bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A MODEL FOR BATCH ADVANCED AVAILABLE‐TO‐PROMISE
Authors: CHEN CHIEN‐YU , ZHAO ZHENYING , BALL MICHAEL O.
Published: August 2010

The available‐to‐promise (atp) function is becoming increasingly important in supply chain management since it directly links production resources with customer orders. In this paper, a mixed integer programming (mip) ATP model is presented. This model can provide an order‐promising and ‐fulfillment solution for a batch of orders that arrive within a predefined batching interval. A variety of constraints, such as raw material availability, production capacity, material compatibility, and customer preferences, are considered. Simulation experiments using the model investigate the sensitivity of supply chain performance to changes in certain parameters, such as batching interval size and customer order flexibility.
SHORT‐TERM E‐PROCUREMENT STRATEGIES VERSUS LONG‐TERM CONTRACTS
Authors: PELEG BARCHI , LEE HAU L. , HAUSMAN WARREN H.
Published: August 2010

In this paper we compare the following procurement strategies based on their expected costs: strategic partnership, which is based on a long‐term relationship with a single supplier; online search, which is a short‐term strategy; and a combined strategy, which is some combination of the first two strategies. In addition, we determine for the online search and combined strategy the optimal number of suppliers to contact for a price quote, and analyze how it depends on the various cost and demand parameters. The main contribution of this paper is that it does not assume a single procurement strategy, but rather compares three alternatives.
CONSTITUENCIES OF JOURNALS IN PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT: IMPLICATIONS ON REACH AND QUALITY*
Authors: AGRAWAL VIJAY K.
Published: August 2010

I analyzed the contributions made by members of the following constituencies in terms of the number of articles published in the Journal of Operations Management (JOM), Manufacturing and Service Operations Management (M&SOM), and Production and Operations Management (POM): the top 20 U.S. business schools and the top 7 non‐U.S. business schools as ranked by Business Week or U.S. News and World Report, business and government organizations, U.S. business schools ranked between 21 and 50, non‐U.S. business schools not included above, and U.S. business schools not included above. I also analyzed the contributions made by U.S. business schools with top 10 programs in production and operations management; 9 of which are also in the list of top 20 U.S. business schools.

Authors from the schools with top 10 programs in production and operations management contributed 20.2% of the articles published in POM and 3.5% of the articles published in JOM during 1997‐2001. They contributed 24.6% of the articles in the eight issues (from July 2000 through June 2002) of M&SOM. During these periods, authors from the top 27 schools contributed 29.3% of the articles published in POM, 9.4% of the articles published in JOM, and 37.4% of the articles to the eight issues of M&SOM. Also during the same periods, authors from business and government organizations contributed 6.6% of the articles published in POM, 1.9% of the articles published in JOM, and 5.8% of the articles published in the eight issues of M&SOM.

The findings reported in this paper reflect the reach of the three journals and the perceptions of various constituencies regarding journal quality. The findings about POM and JOM have a very high degree of validity because both journals are more than 10 years old and have well‐established constituencies. The conclusions about the M&SOM constituencies are tentative because it is about 3 years old, and it is still developing its constituencies.
CAPACITATED REMANUFACTURING WITH SERVICE LEVEL CONSTRAINTS*
Authors: SOUZA GILVAN C. , KETZENBERG MICHAEL E. , GUIDE V. DANIEL R.
Published: August 2010

This research examines production planning and control for a remanufacturer that can sell returned items on a graded as‐is basis or remanufacture the returned items. Using a GI/G/1 queuing network, we model the firms decision to remanufacture an optimal product mix over the long run that maximizes profits while maintaining a desired service level. We further use simulation to explore dispatching heuristics that can be used at the shop‐floor level to achieve the desired optimal product mix, while meeting the service level constraint. Our research is grounded in actual practice and the results provide key insights into the decision‐making process required to maximize profits and minimize average flow times for remanufactured products.
DIAGNOSING ORDER PLANNING PERFORMANCE AT A NAVY MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR ORGANIZATION, USING LOGISTIC REGRESSION
Authors: KEIZERS JORIS M. , BERTRAND J. WILL M. , WESSELS JAAP
Published: August 2010

We present a tool to diagnose the behavior of planners in complex production processes and to establish improvement potential for the delivery performance by changing the planning behavior. Scientific literature on production control offers valuable knowledge, but the complexity of real‐life processes makes it impossible to directly apply this knowledge in real‐life. The presented tool identifies possible deficiencies in the current way of managing the business processes, by matching the scientific knowledge on order planning with data reflecting the real‐life processes via logistic regression. A case study at a maintenance organization illustrates the diagnosis tool.
INSIGHTS INTO SERVICE OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT: A RESEARCH AGENDA
Authors: ROTH ALEDA V. , MENOR LARRY J.
Published: August 2010

This paper offers insights regarding an agenda for service operations management (SOM) research. First, we motivate the need for an SOM research agenda. Second, we offer a research framework that paints a broad‐based picture of key architectural elements in the SOM research landscape. The framework builds upon prior and emerging research for designing, delivering and evaluating services. Third, in order to stimulate future research in SOM, we use this framework to hone in on five understudied and emerging research themes that underpin our proposed SOM research agenda.
Real‐Time Revision of Order Quantities with Capacity Constraint: A Single Period Model
Authors: Chakravarty Amiya K. , Balakrishnan Nagraj
Published: August 2010

Manufacturing firms would like to maximize customer satisfaction by providing them with what they need when they need it. This, however, would mean continual variations in production quantities, and component orders from suppliers. A flexible manufacturing system can help alleviate costs related to modification of production quantities. The capacity of such a system, however, has to be limited because of high investment cost. Further, unless there is a long‐term relationship, suppliers may levy a high surcharge for last minute changes in order size. We model a hybrid control policy comprising an advance (pre‐production) order size agreed upon with suppliers, and a provision for real‐time order revision at a given rate of surcharge. We show that a rank‐order of products can be used for real‐time revisions, and that a strong buyer‐supplier relationship that keeps these surcharges low can actually help increase profits for both parties. We study issues such as compatibility between JIT and flexibility, and the impact of market conditions on overall profitability.
Towards a Theory of Competitive Progression: Evidence from High‐Tech Manufacturing
Authors: Rosenzweig Eve D. , Roth Aleda V.
Published: August 2010

This study replicates and extends Ferdows and De Meyers' observed ‘sand cone’ model of cumulative competitive capabilities by means of Roth's related competitive progression theory (CPT). Using path analysis, we model and test the relationships among the generic competitive capability constructs of conformance quality, delivery reliability, volume flexibility, and low cost as predicted by CPT. Our results, drawn from a sample of high‐tech manufacturers, provide further evidence that on average, these four capabilities are acquired both cumulatively and in that sequence. We also find that each generic capability increases operational know‐how and reduces non‐value‐added directly and/or indirectly through the enhancement of successive capabilities in the progression, which in turn improves profitability. The paper contributes a theoretical rationale for the observed sand cone effect, describes how the competitive progression acts to influence accelerated organizational learning over an innovation cycle, and offers evidence that combinative capabilities have strategic value for high‐tech manufacturers.
Beyond Make‐Buy: Internalization and Integration of Design and Production
Authors: Ulrich Karl T. , Ellison David J.
Published: August 2010

Much recent attention in industrial practice has been centered on the question of which activities a manufacturing firm should complete for itself and for which it should rely on outside suppliers. This issue, generally labeled the “make‐buy” decision, has received substantial theoretical and empirical attention. In this paper, we broaden the scope of the make‐buy decision to include product design decisions, as well as production decisions. First, we examine independently the decisions of whether to internalize design and production, and then we consider how design and production organizational decisions are interdependent. The specific research questions we address are: (1) How can design and production sourcing decisions be described in richer terms than “make” and “buy”? (2) Do existing theories of vertical integration apply to product design activities as well as production decisions? (3) What is the relationship between the organization of design and the organization of production? (4) What organizational forms for design and production are seen in practice? After developing theoretical arguments and a conceptual framework, we explore these ideas empirically through an analysis of design and production sourcing decisions for bicycle frames in the U. S. mountain bicycle industry.
Rush and Be Wrong or Wait and Be Late? A Model of Information in Collaborative Processes
Authors: Loch Christoph H. , Terwiesch Christian
Published: August 2010

Business processes have become more simultaneous and collaborative in the recent past. In simultaneous processes, multiple parties must adapt to one another in real time as decisions evolve. For example, New Product Development (NPD) requires collaboration in the context of Concurrent Engineering, and Supply Chain Management (SCM) in the context of collaborative planning.

In both cases, parties must modify decisions based on preliminary information, information that is not fully precise or stable, about what the other parties are doing. This article develops a generalized model of real‐time decision making based on preliminary information, which applies both to NPD and SCM. The model offers insights into when to commit to a course of action, and we derive seven principles that help in dealing with preliminary information.
A Retrospective Look at Production and Operations Management Articles on New Product Development
Authors: Krishnan V. , Loch Christoph H.
Published: August 2010

We present a retrospective look at the articles on New Product Development that appeared in the first 50 issues of Production and Operations Management (POM). We discuss some of the strengths and weaknesses of this POM literature stream. This article is not intended to be a literature review or an exhaustive review of the articles. Rather, we seek to identify new opportunities for rigorous and relevant research, research that has the potential of differentiating and enhancing POM within the Operations Management literature.
Operations Strategy Research in the POMS Journal
Authors: Boyer Kenneth K. , Swink Morgan , Rosenzweig Eve D.
Published: August 2010

In this paper, we examine the operations strategy literature in the POMS journal to determine what has been learned and to suggest new directions for further study in this important area of research. Our review of this literature resulted in the selection of thirty‐one relevant articles, many of which draw upon multiple theoretical perspectives. We identify eight such theoretical perspectives, and go on to classify these perspectives in terms of the scope of inquiry employed in the research (focused versus aggregated) and the researcher's assumptions about choice processes (behavioral versus rational). In doing so, we show that this body of work is dominated by papers that draw upon theoretical perspectives enabling a more holistic scope of inquiry, with a bias towards a view of strategy as a highly rational process. Building on our systematic review and integration of the literature, we suggest multiple areas for future research.
Analysis of Effects of Operational Execution on Repeat Purchasing for Heterogeneous Customer Segments
Authors: Boyer Kenneth K. , Frohlich Markham T.
Published: August 2010

Many retailers are increasingly turning to home delivery as a new arena of operational competition. This study controlled for industry by investigating the online home delivery grocery business, and an analysis of 1,919 customers of home delivery grocers identified four groups of online customers based on reasons for selecting this service. These four groups were next linked to operational execution in terms of service, product, and Internet quality, and found to vary in predicable ways. Subsequent to the initial data collection, five month's of post hoc longitudinal purchasing history was collected on the four groups of online customers to determine the relative profitability. Finally, as a follow‐on analysis, the study used regression to predict future consumer purchases based upon operational execution. Time savings and service quality emerged as the two most important independent variables in terms of future buying from such online home delivery services.
Foundations and Implications of a Proposed Unified Services Theory
Authors: Sampson Scott E. , Froehle Craig M.
Published: August 2010

Diverse businesses, such as garbage collection, retail banking, and management consulting are often tied together under the heading of “services”, based on little more than a perception that they are intangible and do not manufacture anything. Such definitions inadequately identify managerial and operational implications common among, and unique to, services. We present a “Unified Services Theory” (UST) to clearly delineate service processes from non‐service processes and to identify key commonalities across seemingly disparate service businesses. The UST defines a service production process as one that relies on customer inputs; customers act as suppliers for all service processes. Non‐services (such as make‐to‐stock manufacturing) rely on customer selection of outputs, payment for outputs, and occasional feedback, but production is not dependent upon inputs from individual customers. The UST reveals principles that are common to the wide range of services and provides a unifying foundation for various theories and models of service operations, such as the traditional “characteristics of services” and Customer Contact Theory. The UST has significant operational corollaries pertaining to capacity and demand management, service quality, services strategy, and so forth. The UST provides a common reference point to which services management researchers can anchor future theory‐building and theory‐testing research.
Value of Information in Closed Loop Supply Chains
Authors: Ketzenberg Michael E. , van derLaan Erwin , Teunter Ruud H.
Published: August 2010

We explore the value of information (VOI) in the context of a firm that faces uncertainty with respect to demand, product return, and product recovery (yield). The operational decision of interest in matching supply with demand is the quantity of new product to order. Our objective is to evaluate the VOI from reducing one or more types of uncertainties, where value is measured by the reduction in total expected holding and shortage costs.

We start with a single period model with normally distributed demands and returns, and restrict the analysis to the value of full information (VOFI) on one or more types of uncertainty. We develop estimators that are predictive of the value and sensitivity of (combinations of) different information types. We find that there is no dominance in value amongst the different types of information, and that there is an additional pay‐off from investing in more than one type.

We then extend our analysis to the multi‐period case, where returns in a period are correlated with demands in the previous period, and study the value of partial information (VOPI) as well as full information. We demonstrate that our results from the single period model (adapted for VOPI) carry‐over exactly. Furthermore, a comparison with uniformly distributed demand and return show that these results are robust with respect to distributional assumptions.
Martin K. Starr: A Visionary Proponent for System Integration, Modular Production, and Catastrophe Avoidance
Authors: Gupta Sushil , Roth Aleda V.
Published: August 2010

Martin K. Starr facilitated the creation of an identity for production and operations management (POM) as an academic discipline. This paper aims to summarize Starr's substantial contributions to scholarly inquiry on system integration and interfunctional coordination, modular production, and catastrophe avoidance. Even after four decades, we describe how his legacy in these areas continues to define several major drivers of operations and supply chain management research and practice. Starr has influenced several generations of students, professors, and executives with his writings, teaching, and leadership roles in the POM community that include 32 years on the faculty of the Columbia School of Business, 15 years as Editor‐in‐Chief of Management Science, and presidency of the Production and Operations Management Society.
On Pricing and Composition of Bundles
Authors: Bitran Gabriel R. , Ferrer Juan‐Carlos
Published: August 2010

This paper addresses the problem of how to determine the composition and price of a bundle so as to maximize the total expected profit. To motivate the problem, we use as a setting a high‐tech manufacturing company that operates in a competitive environment, is not a leader in the industry, and is constantly reacting to bundles introduced by the leader. Bundles are sets of components that must meet technical constraints. The company's objective is to build a bundle and offer it in a market where it will compete with other bundles. Consumers purchase the bundle that maximizes their utility after examining all available bundles. The company selection of the bundle's components and its price is made in light of the bundles against which it will be competing and the uncertainty in the consumer choice process. The optimal decision could be found by solving a nonlinear mixed integer program, which is difficult to solve. Instead, we propose an efficient solution procedure to determine the optimal composition of the bundle and the price at which it should be offered. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of extensions of the research to cases that consider multiple segments of customers and/or multiple bundles.
Option Contracts and Capacity Management—Enabling Price Discrimination under Demand Uncertainty
Authors: Fang Fang , Whinston Andrew
Published: August 2010

We explore using an option contract as a price discrimination tool under demand uncertainty. In our capacity game model, a monopolistic supplier has to build capacity before observing the uncertain demand. The demand is generated by two potential customers, who privately know their own types. The types could be either high or low, differing in willingness to pay for each unit of demand. To discriminate between the customer types, the supplier designs option contracts so that only the high type will buy options in advance. The high type will do so because the options can hedge their risk of demand loss when capacity is tight. The supplier profits in three ways. First, the high type customers pay higher marginal prices on average. Second, the high type customers' demand is satisfied as a first priority, guaranteeing allocation efficiency. Third, the supplier can observe the number of options being purchased and so determine customer types, improving capacity investment efficiency. We compare our results to those of classical second degree price discrimination. We show that our proposed framework guarantees the same level of supplier profit even when the supplier cannot discriminate between the customers by bundling products.
Performance Metric Portfolios: A Framework and Empirical Analysis
Authors: Bendoly Elliot , Rosenzweig Eve D. , Stratman Jeff K.
Published: August 2010

The widespread adoption of supply chain management principles suggests that managers recognize the importance of evaluating operational decisions holistically. However, it is often difficult to link specific operational practices to strategic level outcomes and in turn to corporate financial results. This presents problems for both managers and academic researchers attempting to justify the often high cost of operational improvement initiatives in terms of objective accounting metrics. This study provides evidence that it is possible to demonstrate linkages between carefully chosen portfolios of tactical, strategic, and financial metrics. Survey data from 118 manufacturers are used to evaluate hypotheses linking multilevel metrics of performance across three well‐established strategic foci. We present portfolios of metrics drawn from the literature and from the Supply Chain Counciľs supply‐chain operations reference model and related design and customer chain models. Our analysis suggests that metric portfolios in which tactical metrics are designed to match strategic‐level metrics, based on alignment with a specific strategic focus, provide clearer mechanisms for understanding performance linkages.
Value‐Based Routing and Preference‐Based Routing in Customer Contact Centers
Authors: Sisselman Michael E. , Whitt Ward
Published: August 2010

Telephone call centers and their generalizations—customer contact centers—usually handle several types of customer service requests (calls). Since customer service representatives (agents) have different call‐handling abilities and are typically cross‐trained in multiple skills, contact centers exploit skill‐based routing (SBR) to assign calls to appropriate agents, aiming to respond properly as well as promptly. Established agent‐staffing and SBR algorithms ensure that agents have the required call‐handling skills and that call routing is performed so that constraints are met for standard congestion measures, such as the percentage of calls of each type that abandon before starting service and the percentage of answered calls of each type that are delayed more than a specified number of seconds. We propose going beyond traditional congestion measures to focus on the expected value derived from having particular agents handle various calls. Expected value might represent expected revenue or the likelihood of first‐call resolution. Value might also reflect agent call‐handling preferences. We show how value‐based routing (VBR) and preference‐based routing (PBR) can be introduced in the context of an existing SBR framework, based on static‐priority routing using a highly‐structured priority matrix, so that constraints are still met for standard congestion measures. Since an existing SBR framework is used to implement VBR and PBR, it is not necessary to replace the automatic call distributor (ACD). We show how mathematical programming can be used, with established staffing requirements, to find a desirable priority matrix. We select the priority matrix to use during a specified time interval (e.g., 30‐minute period) by maximizing the total expected value over that time interval, subject to staffing constraints.
Introduction to the Special Issue on E‐Auctions for Procurement Operations
Authors: Bichler Martin , Steinberg Richard
Published: August 2010

We present nine papers on e‐auctions for procurement operations. The first of the issue's three sections is a foreword highlighting current trends and future research directions. The second section is composed of three commissioned survey papers, covering auctions within e‐sourcing events, electronic markets for truckload transportation, and games and mechanism design in machine scheduling. The final section consists of five research papers on the following topics: whether auction parameters affect buyer surplus in e‐auctions for procurement, collusion in second‐price auctions under minimax regret, the effect of timing on jump bidding in ascending auctions, market‐based allocation with indivisible bids, and ranked items auctions and online advertisement.
Collusion in Second‐Price Auctions under Minimax Regret Criterion
Authors: Sošić Greys
Published: August 2010

Collusion in auctions, with different assumptions on distributions of bidders' private valuation, has been studied extensively over the years. With the recent development of on‐line markets, auctions are becoming an increasingly popular procurement method. The emergence of Internet marketplaces makes auction participation much easier and more convenient, since no physical presence of bidders is required. In addition, bidders in on‐line auctions can easily switch their identities. Thus, it may very well happen that the bidders in an auction have very little, if any, prior knowledge about the distributions of other bidders' valuations. We are proposing an efficient distribution of collusive profit for second‐price sealed bid auctions in such an environment. Unlike some known mechanism, which balance the budget only in expectation, our approach (which we call Random k) balances the budget ex‐post. While truth‐telling is not a dominant strategy for Random k, it is a minimax regret equilibrium.
RFID and Operations Management: Technology, Value, and Incentives
Authors: Dutta Amitava , Lee Hau L. , Whang Seungjin
Published: August 2010

As RFID technology matures and organizations seek to deploy it in their business operations, a basic objective in the endeavor is that of extracting business value from the technology. This paper examines three dimensions of the value proposition of RFID and attempts to identify areas for further investigation. The first dimension consists of the generic architecture of RFID implementations and the drivers of value that can result from its components. The second consists of measurement issues associated with quantification of value. Since the complete benefits of RFID will only result when multiple independent organizations deploy the technology and coordinate the resulting information flows, the third dimension addresses incentives for achieving that diffusion. The collection of issues identified through this exercise offers an initial roadmap to view ongoing research and recognize additional problems for further investigation.
Customer Behavior Modeling in Revenue Management and Auctions: A Review and New Research Opportunities
Authors: Shen Zuo‐Jun Max , Su Xuanming
Published: August 2010

Customer behavior modeling has been gaining increasing attention in the operations management community. In this paper we review current models of customer behavior in the revenue management and auction literatures and suggest several future research directions.
The Impact of Industrial Decentralization on the Gendered Journey to Work, 1900–1940*
Authors: Harris Richard , Bloomfield A. Victoria
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Scholars have assumed that in North American cities before World War II only the decentralization of industry drew workers into the suburbs, and even then sometimes with a lag of years. In fact available evidence is meager and contradictory. The impact of industrial decentralization on settlement patterns can be traced by using published annual data in city directories regarding the evolution of labor sheds and employment fields. A case study of Toronto, Ontario, using directories and oral histories, shows that the decentralization of employment was only one influence upon suburban settlement, even among blue‐collar workers. Cross‐sectional data and case studies of one city and one suburban employer show that it did contribute to a temporary shortening of the journey to work for suburban workers. In part this was because companies tapped a preexisting suburban labor pool. Men were affected more than women, possibly because of the concentration of housing and job opportunities for women in the downtown. This is consistent with, but does not prove, arguments that decentralization enabled companies to exploit suburban male workers and that suburbanization disadvantaged women.
“GM Suicide”: Flexibility, Space, and the Injured Body*
Authors: Leslie Deborah , Butz David
Published: August 2010

Abstract:While geographers have devoted much attention to the external geographies of Japanese production models, little work has been done on the internal geographies of the production process. This paper explores the relationship between lean production, space, and the body. Following Lowe (1995), we argue that three practices code the body in late capitalism: post‐Fordism and the flexible labor market, cybernetic systems and their impact on the labor process, and the discourse of neoclassical economics. Together, these practices construct a laboring body susceptible to greater risk. In particular, we illustrate how lean production and the spatial reorganization of the shopfloor are leading to greater risk of injury, especially repetitive strain injuries.
The Creation of Competitive Advantage by Producer Service Establishments*
Authors: Lindahl David P. , Beyers William B.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: In this paper we focus on how competitive advantage is constructed by producer service businesses, how it varies among establishments with different characteristics, and how it affects establishment performance. Sources of competitive advantage stem from characteristics such as quality, price, creativity and innovation, flexibility, timeliness of delivery, and scope of services offered. We present a detailed evaluation of the competitive advantage model developed by Porter (1990) and review applications of this model to the producer services. We find this model to be partially successful in distinguishing between superior and inferior performance by producer service businesses, with important differences observed across age, organizational type, and size of business. We develop an expanded model of factors related to competitive advantage and performance, which includes not only factors contained in the Porter model, but dimensions particular to the information‐oriented producer services, such as creativity, geographic proximity, R&D capabilities, and adaptability to client needs.
Spatial Distribution and Redistribution of Immigrants in the Metropolitan United States, 1980 and 1990*
Authors: Newbold K. Bruce
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Although the distribution of the immigrant population reflects a dynamic system that evolves over time, the existing literature provides limited insight into the evolution of the immigrant settlement system. Government policies, new information on alternative locations, employment opportunities, housing, or cultural effects may be responsible for subsequent migrations and changes in the population distribution of the foreign‐born. Using data from the 1980 and 1990 5 percent Public Use Microdata Samples, I compare the settlement patterns and reasons for migration among foreign‐born cohorts. Cohorts are defined based on period of arrival in the United States and age in 1980 and 1990. The linkage of the 1980 and 1990 census files enables a temporal dimension in the analysis. Although it is not possible to follow individuals over the two periods, aggregate changes in group location and migration patterns can be evaluated. Both period (differences associated with migration over time) and cohort (differences in migration behavior across arrival cohorts within a particular period) effects can be modeled. Of interest are the distribution, redistribution, and magnitude of change in the immigrant settlement system, along with why these adjustments occur for the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the United States. Results indicate that arrival cohorts of different vintages show contrasting responses to the determinants of settlement and migration behavior, although the overall distribution of the foreign‐born population changed little over the two census periods.
Agricultural Intensification, Diversification, and Commercial Production among Smallholder Coffee Growers in Central Kenya*
Authors: Dorsey Bryan
Published: August 2010

Abstract: The research summarized in this article establishes direct links between the scale, process, and output of agricultural production by examining the dynamics of intensification, crop diversification, and commercialization. Small farm survey results from Kirinyaga District, Kenya, show that diversified production provides smallholders with the opportunity to select a particular crop or crops for commercial production (such as coffee, French beans, or tomatoes) in order to increase farm‐generated income while meeting increasing demands for local farm produce and export crops. The study shows that income per hectare (acre) does not consistently increase with increasing farm size, regardless of the level of commercialization. Smallholders operating at the 1.2 to 1.6 hectare (3–4 acre) scale appear to engage in higher‐risk, more diversified, commercial production strategies than those with less area under production. These findings expand upon induced intensification theory and support the thesis that increased agricultural productivity results from both subsistence‐ and commodity‐based production, though the research focuses on the latter.
Quality, Nature, and Embeddedness: Some Theoretical Considerations in the Context of the Food Sector*
Authors: Murdoch Jonathan , Marsden Terry , Banks Jo
Published: August 2010

Abstract: In this paper we analyze a turn to “quality” in both food production and consumption. We argue that quality in the food sector, as it is being asserted at the present time, is closely linked to nature and the local embeddedness of supply chains. We thus outline the broad contours of this shift and discuss the most appropriate theoretical approaches. We consider political economy, actor‐network theory, and conventions theory and argue that, whereas political economy has proved useful in the analysis of globalization, it may prove less so in the examination of quality. We concentrate, therefore, upon actor‐network theory and conventions theory and show that the former allows nature to be brought to the center of analytical attention but provides few tools for the analysis of quality, especially in the context of the food sector. Conventions theory, on the other hand, links together a range of aspects found in food supply chains and allows us to consider the establishment of quality as a system of negotiation between specific qualities. We illustrate possible uses of the approach through a brief consideration of food supply chains in Wales.
Multinationals, Intracorporate Competition, and Regional Development*
Authors: Phelps N. A. , Fuller C.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: In this paper we concentrate on a neglected process in the restructuring of multinational enterprises (MNEs) and the formation of spatial divisions of labor. Existing conceptions of interlocality competition for mobile investment and spatial divisions of labor center on the dynamics of new greenfield investment. We provide instead an exploratory analysis of interlocality competition centered on intracorpo‐rate competition for repeat investment, broadly defined. We draw together diverse strands of literature to develop a simple taxonomy of types of intracorporate competition, exploring some of the implications of competition for successful MNE affiliates and their host localities. We go on to illustrate these ideas with reference to case studies of manufacturing affiliates of MNEs in an older industrial region of Wales. Although many of the repeat investments of MNEs are in principle contestable, the discussion and the case studies stress the difficulties faced by affiliates and localities at the periphery of spatial divisions of labor in winning, retaining, and benefiting from such investments.
How Does Structural Reform Affect Regional Development? Resolving Contradictory Theory with Evidence from India*
Authors: Chakravorty Sanjoy
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Regional theory offers little coherent guidance on the prospects for interregional development after structural reform in developing nations. In this paper I suggest a basic set of hypotheses in which the neoliberal nation‐state is simultaneously a reduced state (less concerned about promoting regional balance) and an enlarged state (directing development toward selected regions). Under the new regulatory structure the location of post‐reform investments may be expected to favor the coast, advanced regions, and existing metropolises (especially the edge areas); these expectations may be more true for foreign direct investments than domestic investments (especially the direct investments of the state). I use disaggregated pre‐ and post‐reform industrial data from India to test the hypotheses. The results offer partial to full support for all hypotheses, providing evidence of the return of cumulative causation, and raising concerns about the political economy of future development in the lagging regions.
The Geography of Segmentation of Informal Labor Markets: The Case of Motor Vehicle Repair in Calcutta*
Authors: Shaw Annapurna , Pandit Kavita
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Although the informal sector has been the subject of enormous academic interest since the mid‐1970s, one topic that has received relatively little scholarly attention is the spatial dynamics of informal sector activities and their labor markets. Our study examines the processes giving rise to the spatial segmentation of informal labor markets using a case study of motor vehicle repair workers in two areas of Calcutta. Our findings indicate that location within the metropolitan area has a major influence on the demand and supply of labor as well as remuneration. Labor market contrasts between the older, congested parts of the city and the urban periphery in turn influence the scale and form of the organization of work. Second, spatial segmentation is reinforced through place‐based interactions between employers and employees. Third, a young labor force socialized in rural and semirural areas forms a low‐earning segment of the metropolitan labor market.
What Makes Companies Green? Organizational and Geographic Factors in the Adoption of Environmental Practices*
Authors: Florida Richard , Atlas Mark , Cline Matt
Published: August 2010

Abstract: In this paper we advance the hypothesis that organizational factors play a key role in the adoption of environmental innovations, referred to as environmentally conscious manufacturing (ECM) practices. We distinguish among three classes of organizational factors: organizational resources, organizational innovativeness, and performance monitoring systems. The research also explores the interplay of organizational factors and spatial or geographic factors (such as proximity to customers and suppliers) in the adoption of ECM practices. We employ a structured field research design, involving “matched pairs” of plants, to address these issues. The findings confirm the hypothesis. Organizational factors matter significantly in the process of ECM adoption. Furthermore, two classes of organizational factors are particularly significant to ECM adoption: organizational resources and performance monitoring systems. Performance monitoring systems composed of quantitative goals and related metrics are a particularly key factor. The research finds that geographic or spatial factors have little effect on the adoption of ECM practices, reflecting the significant geographic distance between customers and suppliers in the sample. There may be reason to expect that geographic factors play a more significant role, but this is a subject for future research.
The Concept of the Firm in Economic Geography
Authors: Taylor Michael , Asheim Bjørn
Published: August 2010

Abstract: This paper argues that the poor conceptualization of the “firm” in economic geography detracts from the analytical strengths and policy relevance of the discipline. Identified as a phenotype, the firm remains ambiguous as an analytical category. This paper reviews nine overlapping conceptualizations of the firm in order to identify their relevance to the economic geography project. It discusses the broad strengths and weaknesses of these approaches and describes the unique perspective each provides on the nature and functioning of the firm.
Diversified Agriculture, Land Use, and Agrofood Networks in Hawaii*
Authors: Suryanata Krisnawati
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Agriculture dominated the culture and economy of Hawaii until the mid‐twentieth century, but has since been in a prolonged state of decline. This article examines strategies in Hawaii's diversified agriculture that seek to revitalize its agrarian sector and the difficult challenges these efforts face within the globalized agrofood systems. Drawing from the actor‐network perspective, this article suggests an alternative approach to developing Hawaii's diversified agriculture. Networks of social actors that include growers, processors, gourmet chefs, retailers, and consumers have been able to create viable diversified agriculture in spite of the globalized agrofood systems. The article then discusses how the politics of land use and land development could condition Hawaii's ability to build networks that are critical to the maintenance of a diversified agricultural sector.
Grounding Globalization: The Prospects and Perils of Linking Economic Processes of Globalization to Environmental Outcomes*
Authors: Bridge Gavin
Published: August 2010

Abstract: This article advances the argument that economic geography has prioritized the understanding of processes over the evaluation of outcomes. Contemporary research on globalization—like earlier studies of industrial restructuring, deindustrialization, and “localities”—tends to address outcomes only in so far as they shed light on underlying processes. Yet the earlier generation of research also produced a number of instructive methodological and epistemological critiques that now frame current attempts to understand the socioenvironmental effects of globalization. Three of these challenges are outlined in the context of research on the environmental effects of foreign direct investment: linking processes with outcomes; bridging across scales; and demonstrating the “difference that difference makes.” The article contrasts the limited engagement by economic geographers with globalization's environmental effects with a growing body of work outside geography. Preliminary links between this well‐developed, external literature and proximate bodies of geographic scholarship are put forth to demonstrate how hybrid approaches may best be able to capture the ways in which processes of economic globalization drive environmental outcomes. The article concludes with a worked example of ongoing research into the environmental impacts of foreign direct investment to illustrate how such an approach may engage globalization “on the ground.”
Financialization and the Role of Real Estate in Hong Kong's Regime of Accumulation
Authors: Smart Alan , Lee James
Published: August 2010

Abstract: The greater dominance of finance in the global economic system is widely considered to have increased instability and created difficulties in constructing modes of regulation that could stabilize post‐Fordist regimes of accumulation. Heightened competition and the discipline of global finance restrict the use of Fordist strategies that expand social wages to balance production and consumption. Robert Boyer suggested a model for a possible stable finance‐led growth regime. His hypothesis is that once there are sufficient stocks of property in a nation, expenditures that are based on capital gains, dividends, interest, and pensions can compensate for diminished wage‐based demand. We contend that the neglect of real estate is a serious limitation, since housing wealth is more significant than other forms of equity for most citizens, and thus that it fails to capture the impact of the perceptions and choices of ordinary citizens. We then argue that features of a finance‐led regime of accumulation and a property‐based mode of regulation appeared in Hong Kong relatively early. A case study of Hong Kong is used to extend Boyer's discussion, as well as to diagnose Hong Kong's experience for its lessons on the impact of such developments.
Understanding Social and Spatial Divisions in the New Economy: New Media Clusters and the Digital Divide
Authors: Perrons Diane
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Economic inequality is increasing but has been sidelined in some of the recent debates in urban and regional studies. This article outlines a holistic framework for economic geography, which focuses on understanding social and spatial divisions, by drawing on economists' ideas about the new economy and feminist perspectives on social reproduction. The framework is illustrated with reference to the emerging new media cluster in Brighton and Hove, which, as a consequence, emerges less as a new technology cluster and more as a reflection of increasing social divisions in the new economy.
Nation to Nation: Defining New Structures of Development in Northern Quebec
Authors: Desbiens Caroline
Published: August 2010

Abstract: In February 2002, the Crees of Quebec and the Quebec government signed a new agreement that was designed to implement new structures of economic development in northern Quebec. The document, known as “La Paix des Braves” (Peace of the Braves), was characterized as a “nation‐to‐nation” agreement and promises greater participation by the Crees in the management and exploitation of natural resources on the territory. Starting from the premise that the Crees and the Québécois do not simply compete for the resources of James Bay but can be said to define and firm up the boundaries of their respective nation in and through the use of these resources, this article explores the close intertwining of colonialism, culture, and the economy in James Bay, as well as its potential impact on the new agreement. First, it analyzes how the Crees and the Québécois have articulated nationhood in relation to land and resources, particularly over the past three decades. Second, it examines how these discourses are informed by a third national scale, that of Canada. The intersection among nature, nation, and economic development in northern Quebec is a key example of how resources are embedded in complex national geographies that are shaped across a broad historical span. Although sustainability is often defined in terms of the needs of future generations, this article calls for greater attention to past colonial and political relations in defining structures of development that ensure the renewal of resources.