Spatial and Temporal Dimensions of Collaborative Interfirm Relationships in the Taiwanese Rice Industry

This paper presents important dimensions of collaborative interfirm relationships in spatial geography and temporal cross-generational ties between economic actors. Based on field studies utilizing in-depth long interviews with 20 rice processors in Taiwan, we find that the history of the Taiwanese rice industry presets the formal and informal institutions for developing collaborative activities bounded by spatially defined localness and temporally defined cross-generational ties. Particularly in the post-WTO regime, participants in the rice industry move towards cooperative contracting collaboration to secure their survival by differentiated products. Underlying this trend, spatial and temporal dimensions of relationships play an even more critical role in enhancing collaborative stability and performance.