expansion of export scale is insufficient to sustain high-quality trade growth.Instead,improving the quality of exported products represents a more durable pathway.For Chinese firms deeply integrated into the global division of labor,heterogeneous modes of participation in global value chains(GVC)exert a profound influence on their export product quality.As China advances toward high-quality development,it becomes crucial to leverage the enabling role of GVC participation,avoid the trap of low-end lock-in,and strengthen the export competitiveness of firms. Drawing from the high-quality development perspective,this study provides both theoretical elaboration and empirical evidence on how different GVC embedding modes affect firms' export product quality and the underlying mechanisms.The results suggest that upstream GVC embedded firms can improve export quality through learning effects and competitive pressures.By contrast,firms embedded in the downstream segment of GVCs face technological blockades and competitive crowding-out effects imposed by lead firms,which hinder improvements in export product quality.Moreover,the effects of different GVC embedding modes exhibit substantial heterogeneity across ownership types,technological intensity,and regional development levels.The positive effects are more evident among non-state-owned enterprises,medium-and low-technology industries,and firms located in eastern China.Further mechanism analysis shows that firms' production efficiency serves as a key transmission channel through which GVC embedding positions influences export product quality.In addition,improvements in managerial efficiency can mitigate the adverse impact of downstream GVC participation,reducing the risk of falling into a low-value-added lock-in position. This study contributes to the existing literature in several ways.First,in terms of research perspective,it incorporates a dual lens focusing on both upstream and downstream GVC embedding positions among Chinese manufacturing firms to assess the differentiated impacts on export product quality—an angle seldom explored in prior research.Second,in terms of research content,the analysis not only investigates the overall impact of GVC participation modes on export product quality but also examines the role of production and managerial efficiency as mediating mechanisms.These findings clarify the internal logic through which GVC division structures shape firms' pathways toward high-quality export upgrading. Building on these findings,this study suggests that targeted R&D incentives and strategic factor integration should be leveraged to facilitate breakthroughs at the upstream of global value chains,while market diversification and coordinated policy instruments are necessary to mitigate the risks of downstream lock-in.Moreover,enhancing managerial efficiency through digitalized management practices and strengthened talent mobility—functioning as a"revolving door"mechanism—can further support firms' upgrading processes.By combining internal capability enhancement with external structural optimization,Chinese firms can comprehensively improve export product quality and propel China toward high-quality economic development.