This paper uses a large sample of Italian manufacturing firms over the period 2004–06, to investigate whether localisation economies and related variety affect firms’ internationalisation choices. The results show that the higher the firm’s
productivity level, the higher the probability it will engage in more complex modes of internationalisation and that localisation economies and related variety positively affect export but not the firm’s multinational strategy.
[b1] Dept. of Economics and Management “M. Fanno”, Univ., Padova, Italie
Human capital in firms and regions : impact on firm productivity
Educational level ; Firm ; Producer services ; Productivity ; Professional qualification ; Sweden
This paper analyses the importance of human capital for firm productivity and makes a clear distinction between the role of human capital inside and outside of the firm. A multilevel model is used for the business service sector in Sweden
controlling for heterogeneity across the industry and municipal level. Human capital in firms in terms of education, experience, and cognitive skills and the firm's overall access to human capital has a positive impact on firm productivity. In addition, firm
attributes explain the largest proportion of firm productivity variance.
[b1] International Business School, Centre for Entrepreneurship and Spatial Economics (CEnSE), Jönköping, Suede
Technological change at the regional level : the role of location, firm structure, and strategy
Austria ; Economic environment ; Economic restructuring ; Firm strategy ; Flexibility ; Innovation ; Market ; Product cycle ; Regional disparities ; Research and development ; Technology
In this paper, the A. investigates to what extent the innovation process is differentiated across space and in particular how this process is shaped by the locational conditions as well as by the structures and strategies of firms in selected
On the importance of forest assets for micro-firm performance
Firm ; Forest ; Patrimony ; Sweden
This research set out to explore the importance of the value of forest holdings owned by entrepre¬neurs for the economic performance of micro-firms, with a hypothesis that assets stemming from forest ownership benefit firms and provide them
with financial stability and resilience to economic fluctuations. It shows that forest assets positively and significantly influence firm performance in terms of earnings before interest and taxes, but not in terms of value added. As regards regional variations
, firms located outside the metropolitan regions – as compared to those at the top of the urban hierarchy – are likely to perform better, thus indicating that local development may benefit from resource transfers from the forest sector to micro-firms
[b1] Dept. of Geography and Economic History, Univ., Umeå, Suede
Demography of firms. Spatial dynamics of firm behaviour
Economic geography ; Enterprise ; Enterprise creation ; Environmental management ; Factory closure ; Firm strategy ; Germany ; Japan ; Mexico ; Netherlands (The) ; Regional economy ; South Africa ; Spatial behaviour ; United Kingdom
In the last two decades of the twentieth century the demography of firms was developed as a new research approach within economic geography and regional economics, to study the spatial organisation of economic activities. To get a good impression
of the present state-of-the-art of the demography of firms approach, and as a reconaissance of its development possibilities, an expert meeting was organised in the autumn of 1998. The editors collected in this volume the presented papers. The case studies refer
Far from the core – regions and industrial parks in economic shadow in Hungary (Part two)
Economic crisis ; Economic development ; Economic efficiency ; Hungary ; Industrial park ; Industrialization
The second part of the paper deals with economic efficiency of top firms that are settled into industrial parks of modestly developed and less favoured counties of Hungary. Analyses were carried on using financial and statistical indicators
published by different institutions and firms. The conclusion of the study is that the economic crisis burst in 2008 has affected adversely both the annual revenues and profits of the top firms settled into industrial parks of the counties. - (AM)
Spatial aspects of recruitment behaviour of firms: an empirical investigation
Distance ; Economic space ; Employment ; Enterprise ; Firm strategy ; Labour market ; Manpower ; Netherlands (The)
Firm's recruitment strategies and channels of recruitment are addressed in relation to the spatial search radius for new employees. A new statistical model is developed in order to investigate the impact of different recruitment strategies
on the probability of a match between the vacant position and an applicant located at a given distance from the firm. The model is tested by means of a micro data set on the recruitment behaviour of Dutch firms.
Why butterflies don't leave : locational behavior of entrepreneurial firms
Behaviour ; Economic theory ; Enterprise ; Entrepreneurship ; Firm ; Location ; Regional development ; Spatial distribution
Comportement ; Distribution spatiale ; Développement régional ; Entreprise ; Esprit d'entreprise ; Firme ; Localisation ; Théorie économique
Cet article analyse comment et pourquoi l'organisation spatiale des firmes se développe à la suite de leur démarrage. Un nouveau cadre conceptuel et une étude empirique de la vie des entreprises sont utilisés pour construire une théorie sur le
Modèle spatial de firmes en concurrence dans une économie industrielle régionale. Les firmes produisent pour un marché extra-régional et choisissent leur localisation afin d'obtenir un accès exclusif à des sources dispersées de matières premières
. Spécification des conditions d'équilibre pour la firme individuelle et l'industrie régionale. Pour l'industrie, les courbes d'offre et de coût moyens sur le long terme ne coïncident pas.
This paper examines the diverse trajectories of firm relocation in the apparel industry in the global, regional, and local context. The analysis applies this framework to the apparel industry in the city of Ningbo, which is one of the biggest
apparel clusters in China. Through an analysis of several case studies, we show the articulation of global, regional, and local factors that are co-shaping apparel firm relocation processes. We also show that the extent to which these factors affect
a firm’s spatial strategies is highly dependent on the firm’s characteristics. Lastly, this paper examines the opportunities for local suppliers generated by firm relocation.
Economics of the firm ; Enterprise ; Germany ; Innovation ; Private investment
Firm spin-offs (also called employee start-ups) are characterized by an employee firm leaving his current employer to start his own firm by using specialized knowledge, technologies, services or products developed in his former employment
. Conceptually, the thesis resorts to recent approaches in economic geography (relational concepts), to evolutionary economics and entrepreneurship research. Regarding the latter, it particularly argues on the basis of the concepts of entrepreneurial
The A. investigates about the macro-economic forces and corporate strategies underlying closure. Branch plant closures are considered within a framework which emphasises these wider issues and distinguishes between motivation and selection
On the impact of competition on trade and firm location
Capital ; Competition ; Competitiveness ; Economic geography ; Export ; Firm ; Firm strategy ; International trade ; Local market ; Location
This article studies how the level of trade costs and the intensity of competition interact to explain the nature and intensity of trade within a given industry and the location of firms across countries. By exploring the intensive and extensive
margins of exports, it investigates how the intensity of trade reacts to the degree of competitiveness. Furthermore, when firms are free to change location, they flow from the small to the large country, and the larger country is always a net exported
on the manufactured good. Firms located in the big country have a bigger size than those located in the small one. Under one-way trade, the relocation of firms changes their attitude toward export.
The sequential location of knowledge-oriented firms over time and space
Accessibility ; Economic equilibrium ; Firm strategy ; Location ; Location choice ; Market ; Production ; Research and development ; Spatial economy
Chaque firme est en concurrence oligopolitique avec d'autres firmes au niveau des activités tournées vers l'innovation (recherche-développement). Le comportement spatial des nouveaux entrants est décrit comme un processus de décision à deux étapes