DEFENSE BY EXPANSION: THE CASE OF MARSHALL FIELD*

Geographical studies of corporate behavior tend to overlook reactions from competitors and implicitly equate expansion with success. The paper challenges this tradition by discussing the defense of a troubled department store company against hostile takeover bids by expansionary strategies. The expansion was directed initially towards the bidders' home markets to create potential conflicts with antitrust laws. When the bidders retreated, the expansion was refocused on growth markets to maximize both corporate size and thereby also the financial resources needed for its takeover.     

CHANGE IN THE WORLD SYSTEM OF METROPOLISES: THE ROLE OF BUSINESS INTERMEDIARIES

Business intermediaries engaged in the international exchange of capital and commodities (financiers, commodity brokers, wholesalers, corporate head offices) influence the formation of and change in the system of world metropolises through their reactions to competitioh: (1) altering transaction costs, (2) differentiation or dedifferentiation to control markets, and (3) appeal to force. Propositions about intermediary behavior are supported with evidence from the case study literature. These propositions form the basis for a synthesis of the changes in the system of world metropolises.     

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN U.S. METROPOLITAN AREAS, 1979-1983

Ordinary least-squares multiple regression is used to construct a path diagram showing the direct and indirect effects of corporate location factors on the share of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the 44 largest metropolitan areas in the United States during the period 1979-1983. The results show that the metropolitan areas with the most rapid population growth over the period 1970-1980 correspond to the centers with greater shares of FDI. The growth in Fortune measure, an indicator of the market dynamics of the metropolitan areas, has a direct effect on the level of investment. The growth of employment in manufacturing and in finance, insurance, and real estate, used as indexes of labor supply and of producer services, have indirect effects on FDI. The results show that foreign direct investors tend to concentrate in centers offering strong markets and strong bases of producer services, regardless of their regional locations.     

EXTERNAL CONTROL OF NONMETROPOLITAN INDUSTRY IN KENTUCKY

The organizational separation of management and other quaternary activities from production operations in American manufacturing has resulted in a divergent pattern of production and headquarter locations. We examine the external control relationships that arise from this separation between headquarter location and branch plant operations in nonmetropolitan Kentucky. Although corporate headquarters have diffused to the Sunbelt, no shift was found in the corporate control of branch plants in Kentucky. Nonmetropolitan manufacturing in Kentucky was oriented toward the metropolitan centers of the traditional manufacturing belt rather than the newer corporate centers of the South. Also control relationships are more likely to be local among smaller factories. Large plants having more autonomy in production or producing finished goods were more likely to be owned by a distant firm located in a large SMSA.     

EXTERNAL CONTROL OF NONMETROPOLITAN INDUSTRY IN KENTUCKY

The organizational separation of management and other quaternary activities from production operations in American manufacturing has resulted in a divergent pattern of production and headquarter locations. We examine the external control relationships that arise from this separation between headquarter location and branch plant operations in nonmetropolitan Kentucky. Although corporate headquarters have diffused to the Sunbelt, no shift was found in the corporate control of branch plants in Kentucky. Nonmetropolitan manufacturing in Kentucky was oriented toward the metropolitan centers of the traditional manufacturing belt rather than the newer corporate centers of the South. Also control relationships are more likely to be local among smaller factories. Large plants having more autonomy in production or producing finished goods were more likely to be owned by a distant firm located in a large SMSA.     

The Quest for Global Market Leadership: Example of Two Welding Companies*

The corporate policies and worldwide expansion of Esab AB and The Lincoln Electric Company, the world's leading welding companies, are described. The emphasis is on the role of financial resources, executive action, and corporate environment in handling the overcapacity crisis from the late 1970s to the mid 1980s and the deepening globalization thereafter.     

Geographies of the Firm and Transnational Agro-food Corporations in East Asia

Agro-food transnational corporations (TNCs) are pivotal players in the emergent regulatory structures of the East Asian agro-food system, but there has been little explicit concern to account theoretically or empirically for their prevailing socio-spatial practices and strategies. This paper uses the case of Nestlé in South East Asia to make three claims. First, transnational corporate strategy is best understood as comprising an interaction of restructuring processes within the arenas of production, realisation (sales), and reproduction (corporate finance and investment). Second, the analysis of agro-food transnationals in Asia requires elevated attention to the local regulation of food systems. Third, in Nestlé's case at least, the articulation of global strategies with local arenas of production and markets encourages corporate finance to play a key role in the generation of profit. This is evidenced through the extensive use of intra-firm trade and royalty payments (or, related party transactions) by Nestlé in Thailand.     

Moved by the Company - International Migrants and Transnational Organisations

Labour markets are generally thought to have become more integrated across international boundaries. Employees that move between branches of transnational organisations are a potential contributor to this integration. Interviews with human resources managers in 33 New Zealand‐based organisations indicate that the number of employees transferred is small and likely to decrease as corporate functions are transferred from New Zealand to regional offices.     

外资效应、经济复杂度与内资企业出口市场拓展

外资企业对内资企业出口能力提升和出口市场拓展具有重要影响。本文基于2000—2016年中国地级市出口数据,分析中国内资企业出口市场拓展格局,研究外资效应对内资企业进入新出口市场和出口额增长的影响,并依据经济和技术复杂度检验外资效应的区域和产业异质性。描述性分析发现：① 内资企业出口在国内呈多级连片格局,逐渐向非洲和拉丁美洲等新兴市场拓展。② 处于低复杂度城市/产业的内资企业更倾向于拓展新出口市场,处于高复杂度城市/产业的内资企业则倾向于提升出口额。计量模型结果表明：① 外资企业推动了内资企业出口额增长,但抑制了其进入新出口市场,分别表现出溢出效应和竞争效应。② 从区域和产业异质性来看,外资企业仅在高复杂度城市/产业阻碍了内资企业出口市场拓展,表现出竞争效应;而在低复杂度城市/产业则表现为溢出效应。③ 相较于低经济复杂度城市,高经济复杂度城市的内资企业受到的竞争和溢出效应均更强。     

消费升级视角下城市生活服务空间的演变及影响因素研究——以武汉菜市场为例

消费升级时代孕育了生活性服务新业态,改变了生活服务业的城市空间格局。论文以菜市场作为生活服务空间的代表,选取武汉市这一中国城市消费升级样本及城市疫后复苏“风向标”作为典型案例区,结合GIS空间计量和STATA统计分析,探讨菜市场综合体系的形成过程、类型差异和影响因素。研究发现：① 武汉市菜市场经历了传统农贸市场主导—零售新业态扩张—社区尺度回落的历程,形成以大卖场生鲜部、农贸市场、生鲜超市及社区菜场为主的复合型生活服务空间,并在疫后展现出一定韧性;② 武汉市菜市场整体上由双核心向多核心转变,由城市中心向外围延伸,且呈现出农贸市场“团簇状”、生鲜超市“条型”、大卖场“点状”、社区菜场“蝶形”的分类型差异化格局;③ 全业态菜市场布局受社会、经济、区位和发展基础影响显著,传统业态受市场和区位要素影响显著,零售新业态受经济要素和前期菜市场集聚程度的影响显著,且消费升级态势下新建菜市场选址更加偏好购物中心代表的体验式消费场所。研究结果对于丰富现代菜市场体系的类型研究,拓展城市生活服务空间研究的学科视域具有一定理论意义,同时对于优化城市生活服务空间结构以满足居民日益增长的美好生活需要和服务品质追求具有一定现实价值。     

Decoding the Development Strategy of a Major Retailer: Wal-Mart's Expansion in the United States

This research aims to provide insight regarding Wal-Mart's retail development strategy in its expansion across the continental United States. The study examines store location patterns and relationships between Wal-Mart's store and distribution center locations and markets. The study shows that, although radial expansion is broadly characteristic of the dense store patterns that have been well established for Wal-Mart at the national level, expansion patterns at the regional level are consistent with a selective process based on factors other than store density. These results provide a new perspective on Wal-Mart's expansion, providing insights of value to retail practitioners and local government.     

地方集群网络、信息溢出效应与中国ICT产品出口地理网络扩张

研究中国ICT产品的出口贸易扩张有助于理解"全球-地方"互动视角下国际贸易与国内产业地理的相互作用.本文构建地方集群网络和信息溢出效应促进产品出口扩张的机制分析框架,利用2000-2016年中国海关库数据,探究中国ICT产品出口地理网络扩张机制.研究发现:①中国ICT产品出口源地从沿海地区向内陆地区扩张,出口目的地扩张...     

CONTAINMENT AND MISMATCH: GENDER DIFFERENCES IN COMMUTING IN METROPOLITAN LABOR MARKETS

The spatial containment of women relative to men remains a prominent theme in research on women's employment in American cities. Drawing on a dataset for all metropolitan areas in the United States in 1990, this research analyzes the contextual variability of containment effects and the link between localized commutes and the incidence of occupational sex segregation. Women's more localized commutes persist across most of the urban system, with particularly wide differentials in suburban labor markets in proximity to national service and finance centers. Treatment effects models confirm that differences in the extent of local labor markets among women reinforce occupational sex segregation, but the effect varies by mode of travel. Working close to home slightly increases the likelihood of segregation for women with access to private automobiles, suggestive of spatial containment. Among women reliant on bus transportation, spatial mismatch is so severe that even poorly paid secondary jobs require long commutes.     

市场间邻近性与广东省出口企业的地理集聚

对外贸易是塑造广东省产业空间分布格局的重要力量,深入地探讨出口贸易与广东省企业集聚的内在联系机制,具有重要意义。本文从出口市场与本地市场之间的多维邻近性角度,为广东省的企业集聚发生机制提供了新的解释,具有一定的理论与政策参考价值。本文认为,企业的出口市场与本地邻近性越低,企业自身越难以远距离地直接获取关于目的市场的出口知识。在这种情况下,企业为了实现出口的成功扩张,其在空间上倾向于集聚分布,以在本地获取相关知识的溢出。基于2000—2016年中国海关进出口贸易数据,本文对广东省出口企业的外部出口市场格局以及内部空间集聚格局进行了描述,并实证测度了企业的出口市场与广东省在地理、经济、文化、政治和制度五个维度上的邻近性与企业地理集聚水平之间的关系。特别地,本文运用DO方法对企业集聚水平进行定量测度,还原了企业集聚的原始微观形态,一定程度上弥补了现有对于集聚水平测度方法的不足。描述性分析表明,一方面,广东省企业的出口市场具有多样化的特点,其扩张一定程度上遵循“邻近性”原则;另一方面,广东省的企业空间分布呈现明显的“核心-边缘”格局。实证结果表明,当出口至与本地在经济、政治和制度三个维度上邻近性较低的市场时,企业在本地更加集聚。市场间地理和文化邻近性对企业集聚水平的影响不显著。同时,该影响效应在出口市场为发达地区和发展中地区的企业样本中具有差异。     

RECONSTRUCTED PRODUCTION LANDSCAPES IN THE POSTMODERN CITY: APPLIED DESIGN AND CREATIVE SERVICES IN THE METROPOLITAN CORE

Applied design and creative services are central to the formation of metropolitan landscapes and urban culture (both in historical and contemporary contexts), as well as to the production of the full range of industrial and consumer goods. More specifically, applied design firms are essential to the development of advanced industrial systems, and facilitate the operation of flexible production regimes by (1) enabling production differentiation in segmented markets, (2) improving productivity, (3) promoting production synergies, (4) enhancing short-run customized production, and (5) contributing to the condensing of longer-run style cycles. A case study of design and creative services firms in Vancouver discloses that such firms exhibit important commonalities with other producer services industries (e.g., intermediate market orientation, clustering propensity, divisions of labor). At the same time, firms engaged in the production of design may be differentiated from “mainstream” business or corporate service firms in terms of (1) location and milieu, with a clear affinity for the CBD fringe and inner city, rather than the CBD proper; (2) function, with an emphasis on creativity as both raison d'etre and operating characteristic; and (3) services-goods interface (design services are not “arms length” from goods production, like most business services, but are directly concerned with the style, configuration, and identity of end products). Finally, the clustering of design and creative service firms exemplifies the “internal specialization of the production spaces of the large metropolis” (Scott, 1988), although empirical evidence from the Vancouver case asserts the significance of sociocultural, as well as economic, features of agglomeration. [Key words: design, production, inner city, clustering, agglomeration.]     

云南省入境旅游市场竞争态分析

入境旅游的游客数量及其增长率是反映一个地区国际旅游发展水平的重要指标。运用旅游市场竞争态模型对2001～2004年云南省主要的入境旅游客源市场及目的地市场在云南国际旅游中的市场占有率和市场增长率进行分析，反映了各市场在入境旅游竞争中所处的地位与态势，揭示了云南境外游客的变化情况，并给出各市场的相应发展战略。     

我国区域市场研究进展与展望

随着全球经济一体化进程的加快及国内市场的进一步发展,越来越多的学者认识到市场特别是作为现代经济活动载体的区域市场在经济发展中的重要作用。目前我国关于区域市场研究的内容主要包括内涵、成因、结构、机制、扩张模式及其在形成发展过程中的一些不可避免的障碍等,但这些研究多侧重于对发达地区特别是东部沿海地区的研究,而对中东部及农村欠发达地区的研究相对不足;多侧重于区域市场内部的研究,而对区域间的合作研究相对不足。随着我国市场经济的发展及建立全国统一市场的要求,在今后的研究中应加强西部地区及城镇、城乡和区域间合作的研究,并加强定量方法在研究中的应用。     

The Locations of Wal-Mart and Kmart Supercenters: Contrasting Corporate Strategies

Wal-Mart and Kmart, the two largest American discount retailers, have begun to utilize a supercenter retailing format that combines a full-service grocery store with a discount department store. Supercenters are expected to be the major format for future expansion of each of these firms. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the spatial expansion strategies of each firm for the locations of its supercenters. Wal-Mart is quickly expanding its number of supercenters in modest-sized communities clustered around its grocery distribution centers, especially in Southern states. Conversely, most Super Kmart Centers are located inthe suburbs of widely scattered major metropolitan markets, and Kmart has yet to develop a grocery distribution network. Kmart currently has major financial problems that severely restrict the expansion of the Super Kmart Center format.     

Global Dimensions of U.S. Legal Services

The internationalization of the world's producer services has included the steady expansion of legal services across national borders. This article opens with an examination of the supply and demand factors that have driven this process, including the strategies and problems faced by law firms that operate internationally. It then offers an empirical examination of the distribution of overseas legal services offices of the 700 largest U.S. law firms, including their foreign markets and headquarters cities.