Small Firms and Local Economic Development in South London

1996 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 202-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Phelps
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Firm Growth ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Business Service ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Large Urban Area ◽  
Physical Constraints

A growing body of literature has identified a number of potential constraints on small firm growth. Arguably, the severity of these constraints is closely related to the differing fortunes of industries and firms and the extent of localised external economies or diseconomies. This paper looks at the constraints facing manufacturing and business service firms in a large urban area. The paper draws on findings from a survey of small firms in Croydon. Data from the survey reveal some differences between small manufacturing and service firms in their experience of the urban environment. Physical constraints on expansion and labour shortages appear to be hindering small manufacturing firms in Croydon. Deficiencies in specific niches of the local business service sector may be preventing small business service firms from complementing and enhancing their internal capabilities. The problems facing small firms in Croydon and the sorts of local policy initiatives being developed are likely to be applicable to other large urban areas.

scholarly journals Spatial Analysis and Temporal Trend of Registered Noise Complaints in the City of Milan, Italy

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Noise Source ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Noise Mitigation ◽  
Complex Behaviour ◽  
Industrial Facilities

Noise complaints, expressed by individuals or a group of people, are the outcome of a complex behaviour depending not only on the noise exposure and its evoked annoyance, but also on other factors such as socioeconomic ones. Noise annoyance has significant impacts on the quality of life and health of inhabitants, as well as social cohesion. Thus, noise complaints are a very important issue to tackle for national and local policy makers and for all stakeholders involved in planning and management of noise mitigation actions. Within the above framework, the present study describes the analysis of noise complaints submitted by citizens to the municipality of Milan, Italy, from years 2000 to 2015. These complaints have been organized in a database and analyzed considering: i) types of noise source (technical facilities, music, transport infrastructures, etc.); ii) business/leisure activities (retail and catering businesses, production, service sector, etc.) and iii) outcomes of the complaints inspection by local authorities. In addition, by means of a GIS software, the territorial distribution of noise complaints has been determined according to the noise source category and disturbing activity. This analysis includes also a geo-statistical representation by density maps. The results show that, even though road traffic is the dominant noise source in residential and urban areas, the perception of other noises, such as those from industrial facilities, civil construction and social activities (parties, fairs and open air markets, residential noise, etc.), is perceived as more annoying. The results show that since 2007 the number of noise complaints (about 100-150 complaints/year) remains almost constant across the years. However, the spreading of leisure activities, malls, exhibition centers and venues, as observed for the years 2014-2015, would most likely grow them even more. This outcome can assist the local authority in the management of the activities in order to reduce their harmful impact on the population.

Business-Service Activities in British Provincial Conurbations

1983 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 1343-1359 ◽  
Author(s):  
J N Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Regional Policy ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Employment Growth ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
External Control ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Business Service ◽  
Organisational Structure ◽  
Business Services ◽  
Service Activities

Business-service activities are poorly represented in provincial areas of the British economy, and this acts as a constraint on the economic growth of these locations. This argument is developed in a survey investigation of business-service offices in the conurbations of Manchester, Leeds, and Birmingham. It is argued that external control is an important feature of the business-service sector, and that the organisational structure of multisite service firms influences the supply of business services. The importance of indigenous employment growth and industrial movement in provincial cities is examined. It is suggested that some business services generate regional exports, and should therefore, be given regional policy support.

scholarly journals Location Theory in Reverse? Location for Global Production in the IT Industry of Bangalore

2008 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 446-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolee Aranya
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Location Theory ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Urban Structure ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Producer Services ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Service Production ◽  
Offshore Industry

This paper is a detailed study of the location history of eight software and information technology (IT) enabled service firms, with varying attributes such as age of firm, type of work undertaken, and ownership sited in the southern Indian city of Bangalore. These cases are used to relate urban restructuring occurring in the city of Bangalore to the strategic shifting of location of firms within the urban fabric. While IT firms cannot be strictly classified as producer services, it is possible to contextualise their location decisions in terms of other office-based economic activities, such as producer services. Findings from the case studies are examined in relation to urban growth theories of the 1980s and 90s, which were related to an expansion of the service sector in advanced economies. The literature discussed in this paper explains the role of growth in producer services in suburbanisation of office space and the development of ‘edge cities’ and ‘suburban downtowns’ as alternatives to and in competition with traditional city centres. Studies of office location and contact patterns indicate the retention of management functions in the CBDs, with a consequent relocation of routine office operations to these suburban office spaces. The findings from the firms studied in Bangalore indicate a reverse pattern of peripheralisation of control functions and a retention of routine production functions in the core urban areas. The limited need for face-to-face contacts with actors in the local urban economy and the export-related output of this offshore industry are contributors to this apparent reversal of location dynamics. The paper briefly concludes with directions for future research on such specialised service production activity that is often being located in cities of developing countries, and its impact on the urban structure of these cities.

Small Busingess Service Firms and the 1990s Recession in the United Kingdom

1996 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Bryson
Keyword(s):  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Theoretical Work ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Weak Ties ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Business Service ◽  
Management Consultancy ◽  
Local Companies ◽  
The Uk

During the 1990s recession, the UK experienced a dramatic growth in employment in information-intensive business firms. This paper explores this growth with reference to small management consultancy and market research firms. Business service firms continued to be established and to grow during the recession because of three related attributes: professional expertise, an existing reputation and a network of client contacts. These attributes are related to the theoretical work of Granovetter (1973; 1982; 1985) who argues that "weak ties" operate to connect different groups of people together. The implications of these attributes for local economic development are considered. Success for all companies at the level of the local economy will be partially dependent on efficient and effective use of available business service expertise. The three attributes make it impossible to develop successful mechanisms to encourage the formation of business service companies in areas with underdeveloped service infrastructure. Mechanisms, however, may be developed at the local level to encourage the establishment of “weak ties” between local companies and regional and national providers of business service expertise.

Social Networks: Their Impact on the Innovative Behaviour of Small Service Firms

1998 ◽  
Vol 02 (02) ◽  
pp. 201-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanor Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Social Network Theory ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Business Service ◽  
Resource Base ◽  
The Social ◽  
Professional Business ◽  
Innovative Behaviour ◽  
Purposive Sample

This paper presents and discusses some findings of a research study that applied social network theory to small, professional business service firms. These findings demonstrate that social networks impact upon the innovative behaviour of small firms. They reveal that through the innovative use of social networks, small, professional business service firms are able to expand their customer and resource base while minimising the costs involved. The paper draws attention to the contents of the social networks in which a purposive sample of graphic design agencies are embedded. It demonstrates that multiplex relationships, particularly with individuals holding broker positions within these networks, are perceived to be important to innovative behaviour. The paper concludes by suggesting a number of recommendations for owner-managers, policymakers and researchers.

Hiring decisions on certified manpower

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 514-535
Author(s):  
Huei-Wen Pao ◽  
Cheng-Yu Lee ◽  
Pi-Hui Chung ◽  
Hsueh-Liang Wu
Keyword(s):  
Service Sector ◽  
Resource Dependence ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Resource Dependence Theory ◽  
Resource Scarcity ◽  
Institutional Innovation ◽  
Social Contagion ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Hiring Decisions ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The industry-wide adoption of a novel practice is often considered to be an institutional change. Although research on institutionalization has been accumulating, how and why embedded actors in the field become motivated to embrace change that remains sidelined. Viewing the introduction of a new human resource management practice, the recruitment of non-compulsory certified manpower, which is still in its infancy in the service sector of Taiwan, as a new institution, the purpose of this paper is to identify the distinct motives behind firms’ hiring decisions, and examine the extent to which such hiring decisions are contingent on institutional conditions and firm attributes. Design/methodology/approach The data used to test the hypotheses were drawn from a survey on service firms in Taiwan in the second half of 2011. Hypotheses were examined through moderated hierarchical regression analyses in a sample of 254 Taiwanese service firms across major sectors. Findings Integrating the resource dependency and social contagion views, the study contends that resource scarcity drives, or legitimacy enables, service firms to deviate from traditional hiring patterns and instead adopt new preferences toward certified manpower. The study not only shows that social factors should be incorporated into the diffusion of a new HR recruitment practice in the service sector, which is traditionally based upon economic considerations, but also sheds light on the context-dependent nature of the process of institutional innovation. Originality/value This study is an attempt not only to test a dual-theoretical model on the extent to which a service firm’s new hiring pattern is influenced by two distinct types of motivation, but also to evidence how an institutional innovation, in terms of the regime of service manpower certification, takes root and spreads in the field. The managerially discretional account of the resource dependence theory needs to be reconciled with social contagion theory, which highlights the influence of collective actions and so provides a better understanding of the diffusion of new HR recruitment practices in the service industry.

scholarly journals The Business Service Sector in India, Ireland and Poland. A Comparative Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-172
Author(s):  
Arkadiusz Mroczek
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Business Service ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
Location Factors ◽  
Current Growth ◽  
Characteristic Features ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Made In

The fast growth of the service sector is one of the characteristic features of the contemporary economy. Amongst other CEE countries, Poland is one of the emerging locations for this sector. The aim of the paper is to examine and compare the business service sector in India, Ireland and Poland. Both India and Ireland are exceptional locations for this industry, so comparing the state and operating conditions in Poland with those countries can be insightful. A literature study is used to determine the motives of companies undertaking offshore investments, upon which a selection of location factors is made. In the empirical part, those factors are analyzed in a descriptive way. This allows us to draw conclusions concerning this sector in Poland. This country, to some extent, possesses selected positive features of both India and Ireland, which explains the current growth of the sector.

scholarly journals Characterisation of organisational capabilities and managerial skills in firms operating in the service sector: A literature review

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-135
Author(s):  
L. F. García Sarmiento ◽  
J. F. Reyes-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Traditional Approach ◽  
Organizational Capabilities ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Managerial Skills ◽  
Organisational Capabilities ◽  
Top Managers ◽  
Two Factors

This article aims at reviewing academic literature so as to identify internal factors that influence competitiveness in firms operating in the service sector, particularly referred as organizational capabilities and managerial skills. Based on a traditional approach of an exhaustive and critical literature review targeting academic sources published between 2010-2020, two emerging organisational capabilities are identified: cooperation with customers and innovation of services and organisational processes. Furthermore, two factors referring to managerial skills are characterised in this kind of firms: leadership style and external relationships of top managers. The article emphasises on the importance of identifying these factors as key elements in order to prioritise effors when developing and adopting action plans towards them in service firms. This will lead such firms to boosting competitiveness and perceive themselves in an advantageous position in comparison to their rivals.

scholarly journals Perception of the Selected Business Environment Aspects by Service Firms

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (19) ◽  
pp. 111-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khurram Ajaz Khan ◽  
Gentjan Çera ◽  
Vaclav Netek
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Business Sector ◽  
Similar Group ◽  
Access To Finance ◽  
Business Support ◽  
Service Sectors ◽  
Macroeconomic Environment

The business environment is a profound concern for the state and institutions to make it encouraging to boost entrepreneurship. Given such relevance of the business environment, this paper aims to link selected business environment aspects to business sector. The study identified the perceived differences between sectors in the Czech and Slovak Republics and then a comparison of a similar group of firms. To shape the study, survey-based research planned and conducted in two segments of firm’s (service and non-service), covered 641 enterprises. The current research adopted factor analysis and then t-test and Mann-Whitney test to determine the results. The major findings of the study reveal that the Slovak firms in the service sector scored higher in macroeconomic environment, consumers’ consumption and competition factors and lower in access to finance factor, as compared to their non-service counterparts. However, another key finding indicates that the Czech entrepreneurs’ perception did not statistically differ in any selected aspects of business environment between the firms operating in service and non-service sectors. In all the cases business support was found insignificant. This paper adds to the existing literature in entrepreneurship by offering a better understanding of the linkage between business sector and business environment aspects.

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