Suchergebnisse

Because space is not homogenous, economic activities occur in different locations. Understanding the reasons behind this and understanding exactly how industries are spatially organized is the central theme of this book. Industrial Location Economics discusses different aspects of industrial location behaviour from a variety of theoretical and empirical perspectives. Each of the analytical traditions provides insights into the nature of industrial location behaviour and the factors which can influence it

Models of the outcomes of decision-making with respect to location by industrial companies decentralising from a metropolitan core have made the standard economic assumptions of optimising behaviour under constraints, following a path of instrumental rationality. This paper argues the case for widening the perspectives used in the analysis of industrial location decisions to consider both procedural rationality and expressive rationality alongside the standard instrumental view.

In terms of theory, the study of industrial location is largely a derivative discipline. It is argued that industrial geographers have adopted concepts from the organisational sciences without sufficient consideration of their disciplinary context. A review of organisational science theory suggests that mainstream industrial location analysis is flawed from a political and methodological point of view. Industrial geography has adopted a model of the business organisation which has a managerial bias. More subjective approaches towards organisational theory which emphasise individual perceptions and behaviour and the importance of the strategic decisions made by senior managers have also been neglected. It is proposed that studies in industrial location should be more firmly grounded in social theory. A more qualitative analysis of the industrial enterprise is suggested which uses participant-observation techniques that focus on the potential for choice in organisational systems of control.