Evolution of organizational network structure and multidimensional proximity explanation of leading manufacturing enterprises in China

The increasing economic globalization and regional integration have brought attention to the spatial network structure and evolutionary patterns of the manufacturing, a significant sector of the national economy. Based on headquarters–branch data of China’s Top 500 Manufacturing Enterprises for the years 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020, this study maps and analyzes the organizational network structure of China’s leading manufacturing enterprises (CLMEs) in China and further explores the driving factors behind this structure from the perspective of multidimensional proximity. The major findings are: (1) The degree centrality of nodes within the organizational network of CLMEs has steadily increased, showing a clear evolutionary trend from a single-core structure dominated by Beijing toward a polycentric configuration characterized by “one core, two sub-centers, and multiple support points.” (2) The network structure of CLMEs has formed a diamond-shaped manufacturing configuration, with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Chengdu–Chongqing regions as the four vertices, and the middle reaches of the Yangtze River as the central support. (3) Institutional proximity and social proximity emerge as pivotal factors influencing the formation of the organizational network among CLMEs. With improvements in transportation, information technologies, and adjustments to national policy, the influence of geographical and cognitive proximity has declined. (4) The effects of multidimensional proximity factors on various technology-oriented manufacturing sectors vary: cognitive proximity is a significant driver for the formation of networks among medium- and high-technology enterprises, but its impact on low-technology firms is limited. In contrast, the positive influence of social proximity on low-technology manufacturing networks has shown a clear upward trend.