bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Integrated Framework for Measuring Product Development Performance in High Technology Industries
Authors: Mallick Debasish N. , Schroeder Roger G.
Published: August 2010

We present an integrated framework for measuring product development performance. The framework consists of a three stage model for exploring the relationships between metrics used by design, manufacturing, marketing functions, and overall commercial success. Using a cross‐sectional survey of 383 product development professionals working on 38 product development projects in the high‐tech electronic assembled goods manufacturing sector, we provide empirical evidence of the proposed framework. The findings indicate that in the high‐tech manufacturing sector (1) commercial success of new product development projects is primarily determined by market share, (2) gain in market share is primarily driven by lower unit cost and not by technical performance, and (3) reduction in unit cost is primarily driven by the increased speed of new product development and not by the R&D budget. The study failed to identify any significant association between R&D budget and technical performance, and development speed and technical performance.
Investment in Facility Changeover Flexibility for Early Entry into High‐Tech Markets
Authors: Gaimon Cheryl , Morton Alysse
Published: August 2010

A model is introduced to analyze the manufacturing‐marketing interface for a firm in a high‐tech industry that produces a series of high‐volume products with short product life cycles on a single facility. The one‐time strategic decision regarding the firm's investment in changeover flexibility establishes the link between market opportunities and manufacturing capabilities. Specifically, the optimal changeover flexibility decision is determined in the context of the firm's market entry strategy for successive product generations, the changeover cost between generations, and the production efficiency of the facility. Moreover, the dynamic pricing policy for each product generation is obtained as a function of the firm's market entry strategy and manufacturing efficiency.

Our findings provide insights linking internal manufacturing capabilities with external market forces for the high‐tech and high‐volume manufacturer of products with short life cycles. We show the impact of manufacturing efficiency and a firm's ability to benefit from volume‐based learning on the dynamic pricing policy for each product generation. The results demonstrate the benefits realized by a firm that works with its manufacturing equipment suppliers to develop more efficient and flexible technology. In addition, we explore how opportunities afforded by pioneer advantage enable a firm operating a less efficient facility to realize long term competitive advantage by deploying an earlier market entry strategy.
Up or Out—or Stay Put? Product Positioning in an Evolving Technology Environment
Authors: Jain Sanjay , Ramdas Kamalini
Published: August 2010

When the development cycle for a product is longer than the development cycle for a core technology that is embedded in it, designers may need to modify the product̂s design to avail of upgrades in this core technology. We model optimal product positioning with regard to technology choice in this setting, using a stochastic dynamic programming framework. Under fairly general assumptions, we find that there are three possible optimal actions: to abandon the project, to maintain the current technology, or to reposition so as to use the best technology currently available.

We characterize the optimal positioning sequence in different design environments, discussing throughout the practical implications of our model. Previous research and conventional wisdom suggest early finalization of product specifications if design flexibility is decreasing over time. In contrast, we find that in some design environments, repositioning late in the development cycle can be optimal.
Customization: Impact on Product and Process Performance
Authors: Hegde Vishwanath G. , Kekre Sunder , Rajiv Surendra , Tadikamalla Pandu R.
Published: August 2010

Manufacturing capability has often been viewed to be a major obstacle in achieving higher levels of customization. Companies follow various strategies ranging from equipment selection to order process management to cope with the challenges of increased customization. We examined how the customization process affects product performance and conformance in the context of a design‐to‐order (DTO) manufacturer of industrial components. Our competing risk hazard function model incorporates two thresholds, which we define as mismatch and manufacturing thresholds. Product performance was adversely affected when the degree of customization exceeded the mismatch threshold. Likewise, product conformance eroded when the degree of customization exceeded the manufacturing threshold. Relative sizes of the two thresholds have management implications for the subsequent investments to improve customization capabilities. Our research developed a rigorous framework to address two key questions relevant to the implementation of product customization: (1) what degrees of customization to offer, and (2) how to customize the product design process.
Interdisciplinary and Interorganizational Research: Establishing the Science of Enterprise Networks
Authors: Buhman Charles , Kekre Sunder , Singhal Jaya
Published: August 2010

We review and discuss the evolution of interdisciplinary and interorganizational research in operations management and suggest directions for future investigations. The proposed operations management research focus is one that embraces a more holistic view of an “extended enterprise” which involves working with a new business model—the organization as a network. This methodology starts by treating the organization as a system that is enabled by information technology and is characterized by ubiquitous information sharing across traditional enterprise. Proper integration of technology, business processes and people factors needs to be developed to create higher value from networked enterprises. Operations management research future lies in establishing this science from an interdisciplinary perspective. We analyze this perspective in the context of papers published in the first 50 issues of Production and Operations Management and the related literature.
Coordination and Priority Decisions in Hybrid Manufacturing/Remanufacturing Systems
Authors: Aras Necati , Verter Vedat , Boyaci Tamer
Published: August 2010

Companies are increasingly realizing the need to coordinate their manufacturing and remanufacturing operations. This can be a challenge due to the inherent variability in the condition and amount of returns, which has a direct impact on remanufacturing costs and leadtimes. In this paper, we develop a modeling framework to compare two alternative strategies that use either manufacturing or remanufacturing as the primary means of satisfying customer demand. Of course, in the event that the demand cannot be met by the prioritized process, the secondary process is used as a contingency. In our basic model, the priority decisions are made at the component level in replenishing the serviceable inventory, while the disposal and new component ordering decisions are made independently. The second model represents the coordination of remanufacturable and new component inventory control decisions. Using simulation‐based optimization on a large number of experiments, we observe that when prioritization is in the upstream echelon and there is no coordination in managing component stocks, there exists a critical return ratio, below which it is beneficial to give priority to manufacturing and above which it is beneficial to give priority to remanufacturing. We also see that coordinated control of the component inventories considerably reduces the importance of prioritization. These observations remain valid when congestion in the shop floor is also taken into account. We also study the benefits of state‐dependent dispatching policies in a realistic case.
Impact of Price Postponement on Capacity and Flexibility Investment Decisions
Authors: Biller Stephan , Muriel Ana , Zhang Yongmei
Published: August 2010

Investments in dedicated and flexible capacity have traditionally been based on demand forecasts obtained under the assumption of a predetermined product price. However, the impact on revenue of poor capacity and flexibility decisions can be mitigated by appropriately changing prices. While investment decisions need to be made years before demand is realized, pricing decisions can easily be postponed until product launch, when more accurate demand information is available. We study the effect of this price decision delay on the optimal investments on dedicated and flexible capacity. Computational experiments show that considering price postponement at the planning stage leads to a large reduction in capacity investments, especially in the more expensive flexible capacity, and a significant increase in profits. Its impact depends on demand correlation, elasticity and diversion, ratio of fixed to variable capacity costs, and uncertainty remaining at the times the pricing and production decisions are made.
Supply Chain Scheduling: Distribution Systems
Authors: Dawande Milind , Geismar H. Neil , Hall Nicholas G. , Sriskandarajah Chelliah
Published: August 2010

We study conflict and cooperation issues arising in a supply chain where a manufacturer makes products which are shipped to customers by a distributor. The manufacturer and the distributor each has an ideal schedule, determined by cost and capacity considerations. However, these two schedules are in general not well coordinated, which leads to poor overall performance. In this context, we study two practical problems. In both problems, the manufacturer focuses on minimizing unproductive time. The distributor minimizes customer cost measures in the first problem and minimizes inventory holding cost in the second problem. We first evaluate each party's conflict, which is the relative increase in cost that results from using the other party's optimal schedule. Since this conflict is often significant, we consider several practical scenarios about the level of cooperation between the manufacturer and the distributor. These scenarios define various scheduling problems for the manufacturer, the distributor, and the overall system. For each of these scheduling problems, we provide an algorithm. We demonstrate that the cost saving provided by cooperation between the decision makers is usually significant. Finally, we discuss the implications of our work for how manufacturers and distributors negotiate, coordinate, and implement their supply chain schedules in practice.
Throughput Optimization in Constant Travel‐Time Dual Gripper Robotic Cells with Parallel Machines
Authors: Geismar H. Neil , Dawande Milind , Sriskandarajah Chelliah
Published: August 2010

Constant travel‐time robotic cells with a single gripper robot and with one or more machines at each processing stage have been studied in the literature. By contrast, cells with a dual gripper robot, although more productive, have so far received scant attention, perhaps due to their inherent complexity. We consider the problem of scheduling operations in dual gripper robotic cells that produce identical parts. The objective is to find a cyclic sequence of robot moves that minimizes the long‐run average time to produce a part or, equivalently, maximizes the throughput.

We provide a structural analysis of cells with one or more machines per processing stage to obtain first a lower bound on the throughput and, subsequently, an optimal solution under conditions that are common in practice. We illustrate our analysis on two cells implemented at a semiconductor equipment manufacturer and offer managerial insights for assessing the potential productivity gains from the use of dual gripper robots.
Optimal Price and Quantity of Refurbished Products
Authors: Vorasayan Jumpol , Ryan Sarah M.
Published: August 2010

Many retail product returns can be refurbished and resold, typically at a reduced price. The price set for the refurbished products affects the demands for both new and refurbished products, while the refurbishment and resale activities incur costs. To maximize profit, a manufacturer in a competitive market must carefully choose the proportion of returned products to refurbish and their sale price. We model the sale, return, refurbishment, and resale processes in an open queueing network and formulate a mathematical program to find the optimal price and proportion to refurbish. Examination of the optimality conditions reveals the different situations in which it is optimal to refurbish none, some, or all of the returned products. Refurbishing operations may increase profit or may be required to relieve a manufacturing capacity bottleneck. A numerical study identifies characteristics of the new product market and refurbished products that encourage refurbishing and some situations in which small changes in the refurbishing cost and quality provoke large changes in the optimal policy.
Coping with Time‐Varying Demand When Setting Staffing Requirements for a Service System
Authors: Green Linda V. , Kolesar Peter J. , Whitt Ward
Published: August 2010

We review queueing‐theory methods for setting staffing requirements in service systems where customer demand varies in a predictable pattern over the day. Analyzing these systems is not straightforward, because standard queueing theory focuses on the long‐run steady‐state behavior of stationary models. We show how to adapt stationary queueing models for use in nonstationary environments so that time‐dependent performance is captured and staffing requirements can be set. Relatively little modification of straightforward stationary analysis applies in systems where service times are short and the targeted quality of service is high. When service times are moderate and the targeted quality of service is still high, time‐lag refinements can improve traditional stationary independent period‐by‐period and peak‐hour approximations. Time‐varying infinite‐server models help develop refinements, because closed‐form expressions exist for their time‐dependent behavior. More difficult cases with very long service times and other complicated features, such as end‐of‐day effects, can often be treated by a modified‐offered‐load approximation, which is based on an associated infinite‐server model. Numerical algorithms and deterministic fluid models are useful when the system is overloaded for an extensive period of time. Our discussion focuses on telephone call centers, but applications to police patrol, banking, and hospital emergency rooms are also mentioned.
Pareto‐Improving Contracts for Express Package Delivery Services
Authors: Yano Candace A. , Newman Alexandra M.
Published: August 2010

We address the problem of an express package delivery company in structuring a long‐term customer contract whose terms may include prices that differ by day‐of‐week and by speed‐of‐service. The company traditionally offered speed‐of‐service pricing to its customers, but without day‐of‐week differentiation, resulting in customer demands with considerable day‐of‐week seasonality. The package delivery company hoped that using day‐of‐week and speed‐of‐service price differentiation for contract customers would induce these customers to adjust their demands to become counter‐cyclical to the non‐contract demand. Although this usually cannot be achieved by pricing alone, we devise an approach that utilizes day‐of‐week and speed‐of‐service pricing as an element of a Pareto‐improving contract. The contract provides the lowest‐cost arrangement for the package delivery company while ensuring that the customer is at least as well off as he would have been under the existing pricing structure. The contract pricing smoothes the package delivery company's demand and reduces peak requirements for transport capacity. The latter helps to decrease capital costs, which may allow a further price reduction for the customer. We formulate the pricing problem as a biconvex optimization model, and present a methodology for designing the contract and numerical examples that illustrate the achievable savings.
Value‐Driven Creation of Functionality in Software Projects: Optimal Sequencing and Reuse
Authors: Liu Dengpan , Dawande Milind , Mookerjee Vijay
Published: August 2010

We study the problem of optimally sequencing the creation of elements in a software project to optimize a time‐weighted value objective. As elements are created, certain parts of the system (referred to as “groups”) become functional and provide value, even though the entire system has not been completed. The main tradeoff in the sequencing problem arises from elements that belong to multiple groups. On the one hand, creating groups with common elements early in the project reduces the effort required to build later functionality that uses these elements. On the other hand, the early creation of such groups can delay the release of some critical functionality. We formulate the element sequencing problem and propose a heuristic to solve it. This heuristic is compared against a lower bound developed for the problem. Next, we study a more general version of the element sequencing problem in which an element requires some effort to be made reusable. When a reusable element is used in another group, some more effort is needed to specialize the element to work as desired in that group. We study reuse decisions under a weighted completion time objective (i.e., the sum of the completion time of each group weighted by its value is minimized), and show how these decisions differ from those under a traditional makespan objective (i.e., only the final completion time of the project is minimized). A variety of analytical and numerical results are presented. The model is also implemented on data obtained from a real software project. A key finding of this work is that the optimal effort on reuse is never increased (typically lowered) when a weighted completion time objective is used. This finding has implications for managing reuse in projects in which user value influences the order in which functionality is created.
Compliance Strategies under Permits for Emissions
Authors: Subramanian Ravi , Gupta Sudheer , Talbot Brian
Published: August 2010

We characterize the trade‐offs among firms' compliance strategies in a market‐based program where a regulator interested in controlling emissions from a given set of sources auctions off a fixed number of emissions permits. We model a three‐stage game in which firms invest in emissions abatement, participate in a share auction for permits, and produce output. We develop a methodology for a profit‐maximizing firm to derive its marginal value function for permits and translate this value function into an optimal bidding strategy in the auction. We analyze two end‐product market scenarios independent demands and Cournot competition. In both scenarios we find that changing the number of available permits influences abatement to a lesser extent in a dirty industry than in a cleaner one. In addition, abatement levels taper off with increasing industry dirtiness levels. In the presence of competition, firms in a relatively clean industry can, in fact, benefit from a reduction in the number of available permits. Our findings are robust to changes in certain modeling assumptions.
Foxwoods Casino Resort: An Unusual Experiment in Economic Development*
Authors: D'Hauteserre Anne‐Marie
Published: August 2010

Abstract: The Foxwoods Casino Resort owned by the Mashantucket Pequots of Connecticut is the largest gambling casino in the Western world. The Pequots' Connecticut location enabled the tribe to open a casino, with accessibility to a large market and limited competition. The opening of Foxwoods is also the result of changes in relationships between Americans and Indians and shifts in American attitudes toward gambling. As attitudes and laws change, however, there is little chance that another Indian Foxwoods will be created here or elsewhere in the United States.
Neighborhood Economic Development and Local Working: The Effect of Nearby Jobs on Where Residents Work*
Authors: Immergluck Daniel
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Decreased earnings and employment rates are not the only effects of job loss in lower‐income urban neighborhoods. A reduction in the proportion of residents of a neighborhood who work near the neighborhood, or the “local working rate,” is another important effect to consider. Local working is likely to have positive impacts on quality of life and social capital, benefits that are not captured by earnings and employment rates. These impacts include decreased commuting and the development of information‐rich local employment networks. Analysis of 1990 journey‐to‐work census data for the Chicago area shows that physical job proximity is found to be the principal determinant of local working. Also, the proportion of neighborhood residents who are black negatively and strongly affects the local working rate. A principal implication is that job‐creating neighborhood economic development may have local working benefits. Black neighborhoods may have lower local working rates because of residents' ability to obtain good jobs with large employers or in the public sector, and such jobs are not located near these neighborhoods. More research is needed to explain this phenomenon.
Trajectories of Industrial Districts: Impact of Strategic Intervention in Medical Districts
Authors: Llobrera Joseph T. , Meyer David R. , Nammacher Gregory
Published: August 2010

Abstract:Actors employ strategic intervention to alter the trajectory of an industrial district because they are dissatisfied with an existing or expected trajectory. In this study we examine two medical industrial districts. In the Philadelphia biotechnology district, strategic intervention altered its trajectory; and in the Minneapolis biomedical technology district, the trajectory of the district has altered but no strategic intervention emerged to redirect the trajectory. The structure and functioning of social networks within each district had an impact on the strategic interventions. Philadelphia housed a larger array of powerful firms and institutions than Minneapolis, but no pharmaceutical giant dominated the spawning of spin‐offs in Philadelphia comparable to the dominance of Medtronic in Minneapolis. Diverse medical facilities in Philadelphia diffuse technological information and contacts about starting firms, whereas the University of Minnesota Medical School and its research institutes create a centralized source of information and contacts. The venture‐capital sector of Philadelphia draws on diverse pools of capital, with no dominant vested interest to defend sectors of biotechnology; however, in Minneapolis, a few financial actors and large firms direct that allocation of capital. Philadelphia contains numerous public‐private partnerships; Minneapolis does not have that diversity. As increased FDA regulation and pressure from managed care firms create conditions that favor large firms, the Philadelphia region continues to support small firms, whereas the Minneapolis region is withdrawing support. Philadelphia's wide‐ranging social networks provide a more supportive framework for small firms than exists in Minneapolis, where the social networks have greater centralization and redundancy.
Exports, Employment, and Production: A Causal Assessment of U.S. States and Regions*
Authors: Leichenko Robin M.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Rising foreign exports are generally perceived to be a driving force behind U.S. regional economic growth. Yet relatively little empirical attention has been paid to the question of causality between foreign exports and economic growth at the regional level. The belief that exports are an engine of economic growth stems from traditional export base theory. This theory indicates that multiplier effects and externalities associated with export expansion are key sources for regional economic growth. While the notion of an export base is often accepted tacitly by regional development researchers, economic theory actually suggests a number of different interpretations of the causal relationship between exports and growth. Heckscher‐Ohlin factor endowment theory postulates, for example, that growth of exports is driven by regional labor and capital supplies. Alternatively, new international trade theory suggests that there is a bidirectional relationship between exports and regional economic growth. Exports are thought to enhance regional growth through promotion of economies of scale in production, but local economic conditions, including strong product demand and agglomeration (external) economies, are also thought to promote the growth of exports. In this study, I investigate the causal relationship between international manufacturing exports and manufacturing employment, productivity, and output across the states and in major multistate regions. Results offer general support for bidirectional causality between exports and state economic growth but also indicate some important variations among the different regions of the country.
Building Trust and Managing Business Over Distance: A Geography of Reaper Manufacturer D. S. Morgan's Correspondence, 1867*
Authors: Winder Gordon M.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: How did mid‐nineteenth‐century manufacturers establish trust and manage business affairs over long distance? The 1867 correspondence of a senior partner in a small reaper manufacturing company offers insights into the geography of nineteenth‐century business networks and trust. Dayton Morgan managed key reaper patents, sales agents, and personal business. His letters reveal business relations with lawyers, bankers, brokers, manufacturers, politicians, some employees, agents, and dealers. Both the geographic spread of this correspondence and of his railroad travel are remarkable. Although New York bankers and lawyers in New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago dominate his address list, Morgan corresponded widely. He also made repeated trips to Chicago and New York to meet with agents. Personal connections and face‐to‐face meetings backed much of the correspondence, but so did legal contracts. Thus Morgan combined process‐, characteristic‐, and institutional‐based modes of trust production. From his base in a small town, Morgan organized a variety of networks, using railway and postal services. Through his network activity he made every part of the network “local.”
Economic Crisis in Asia: The Case of Thailand*
Authors: Glassman Jim
Published: August 2010

Abstract: The economic crisis in Asia has been analyzed by neoliberal and neo‐Weberian scholars as a financial crisis, with the neoliberals asserting that its causes are internal to the countries in question, the neo‐Weberians asserting the causes to be external. This paper offers an alternative, Marxian explanation of the crisis, focusing on the outbreak of the crisis in Thailand. Using Harvey's ideas about capitalist crises and capital switching, along with conceptions of crisis dynamics in peripheral societies based in the works of economic geographers and dependent development theorists, I argue that the crisis in Thailand was a fully economic crisis involving all circuits of the economy, linking domestic and international accumulation processes, and stemming in part from struggles over appropriation of the surplus. In order to demonstrate this, I analyze the crisis in Thailand at both national and international scales and show that it was rooted in declining profitability of manufacturing in a context of increased global export competition and overcapacity. This context created the strong likelihood of economic downturn throughout the region, with Thailand falling first because of its specific liabilities, and other countries being pulled into the maelstrom of devaluation through financial contagion effects.
Changes in the Inequality of Earnings for Young Men in Metropolitan Labor Markets, 1979–1989: The Effects of Declining Wages and Sectoral Shifts within an Efficiency Wage Framework
Authors: Odland John , Ellis Mark
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Inequality in the earnings of young men with different educational backgrounds has grown rapidly in the United States in recent years, but the growth of inequality has varied widely across different metropolitan labor markets. We examine the increasing inequality of earnings among young men in the largest metropolitan areas of the United States for the 1979–1989 period and develop explanations for the growth of inequality that involve shifts of employment from highly paid to poorly paid sectors and declines in earnings within sectors. Our explanations depend on the logic of efficiency wage models. Efficiency wage models allow wages to include noncompetitive premiums that may differ across industries and regions because of differences in production conditions. This makes it possible for the real wages of identically qualified workers to differ across industries and regions, even at equilibrium. Shifts in the employment of less‐educated young men from well‐paid to poorly paid sectors (such as manufacturing to services) accounted for only minor portions of the growth of inequality. Most of the growth of inequality resulted from declining earnings within sectors, especially in those sectors and metropolitan areas where earnings for less‐educated young men were highest in 1979, relative to the earnings of young men with more education. This pattern of earnings declining most rapidly in sectors and cities where they had been highest also accounts for much of the variation in the growth of inequality across metropolitan areas and is consistent with the demise of efficiency wage premiums that were previously available in particular industries and localities.
Caste, Class, and Clientelism: A Political Economy of Everyday Corruption in Rural North India*
Authors: Jeffrey Craig
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Corruption has reemerged as an important issue in research on geography and development, but there has been little research on the relationship between corruption and class reproduction in rural areas of poorer countries. This article presents insights into how low‐level economic corruption actually works within institutions that are responsible for purchasing sugarcane in rural western Uttar Pradesh, India, and the role of this corruption in perpetuating material inequalities within rural society. The discussion is based on 12 months of intensive field research on the economic and social strategies of a dominant caste of rich farmers in Meerut District, western Uttar Pradesh. In this article, I note periodic rural protest against the government's mismanagement of sugarcane marketing and corruption and describe everyday, disguised, and discrete forms of corruption that allow rich farmers to obtain privileged access to lucrative marketing opportunities. I also show how discourses surrounding corruption are politicized along the lines of caste and class. I conclude by relating my empirical material to debates on local state‐society relations in India. I stress the need to understand corruption with reference to local political economy and the broader distribution of social and economic opportunities in rural society and point to future avenues for geographic research on corruption in the Indian countryside.
“Cultural Industries” in Sweden: An Assessment of their Place in the Swedish Economy*
Authors: Power Dominic
Published: August 2010

Abstract:This article attempts to define and measure cultural industries in Sweden. It starts with a discussion of the definition and delineation of the term “cultural industries,” arguing that a large range of goods and services can be considered culture industry products and that it is important to place the production and exchange of such products in the context of an industrial systems approach. The concept is then operationalized using Swedish data on employment and the activity of firms. The results suggest that the overall growth in both employment and the number of firms has been especially strong in the cultural industries. However, the number of active firms has been growing at a much faster pace than employment in these industries, indicating a quickly changing business environment. With regard to regional dimensions, Swedish cultural industries have a strong attraction to urban areas but an even stronger propensity to agglomerate. It is suggested that the spatial dynamics observed may be key to the development of the industries' competencies and success. In summary, the article presents the results of an extensive data analysis that found that cultural industries make an important contribution to the Swedish economy and labor market. It concludes by suggesting issues that need further quantitative and qualitative study.
The Spaces and Times of Globalization: Place, Scale, Networks, and Positionality*
Authors: Sheppard Eric
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Discussions of the spatiality of globalization have largely focused on place‐based attributes that fix globalization locally, on globalization as the construction of scale, and on networks as a distinctive feature of contemporary globalization. By contrast, position within the global economy is frequently regarded as anachronistic in a shrinking, networked world. A critical review of how place, scale, and networks are used as metaphors for the spatiality of globalization suggests that space/time still matters. Positionality (position in relational space/time within the global economy) is conceptualized as both shaping and shaped by the trajectories of globalization and as influencing the conditions of possibility of places in a globalizing world. The wormhole is invoked as a way of describing the concrete geographies of positionality and their non‐Euclidean relationship to the Earth's surface. The inclusion of positionality challenges the simplicity of pro‐ and antiglobalization narratives and can change how we think about globalization and devise strategies to alter its trajectory.
The Village in a Game Park: Local Response to the Demise of Coal Mining in KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa
Authors: Binns Tony , Nel Etienne
Published: August 2010

Abstract:Changing economic circumstances as a result of deindustrialization and market forces dramatically affect local areas and lead to a variety of local‐level responses. Economic change and the reaction to this process have received much attention in the context of the decline of old heavy industrial regions in Western Europe and North America. But deindustrialization is also occurring elsewhere, for example, in countries such as South Africa, where the decline of mining and related industries is having a severe impact on the livelihoods of individuals, households, and communities. Considerations of institutional thickness, resourcefulness, and capacities inherent within host communities contribute to an understanding of the likely potential of the development response undertaken. This article considers the situation in a once important coal‐mining region in northern KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa, focusing particularly on the community of Utrecht. In the postapartheid period, unemployment in the area has escalated, at a time when greater empowerment of the historically disadvantaged black population is urgently needed. Through cooperation within the community, together with the injection of external funding and collaboration in a series of joint ventures, Utrecht is progressively rebranding itself as a center for tourism. A number of community‐initiated projects are discussed, and the dynamics of the formulation and implementation of the projects are evaluated in the context of the capabilities of individuals and institutions.
Politics of Scale and the Globalization of the South Korean Automobile Industry
Authors: Park Bae‐Gyoon
Published: August 2010

Abstract: This article explains the liberalization and globalization of the South Korean automobile industry, with an emphasis on the multiscalar processes of globalization. In particular, it explores the processes by which the South Korean government shifted its policy for the automobile industry, from a nationalist and protectionist orientation toward liberalization in the late 1990s, which, in turn, attracted inward investments from foreign automakers and facilitated the globalization of the nation's automobile market. While exploring the roles of diverse actors and forces—operating at various geographic scales—in these processes, I placed more analytical weight on examining the ways in which contestation between national and local forces contributed to the government's liberalization policy. I argue that the globalization of the South Korean automobile industry in recent years was not only an outcome of the globalizing strategies of foreign automakers, but also was facilitated by an institutional fix by the nation‐state (particularly the liberalization of policy) to a regulatory deficit, which stemmed from the national‐local tension with respect to a state‐led economic restructuring project.
Neoliberal Policy and Deforestation in Southeastern Mexico: An Assessment of the PROCAMPO Program
Authors: Klepeis Peter , Vance Colin
Published: August 2010

Abstract: A lingering question in economic geography is the degree to which there is a link between neoliberal policies and environmental degradation. Research is needed to relate such policies empirically to local‐level decision making, both to evaluate their consequences and to contribute to an understanding of how cross‐scalar dynamics drive processes of land‐use change. This study examines the environmental impacts of a Mexican rural support program, referred to by its Spanish acronym, PROCAMPO, which was introduced in 1994 as part of a comprehensive agenda to liberalize the agricultural sector. Using both descriptive analyses of the study region's political ecology and econometric modeling, we draw on a panel of farm‐household data spanning 1986–1997 to assess the impact of PROCAMPO on land‐use change in southeastern Mexico. The results indicate that the program has had the unintended effect of fostering deforestation and has led to an only modest increase in market production. These findings suggest that alternative mechanisms may be needed to achieve the market integration and agricultural modernization sought by neoliberal policies and that such policies may have to be restructured to avoid unintended environmental impacts. By connecting macro‐level economic phenomena with regional and local environmental impacts, this study addresses the linkages of cross‐scale human‐environment interaction.
Toward a Reconceptualization of Regional Development Paths: Is Leipzig's Media Cluster a Continuation of or a Rupture with the Past?
Authors: Bathelt Harald , Boggs Jeffrey S.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: This article develops a model of regional development that is then used to examine the evolution of two media industries in Leipzig, Germany. We note that the city's current media cluster, centered on television/film production and interactive digital media, shares little in common with the city's once‐premier book publishing media cluster. Treating interactive learning as the primary causal mechanism that drives economic growth and change, our conceptual framework incorporates both sectoral/technological and political crises as mechanisms that rupture regional development paths. These regional development paths are not homogeneous, but instead consist of bundles of various technological trajectories. Regions recover from crises as their actors continually rebundle local assets until they find a combination that generates growth. As a result of these crises, new opportunities for growth may arise for new and previously marginal industries. In turn, these expanding industries shape the region's development path.
Is the Impact of Public Investment Neutral Across the Regional Income Distribution? Evidence from Mexico
Authors: Costa‐i‐Font Joan , Rodriguez‐Oreggia Eduardo
Published: August 2010

Abstract: This article investigates the contribution of public investment to the reduction of regional inequalities, with a specific application to Mexico. We examine the impact of public investment according to the position of each region in the conditional distribution of regional income by using quantile regression as an empirical technique. The results confirm the hypothesis that regional inequalities can indeed be attributed to the regional distribution of public investment; the observed pattern shows that public investment mainly helped to reduce regional inequalities among the richest regions.
Better Rules or Stronger Communities? On the Social Foundations of Institutional Change and Its Economic Effects
Authors: Rodríguez‐Pose Andrés , Storper Michael
Published: August 2010

Abstract:Much of the literature on the impact of institutions on economic development has focused on the tradeoffs between society and community as mutually opposed forms of institutional coordination. On the one hand, sociologists, geographers, and some economists have stressed the positive economic externalities that are associated with the development of associational or group life. Most economists, in contrast, hold that the development of communities may be a second‐best solution to the development of formal institutions or even have negative effects, such as the promotion of rent‐seeking behavior and principal‐agent problems. Societal institutions—such as clear, transparent rules and enforcement mechanisms—are held to be universally positive for development. But there are no real‐world cases in which only one of the two exists; society and community are always and everywhere in interaction. This interaction, however, has attracted little attention. In this article, society and community are conceived of as complementary forms of organization whose relative balance and interaction shape the economic potential of every territory. Changes in the balance between community and society take place constantly and affect the medium‐ and long‐run development prospects of every territory. The depth and the speed of change depend on a series of factors, such as starting points in the interaction of society and community, the sources and dynamics of change, and the conflict‐solving capacities of the preexisting situation.
Competitive Advantage in Global Production Networks: Air Freight Services and the Electronics Industry in Southeast Asia
Authors: Bowen John T. , Leinbach Thomas R.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Drawing upon Porter's diamond theory of competitive advantage and recent work on global production networks (GPNs), this article examines the causes and consequences of spatially uneven air freight services. Air freight flows have grown rapidly because airborne trade enables firms to reconcile time‐based competition and spatially dispersed production. The importance of air freight services in this regard is particularly relevant to electronics manufacturers. Case studies of freight forwarders—the traditional intermediaries between the firms that send and receive goods by air and the airlines that actually move air freight from city to city—in Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines are used to demonstrate the manner in which firms and places attain a competitive advantage in the performance of these services and how geographic variation in air freight services, in turn, affects the operations and performance of electronics firms. Finally, the article discusses the importance of these services in mediating the ability of firms and places to move to new positions along the value chains of which they are a part as their former roles become untenable.
Prospects for an Environmental Economic Geography: Linking Ecological Modernization and Regulationist Approaches
Authors: Gibbs David
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Although the “new” economic geography has explored links between the subdiscipline's traditional areas of study and cultural, institutional, and political realms, environmental issues remain comparatively underresearched within the subdiscipline. This article contends not only that the environment is of key importance to economic geography, but also that economic geographers can make an important contribution to environmental debates, through providing not just a better analysis and theoretical understanding, but also better policy proscription. Rather than claim new intellectual territory, the intention is to suggest potential creative opportunities for linking economic geography's strengths with those insights from other theoretical perspectives. In particular, this article focuses upon linking insights from ecological modernization theory, developed by environmental sociologists, with regulationist approaches.
Reproducing Toronto's Design Ecology: Career Paths, Intermediaries, and Local Labor Markets
Authors: Vinodrai Tara
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Creativity is becoming the currency of the contemporary economy. A sustained literature in economic geography and elsewhere has pointed to the importance of creativity, especially in the cultural industries. Production in these sectors often rests upon access to deep pools of highly skilled talent, primarily in large urban regions. However, the recent literature has stated that cultural or creative inputs are not limited to these industries, but also extend into other sectors of the economy that benefit from access to the same (local) labor markets. It is argued that creative work is primarily project based and that highly skilled creative professionals move seamlessly from project to project and from job to job. This circulation of talent is viewed as crucial to the flow of knowledge and the (re)production of practices, norms, and reputations across firm and industry boundaries within the city‐region. Despite the compelling nature of this description, the labor market dynamics that underpin this circulation of creative workers remain poorly specified and only weakly substantiated. This article addresses this issue by investigating systematically the local interfirm and interindustry dynamics of creative labor markets. Using evidence from the detailed career histories of practicing designers, as well as in‐depth interviews with various institutional actors in Toronto, it documents how the careers of designers are characterized by precariousness and high levels of circulation within the local labor market. The analysis also demonstrates the importance of reputation building, repeated collaborations, shared career paths, and mediation by a constellation of formal and informal intermediary actors for career development.