ABSTRACT
Most East Asian workers outside of Japan and, perhaps, Singapore have been under-remunerated owing to international labour immobility, among other factors, resulting in the relative under-pricing – and hence competitiveness – of East Asian exports in international trade. The various East Asian country – or more accurately, industry and firm – studies show how particular firms and industries were shaped by and, in turn, reshaped environmental factors, including macro-economic and meso-economic conditions, in order to achieve international competitiveness. The conventional emphasis on the choice between market and state as alternative means for resource allocation is also shown to be wanting. Neo-liberals will also be disappointed that public ownership has not stood in the way of achieving international competitiveness as seen in the Singaporean and South Korean cases. A government’s supportive role should be ongoing and not only limited to helping industries and firms achieve international competitiveness.
