Place-renewing leadership: trajectories of change for mature manufacturing regions in Europe

Abstract

The forces of globalisation now impacting on local economies pose threats to the existing paradigm of competences and routines, yet simultaneously offer opportunities to integrate new knowledge and learning. This is particularly pertinent with respect to Europe's 'mature regions', which are undergoing a major economic restructuring by trying to shift from traditional manufacturing activities to hybrid activities that comprise a combination of manufacturing and a higher component of intangible inputs and related knowledge service activities. The objective of the article is to discuss the concept of 'place leadership' by looking at how the embedded skills, knowledge and cumulated learning of a place can be used by its institutional infrastructure to identify sustainable growth trajectories. In other words, its aim is to explore how the economic, social, institutional and cultural aspects of places shape the opportunities for upgrading and renovation drawing upon their historical specialisation. The conceptual contribution of the article draws on two case studies, in the West Midlands, UK and in Prato, Tuscany, where we study the processes of decision-making, forms of leadership and ultimately the nature of local leadership

Industrial districts, inward foreign investment and regional development

“…Such intangible assets, together with dedicated institutions, facilitate the functioning of inter-firm production relationships. Typically these are defined in terms of formal and informal codes of conduct and trade practices encouraging the emergence of "deliberate and purposeful" collective actions supported by forms of embedded and concerted local leadership (Bailey et al 2010;Scott and Storper, 1992;Storper, 1997). The ability of the system to reach collective solutions creates positive localised externalities leading to "collective efficiency", enhanced firm productivity (Schmitz, 1999) and a systemic innovation capacity (Helmsing, 2001).…”

Sport as a complex adaptive system for place-based leadership: Comparing five European cities with different administrative and socio-cultural traditions

“…authors have recognized that leadership is the 'missing variable' in understanding the "variable performance of different places" (Bailey et al, 2010;Gibney et al 2009;Rodríguez-Pose, 2013;Sotarauta et al, 2012) but, as Sotarauta points out, a key question is where does leadership begin and governance end. (Sotarauta, 2014).…”

Employment Outcomes and Plant Closure in a Post-industrial City: An Analysis of the Labour Market Status of MG Rover Workers Three Years On

“…These policy suggestions from MGR experience accord with a view of plant closures not as discreet one-off events but rather long-term path-dependent processes (Pike, 2005) beginning well before the "event" itself and with repercussions continuing well after. At critical moments there may be significant opportunities for local and regional policy interventions which may alter evolutionary trajectories (Bailey et al, 2010). Finally, the "success" story noted earlier in respect of retraining in the case of ex-MGR workers seems linked to the specific forms of training and education that were taken up and which provided skills of use in the local labour market.…”