David Keeble

New Firms, Small Firms and Dead Firms: Spatial Patterns and Determinants in the United Kingdom

KEEBLE D. and WALKER S. (1994) New firms, small firms and dead firms: spatial patterns and determinants in the United Kingdom, Reg. Studies 28, 411–427. The paper analyses marked county-level spatial variations in new enterprise formation, growth in numbers of small businesses, and business failures in the UK 1980–90 as measured by VAT business registration and deregistration statistics. Multivariate econometric models for different periods and sectors are used to identify a range of key determinants, chosen from previous theoretical and survey research, notably previous population growth, capital availability through housing wealth, professional expertise, firm size structures, urban agglomeration advantages and diseconomies, and growing market demand. Some evidence is found for local enterprise culture, local government expenditure and enterprise agency effects, but not for unemployment-push processes. Policy implications are discussed. KEEBLE D. et WALKER S. (1994) La naissance, la petite taille et le ...

Regional accessibility and economic potential in the European community

Keeble D., Owens P. L. and Thompson C. (1982) Regional accessibility and economic potential in the European community, Reg. Studies 16, 419–432. This paper investigates changes in regional accessibility to economic activity within the European Community between 1965 and 1977 as measured by the ‘economic potential’ index. Potential measures proximity by road to regional economic activity as that is geographically distributed throughout the Community, allowing for tariff barriers and sea-ferry crossings, as well as successive enlargements to Nine in 1973 and, prospectively, to Twelve. While 1973 enlargement benefited accessibility levels in the ‘new’ periphery quite considerably, already severe centre-periphery disparities in regional accessibility in general widened still further during the period, largely because of continuing concentration of economic activity in core EC regions.

Internationalisation Processes, Networking and Local Embeddedness in Technology-Intensive Small Firms

The paper argues that technology-intensive small firms often need to internationalise their activities, and especially sales, at a very early stage of their development because of the limited and global nature of the technological market niche which they have been set up to exploit. From a survey of 100 such firms in the Cambridge and Oxford regions, it demonstrates that many technology-based smaller firms are engaged in a range of international networks and internationalisation processes, including internationalisation of markets, research collaboration, labour recruitment, ownership and facilities location. Technology-intensive firms reporting high levels of internationalisation also differ significantly from those which are more nationally-oriented, for example in terms of size, age, research intensity, university links, and innovativeness. There are also differences with respect to recent growth rates. Finally, the paper demonstrates that far from substituting international for local networks, technology-intensive firms which have achieved high levels of internationalisation in fact also exhibit above-average levels of local networking with respect to research collaboration and intra-industry links. Internationalisation therefore appears to be grounded or embedded in successful local networking and research and technology collaboration.

Enterprising Behaviour and the Urban-Rural Shift:

The paper presents and discusses new evidence on the nature and causes of the urban-rural shift of business activity and employment in England, derived from a matched pairs survey of over 1000 manufacturing and service businesses in remote rural, accessible rural and urban settlements. It reveals faster employment growth in rural firms, highlights the migration origins of and environmental influences on rural firm founders, and identifies significant urban-rural differences in the enterprising behaviour of companies. The implications of these findings for a new theoretical understanding of the reasons for the urban-rural shift are explored.

Growth-Oriented SMEs in Unfavourable Regional Environments

VAESSEN P. and KEEBLE, D. (1995) Growth-oriented SMEs in unfavourable regional environments, Reg. Studies 29, 489–505. In this paper the research focus is on ‘counterfactual’ cases of growth-oriented SMEs in peripheral regions of Britain (Scotland, Northern England, Wales and Merseyside). These firms are systematically compared to three control groups, made up of growth-oriented SMEs in the South East, slow-growth firms in the Periphery, and slow-growth firms in the South East. Apart from some performance measures such as profits and exports, three key characteristics of the firms are analysed. These are the extent of competition in the markets served, levels of innovation and R & D, and work force and labour market characteristics. The analysis is conducted for manufacturing firms and professional and business services separately. Firms of the research group stand out against the other firms in the sample as businesses with a very favourable R & D input–output ratio and greater propensity for providing a...

Small Firms, Business Services Growth and Regional Development in the United Kingdom: Some Empirical Findings

KEEBLE D., BRYSON J. and WOOD P. (1991) Small firms, business services growth and regional development in the United Kingdom: some empirical findings, Reg. Studies 25, 439–457. Since 1980, the United Kingdom has experienced very rapid growth in firms and employment in information-intensive business services. This paper documents the nature and extent of this growth, with particular reference to small and new firms in management consultancy and market research, and reviews its locational impact. Numbers of business service firms, most of which are small independent companies, have grown much faster than consumer service firms. Despite a significant death rate, many small businesses in these sectors have grown rapidly, as have very large firms. Business service growth has contributed powerfully to the UKs north–south divide, being focused on London and the outer South East. Possible causes of these trends and key future research issues are reviewed. KEEBLE D., BRYSON J. et WOOD P. (1991) Petites entreprise...

Business networks, small firm flexibility and regional development in UK business services

Since 1980, the UK has experienced a dramatic growth in firms and employment in information–intensive business services, such as management consultancy and market research. Recent expansion of new and small firms operating in these sectors is the focus of a major ESRC–sponsored research project currently under way at Cambridge University Small Business Research Centre. Small business service firms are able to compete successfully with large firms due to the imperfect nature of the market which characterizes business services demand and supply, together with specialization of expertise. The success of small business service firms depends on informal person–to–person networks, word–of–mouth recommendation and repeal business based on successful earlier assignments or personal contacts acquired, for example, while working in a large consultancy or market research company. This paper examines the types of networks utilized by small business service firms and argues that two distinct types exist: demand– and s...

Neo-Marshallian Clusters and Global Networks: The Linkages of Media Firms in Central London

Abstract This paper examines the nature of the external linkages of firms in the media cluster of Central London, and draws implications for the competitive advantages that firms in clusters develop. The analysis suggests that although these firms are strongly embedded in the local cluster and rely heavily on resources and processes available locally, they also maintain linkages that extend well beyond the local cluster. We argue that firms need to identify a successful balance between localised sources of interaction and those residing at wider geographic areas, and to establish linkages at these different geographic scales in order for them to compete successfully.

New firms and rural industrialization in East Anglia

Gould A. and Keeble D. (1984) New firms and rural industrialization in East Anglia, Reg. Studies 18, 189–201. The paper analyses key aspects of the formation of new independent manufacturing firms in East Anglia between 1971 and 1981. Special attention is paid to trends in formation rates over time, to the spatial bias of new firm origins towards both rural areas and the Cambridge region, and to the location, character and impact of high-technology new firms. Original findings include the contention that spatial variations chiefly reflect variation in the occupational structure of the resident workforce, together with industrial mix, plant size, and previous industrial immigration. Some implications for government policy to new firms are discussed.

REGIONAL PATTERNS OF SMALL FIRM DEVELOPMENT IN THE BUSINESS SERVICES - EVIDENCE FROM THE UNITED-KINGDOM

The growth of business services in the United Kingdom during the 1980s is reviewed, and especially the role of small firms. Reports the results of an intensive questionnaire survey, undertaken in 1991, of a sample of small management consultancy and market research companies in three areas; inner London, the outer south east, and north west England. In interpreting the demand and supply characteristics of these firms, emphasis is placed on their interactions with the internal labour market strategies of predominantly large client organisations. Generally, the sample firms offer consultancy and marketing expertise which such clients do not provide from their own skill resources. Their founders were also often originally employees of such organisations, especially outside London. Regional economic and social characteristics mould the activities of these firms, even though many engage in a significant degree of interregional trade. The markets served, types of specialisation, the originating process, and the ages of founders show marked differences between the two sectors and the three areas.