The operation of Global Production Networks (GPNs) 2.0 and methodological constraints

The Global Production Network (GPN) 2.0 analytical framework addresses parts of the criticism of the operational limitations of the original GPN analytical framework (GPN 1.0) by proposing clearer operational guidance to unpack the specific relationships between the market environment and four actor-specific strategies adopted by lead firms and their suppliers. Due to the ambiguity of causal mechanisms and the real explanatory and dependent variables in the analytical framework, the specific setup of GPN 2.0 still demands careful research design and planning in order to identify the specific explanatory variables that are both valid and reasonably reliable for the rigorous and complex network analysis empirically required, i.e., it demands multi-scalar validity and reliability of the data, at least in the specific industry of interest for researchers.