A network perspective on the reshoring process: The relevance of the home- and the host-country contexts

The paper analyses the case of an Italian small company operating in the mountain shoes industry; authors aim to investigate how the  host- and the home-country firm's networks influence the reshoring decisions. Among the most relevant issues driving the relocation at the home country, authors found the firm's strategy change (creation of an own brand) while the availability of a network of local and transnational relationships emerged as an enabling factors. More specifically, it emerged reshoring is not a single decision, but it is part of a long-term dynamic process of production internationalization. The paper also introduces the concept of  "selective reshoring", that is  companies reshore only those activities that are both relevant (from a strategic viewpoint) and adequately supported by competences directly owned by the reshoring firm or by actors belonging to its local network. However, authors point out reshoring is a challenging decision for companies, since it entails costs and investments and is time consuming.