Territory Specialization And Globalization In European Manufacturing

Although traditional manufacturing (textiles, clothing, footwear, furniture, etc) has been in decline in developed countries, it still represents an important part of European employment due to its labour-intensive character. Moreover, its geographical concentration particularly exposes certain regions of Europe to job loss as the industry declines. This book provides an explanation for the differences observed in the impact of globalization which is based on the influence of the territory and of the production specialization of the firms. The conclusions presented in the book are withdrawn from a detailed study of the Spanish textile-clothing sector. The book highlights the intensity of the relationship between the organizational model of the territory where the firms are located (high concentration of interrelated firms in a well-defined geographical area called "industrial district"), the specialization strategy implemented and the globalization of the economy. It also suggests the need to consider those factors as interdependent determinants of firm performance, particularly given the current trend for firms to simultaneously concentrate geographically and multilocalize domestically and internationally. The proposed methodology of analysis can be used to study other manufacturing sectors in other European countries.

Although traditional manufacturing (textiles, clothing, footwear, furniture, etc) has been in decline in developed countries, it still represents an important part of European employment due to its labour-intensive character. Moreover, its geographical concentration particularly exposes certain regions of Europe to job loss as the industry declines. This book provides an explanation for the differences observed in the impact of globalization which is based on the influence of the territory and of the production specialization of the firms. The conclusions presented in the book are withdrawn from a detailed study of the Spanish textile-clothing sector. The book highlights the intensity of the relationship between the organizational model of the territory where the firms are located (high concentration of interrelated firms in a well-defined geographical area called "industrial district"), the specialization strategy implemented and the globalization of the economy. It also suggests the need to consider those factors as interdependent determinants of firm performance, particularly given the current trend for firms to simultaneously concentrate geographically and multilocalize domestically and internationally. The proposed methodology of analysis can be used to study other manufacturing sectors in other European countries.

This book focuses on the main challenges that cities, regions and other territories at sub-national level face when it comes to designing and implementing a territorial strategy for economic development and competitiveness. There is a widespread recognition that territories need to construct strategies that focus on shaping sustainable competitive advantages. To do this they draw upon their own unique resources and capabilities alongside intelligence on existing technological and market trends. However, there is still a notorious lack of both theoretical and empirical research on this issue. The first part of this book develops a theoretical framework for understanding and analysing territorial strategy. This framework asks three questions of territorial strategy – what for, what, and how – looking closely at the key relationship between strategy and policy. The second part is dedicated to exploring this framework in practice through application to a series of unique cases from around the world at different territorial levels, from regions such as the Basque Country, Navarre and Murcia in Spain, Okanagan (British Columbia) in Canada, Wales in the United Kingdom, and the cross-border region of the Øresund in Denmark–Sweden, as well as the city of Rafaela in Argentina. Each case offers something different and enables the framework to be thoroughly tested, generating concluding reflections that add real value for scholars and policy-makers interested in and working in the field of territorial strategy. This volume is intended for the academic community, the policy community (government leaders, policy-makers, policy researchers and consultants) and university students and teachers at different levels interested in the areas of territorial competitiveness, regional development, competitiveness policies and processes of territorial strategy.

Brings together a variety of scholarly contributions from a European perspective. This book covers dimensions of MNE corporate strategy in the face of complex policy environments: corporate strategic responses to national policy institutions; pro-active institution-oriented strategies; and, dynamics of international business-government relations.

Fulfilling the need for English-source material on contemporary Spain, this book supplies readers with an in-depth, interdisciplinary guide to the country of Spain and its intricate, diverse culture. Far from a usual reference book, Modern Spain takes the reader through the country's history, economy, and politics as well as topics that address Spain's popular culture, such as food, sports, and sexuality. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of its content, this book differs from the average typical English manuals that very rarely cover in depth the whole array of interesting issues that define Spain in the 21st century. The vast amount of information makes this book the perfect companion for any reader wishing to learn more about Spain. Packed with current facts and statistics, this book offers an unbiased view of a modern country, making it an ideal source for undergraduate students and scholars.

This book is the first to cover marketing management issues in geographically remote industrial clusters (GRICs). The phenomena of GRICs have increased in importance, especially in the Nordic countries, due to changes in industry structures as well as political ambitions. The practice of marketing and marketing management is not singular to industry clusters in Nordic countries. Remote areas in parts of the United States, South and Central America, and South East Asia exhibit similar tendencies. The problems faced by many entrepreneurial managers managing start-up or even existing enterprises are complex and require an in-depth understanding not only of the problems themselves, but also of the contextual framework in which these problems need to be solved. This book contains original cases that cover issues like cluster formation, information gathering, marketing strategies and operations, and information-technology. Examples come from industries like textile & furniture, automobile, agro-machinery, food, wine, software, and management consulting.

This book applies a multiparadigmatic philosophical frame of analysis to the global political economy. Crossing two disciplines and lines of literature—social philosophy and global political economy—this book considers seven aspects of global political economy and discusses each aspect from four diverse paradigmatic viewpoints: functionalist, interpretive, radical humanist, and radical structuralist. The four paradigms are founded upon different assumptions about the nature of social science and the nature of society. Each paradigm generates theories, concepts, and analytical tools which are different from those of other paradigms; developing an understanding of the different paradigms leads to a better understanding of the multi-faceted nature of the subject matter. In this book, the first chapter reviews the four paradigms. Each of the next seven chapters provides four paradigmatic explanations for each of the seven aspects of the global political economy. The final chapter concludes by recommending further paradigmatic diversity. This book will be of particular interest to students and researchers interested in political economy, heterodox economics, political science and international relations.

Universities have become essential players in the generation of knowledge and innovation. Through the commercialization of technology, they have developed the ability to influence regional economic growth. By examining different commercialization models this book analyses technology transfer at universities as part of a national and regional system. It provides insight as to why certain models work better than others, and reaffirms that technology transfer programs must be linked to their regional and commercial environments. Using a global perspective on technology commercialization, this book divides the discussion between developed and developing counties according to the level of university commercialization capability. Critical cases as well as country reports examine the policies and culture of university involvement in economic development, relationships between university and industry, and the commercialization of technology first developed at universities. In addition, each chapter provides examples from specific universities in each country from a regional, national, and international comparative perspective. This book includes articles by leading practitioners as well as researchers and will be highly relevant to all those with an interest in innovation studies, organizational studies, regional economics, higher education, public policy and business entrepreneurship.