Value Chain Analysis: A Brief Review

Value chain analysis has been applied in various fields, from the time the concept of “value chain” was introduced by Porter in 1985. Several frameworks have emerged and have been used to study individual firms, entire industries, industry clusters, as well as global production networks. The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief review of these frameworks, identify factors that influence the performance of value chains, and suggest areas for future research. Since there is a wide range of value chain literature, this paper focuses on a selective set of earlier works within the value chain model as conceptualized by Porter. The study takes note of the many dimensions and applications of value chain analysis, and shows that value chain analysis is an effective way to examine the interaction among different players in a given industry. The study further points out the shortcomings of the traditional or Porter view of value chain analysis.