Risto Laulajainen

Corporate geography : business location principles and cases

Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Location Factors. 3. Location Decisions. 4. Territorial Strategies. 5. Production Systems. 6. Restructuring. 7. Administration. 8. Competitive Strategies. 9. Epilogue. References. Company Index.

The Arctic Sea Route

The thawing of Arctic areas will open all-year sea routes between the northern Atlantic and the northern Pacific, reduce the travel time between them in summer by 10-35%, make ten mill. sq-km accessible to mining and add one Middle East sized deposit to global hydrocarbon resources. The changes will downsize the role of the Suez and Panama Canals, actualise issues of sovereignty and maritime right-of-way and affect potentially 20-25% of the ocean-going container tonnage. In this study, physical setting, traffic potential, route options and political issues of the Arctic Sea Route are discussed.

Locational avoidance: A case study of three Swedish retail chains

Laulajainen R. and Gadde L-E. (1986) Locational avoidance: a case study of three Swedish retail chains, Reg. Studies 20, 131–140. Spatial competition by three Swedish variety store chains in the period 1927–76 is studied cartographically and by regression technique. The behaviour was avoidance rather than matching. The two centrally-managed private chains were broadly similar and far more attracted by untapped market potential and repelled by competition than the fairly loose co-operative organization.

Subnational Credit Ratings – penetrating the cultural haze

The credit ratings of US states, German Länder and Russian oblasty are evaluated in the light of different institutional settings and rating principles. The implicit weight given to these principles varies widely depending on the particular institutional framework and social values.The credit ratings of US states, German Lander and Russian oblasty are evaluated in the light of different institutional settings and rating principles. The implicit weight given to these principles varies widely depending on the particular institutional framework and social values.

Gold price round the clock : Technical and fundamental issues

Abstract The gold bullion price at the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society Hong Kong, the London Gold Market and the New York Commodity Exchange (Comex) is explained with the help of prices during the preceding 24 hours. A fairly complete, logical and consistent price structure, with Comex as the dominant or, at least, independent hub, emerges.

Geography sets the tone to tramp routing

The paper compares contemporary routing and scheduling as promoted by decision sciences (DS) with the emergence of operational areas from trade flows and corollary rate levels, both typical geographical issues. DS handle well-structured regional problems from a one-to-three-month perspective with formal models, supported by detailed data, and offer tangible answers for practical use. Geography also prepares quarterly and longer itineraries, subject to cargo availability, but with this being at a global scale between regions rather than ports, is more descriptive than analytical, and acknowledges data shortcomings with ensuing vagueness in results.

What about managerial geography

A business school perspective to Corporate Geography is offered. The mission is to provide an executive with operational tools for the creation of wealth. A search for the tools is better initiated with manufacturers and retailers. Individuality among corporations and markets makes deductive theories hazardous, a fact shown by examples from IKEA, Scania and Volvo Truck. Case studies, classified by a competitive situation, are seen as a more practicable alternative. From a large number of cases typical patterns can be derived. Anomalies indicate substandard or outstanding behavior. Their explanation contributes to the executive tool set. A unified approach of the currently scattered pieces is propagated.

The geographical reach of a commodity exchange: The London metal exchange and beyond

Abstract The characteristics of commodity exchanges are outlined. The need of the buyer to accept delivery from a warehouse selected by the seller constrains the geographical reach of an exchange. LME extended its warehouse network from 1960 to 1991 to the continent, Scandinavia, the Mediterranean, Singapore, Japan and the USA. The actual use of the warehouses from 1992 to September 1995 is studied by location and region. Japan is problematic, the USA holds promise, Singapore is gratifying and Europe is doing very well. The youth of the overseas locations, combined with the industry structure of their regional economies, explains much. Emerging competition by the Shenzen Metal Exchange raises the question of a second ring in the Asian time zone.

The Swedish Prelude

We have been able to collect reasonably complete and reliable data on six Swedish companies, three apparel chains, one department store company, one furniture warehouse firm and one gasoline dealer, in addition to the two variety store chains which we have treated in a separate study (Laula-jainen and Gadde).

Companies by State

The title above is a misnomer in two respects. First, some of the examples as well belong to the historical part of this study than the modern period. Second and more importantly, some of the cases do not use the state as the spatial unit. These exceptions, however, complement the bulk of the examples and are therefore included.