Milford B. Green

Merger and acquisition fields for large United States cities 1955–1970

Green M. B. and Cromley R. G. (1984) Merger and acquisition fields for large United States cities, 1955–1970, Reg. Studies 18, 291–301. Theories of merger and acquisition activity implicitly assume a national scale of locations for acquisition candidates. In fact, however, acquisitions and mergers are made within a regional scale. The acquisition patterns of New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago demonstrate this. The extent of these acquisition fields are examined both cartographically and through the use of competing destinations spatial interaction models. It is shown that the spatial extent of these acquisition fields has increased over the period 1955–70.

An Overview of Commuting in Canada with Special Emphasis on Rural Commuting and Employment

Abstract Due to changes in employment opportunities in many rural settings, it is important to understand the characteristics of all types of commuting that occur between rural and urban environments (and not just the case of rural to urban journey to work patterns). However, no Canada-wide study exists that considers all commuting types. With the use of customized tabulations from the 1991 Canadian census we examine all directional commuting flows for all areas of Canada (at the census subdivision level) and emphasize the commuting patterns and employment opportunities inherent to the rural component of the population. While only slight differences are detected between commuters based on demographic biographies, substantial contrasts in commuting tendencies are reported when the Canadian population is categorized by commuting type, industry, and region. The volume of commuting in Canada is poorly predicted by a gravity model regression application (using independent variables measuring distance and population), but the results do provide some valuable insights for future study.

THE HORIZONTAL MERGER: ITS MOTIVES AND SPATIAL EMPLOYMENT IMPACTS

This paper examines the importance of horizontal mergers as a form of investment activity that has spatial ramifications. The complexity and motivations of horizontal mergers and the following rationalization process are illustrated by a case study of a firm in the pulp and paper industry. In addition, pre-merger and post-merger employment levels of individual plants in a number of manufacturing sectors are compared for the period 1972–1978. Every industry and region of the United States experienced an increase in employment in the period immediately following the horizontal merger. The rationalization process is seen as having a positive impact on employment levels in the short run.

Headquarters in Canada: An Analysis of Spatial Patterns

Despite recent dispersal trends, headquarters activity remains disproportionately present in identifiable clusters within large North American metropolitan areas. Through nearest neighbor and spatial autocorrelation analyses, we statistically confirm the concentrating tendencies of head offices in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. It is also established that head offices operating within these four metropolitan areas show collective distinctiveness in where controlled subsidiaries are located internationally and in what industrial activity is emphasized. Finally, we evaluate (via Spearman r and Kruskal-Wallis H tests) which socioeconomic census variables are linked with head office districts in Toronto and Calgary. It is suggested that head office districts will feature a relative absence of families, high-density housing, and short-distance commuting. While head office areas in Toronto, a headquarters center at the top of the Canadian hierarchy, resonate prosperity, Calgary features head office districts that are income diverging.

Tacit knowledge transfer via interlocking directorates: A comparison of Canada and the United States

This paper explores geography as a contributing factor to knowledge transfer among Canadian and American firms. We argue that the knowledge networks of the two countries are moving in opposite directions. Canadas network is converging into fewer cities while the American network encompasses a greater number of cities. When the knowledge networks of Canada and the United States are explored, national and local boundaries are found to impede the movement of corporate knowledge. Prior to our discussion on its spatiality, the concept of knowledge is introduced and its relation to individuals and firms of the Canadian and American corporate network is examined.

PERSPECTIVES ON CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS RELOCATION IN THE UNITED STATES

This paper investigates corporate headquarters relocation in the United States for the period 1957-1980. Corporate relocations are one explanatory element in the overall spatial process of headquarters evolution within post industrial urban systems. All major corporate relocations, mergers, bankruptcies, and new incorporations that effectively transfer corporate decision making to or from any metropolitan area are recorded for the five major sectors of the economy. A series of cartograms and bargraphs provide a summary of corporate headquarters relocations for the resource, manufacturing, and service, as well as utility and financial sectors of the economy. The cartographs indicate the magnitude and direction of all headquarters relocations as well as the location of major bankruptcies and new incorporations. The bargraphs indicate the relative gains and losses through move and merger activity for all members of the urban system. The findings indicate that, in contrast to other Western economies, the domi...

Developing habitat models for waterbirds in urban wetlands: a log-linear approach

Up to 95% of wetlands in southwestern Ontario, Canada, have been drained and converted to other land uses since the mid-1800s. Remaining wetlands now exist within a mosaic of urban and agriculture land cover and may resemble “islands” from the point of view of species that need this habitat. We investigated the relationships between waterbirds and wetland size, isolation, and adjacent forest cover and roads in 19 wetlands within and adjacent to London, Ontario. Waterbirds were grouped into resource-based guilds: Dabblers, Divers, Waders, and Gulls and Terns (because of small samples, the Passerine and Raptor guilds were dropped from the statistical analyses). Because of the high degree of multicollinearity between variables, we used log-linear analysis to develop models that explained variations in species richness in the waterbird guilds. The log-linear technique provided quantification of environmental effects in a richer way than previous research as the interplay between biophysical factors found in reality are partially captured by the inclusion of interaction in the habitat models. All of the models incorporated the biophysical variables of wetland size and adjacent wetland area, forest cover, and roads. Waterbirds in these urban and near-urban landscapes appear to be using all wetlands available to them, no matter how small or how disjunct the wetland. This has implications for wetland evaluations that may not rate wetlands in human-dominated landscapes highly enough to be protected from development.

Spatial Patterns of Canadian Venture Capital Investment

MCNAUGHTON R. B. and GREEN M. B. (1989) Spatial patterns of Canadian venture capital investment, Reg. Studies 23, 9–18. This paper explores the spatial pattern of Canadian venture capital investment. Surveys of both venture capital investors and their portfolio firms provide new insights into this rapidly expanding industry. Venture capital investors are shown to be highly concentrated, and regionally biased in their portfolio selections. Log-linear analysis demonstrates a significant regional variation in the industrial sector characteristics of portfolio firms. The pattern of Canadian venture capital investment is interpreted as the aggregate result of the efforts of venture capitalists to minimize uncertainty, and reduce the inherent risk of their ventures. Prospects for continuing research are discussed. MCNAUGHTON R. B. et GREEN M. B. (1989) La distribution geographique du capital risque canadien, Reg. Studies 23, 9–18. Cet article examine la distribution geographique du capital risque canadien. Des ...

Floodplain management in London, Ontario, Canada: Assessing implementation of section 28 of the conservation authorities act

An assessment of floodplain regulation by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority in the City of London for the period 1978–1989 was undertaken. Utilizing a mix of data sources available through the conservation authority office, questionnaires administered to flooplain residents, interviews with relevant government officials, and housing statistics, the study concludes that regulations have been administered in an equitable and efficient manner. However, regulations have had some problems in controlling all development activity and in addressing policy objectives. Problems arise from weaknesses in the Conservation Authorities Act, an ensuing lack of judicial and participating municipal support in prosecuting violations, and inadequate monitoring and enforcement of development activity. Without addressing these issues, the basic problems associated with floodplain management in Ontario will remain.

The transportation of Soviet energy resources

In this work the authors try to determine the general pattern of movement for each of the main forms of energy (gas, crude petroleum, refined products, coal and electricity), to identify constraints in the transport system that inhibit efficient flows, and to evaluate the prospects for future developments based upon this analysis of the system. The optimal flows and associated costs (in freight turnover terms) for each network are determined by applying the out-of-kilter algorithm, a network allocation model, to each abstracted energy-transport system.