In this paper, we argue that a paradigmatic shift is presently occurring in economic geography. Based on the particular German tradition in geography, we view this shift as a second transition in economic geography following the first transition in the late 1960s and early 1970s from regional description and synthesis (i.e. Länderkunde) to regional science (or spatial analysis). Our argument starts with a reconstruction of factor-centered thinking in regional science and systematically unravels limits of this approach. It is shown that this research fails to provide a deeper understanding of localized economic and social processes. As a science of the spatial, this approach neglects the real actors in these processes. Economic agents are capable of creating their own regional environments to support their goals, based on previous experience. As a consequence, we argue for a need to reconceptualize economic geography based upon an integration of both economic and social theory. A relational view rests on three basic propositions. First, from a structural perspective economic actors are situated in contexts of social and institutional relations (and material structures). Second, from a dynamic perspective economic processes are path-dependent to the extent that future action is constrained by historical development. Third, economic processes are at the same time contingent in that the agents' strategies and actions are fundamentally open-ended and may deviate from existing development paths. Drawing on Storper's holy trinity, we define four ions as the basis for analysis in economic geography: organization, evolution, innovation and interaction. Therein, we employ a particular spatial perspective; that is, we view economic processes using a geographical lens. Economic organization and innovation are dependent upon localized institutions which constitute a common framework for economic interaction along territory-specific, yet contingent development paths.

An evolutionary perspective on economic geography requires a dynamic understanding of change in networks. This paper explores theories of network evolution for their use in geography and develops the conceptual framework of geographical network trajectories. It specifically assesses how tie selection constitutes the evolutionary process of retention and variation in network structure and how geography affects these mechanisms. Finally, a typology of regional network formations is used to discuss opportunities for innovation in and across regions.

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This explorative article develops a relational typology of PMOs based on their roles with stakeholders. A multi‐case study was used to identify the roles of PMOs in multiple‐PMO settings. A three‐dimensional role space allows locating the complex relational profiles that PMOs take on with respect to their stakeholders in practice. Superordinate, subordinate, and coequal roles were identified in a framework of servicing, controlling, and partnering in organizations. While servicing (subordinate role profile) and controlling (superordinate role profile) support organizational effectiveness and exploitation of knowledge, partnering (coequal role profile) creates the slack necessary for potential exploration of new knowledge.

This article analyzes the market of management consulting and identifies institutional and transactional uncertainty as its principal features. Based on these uncertainties, we argue that competition in this market takes place on entirely different grounds than in other business sectors. We suggest that the main drivers of competitiveness are neither price nor measurable quality, but rather experience-based trust and a mechanism we label ‘networked reputation.’ An embeddedness perspective is employed to develop the concept of networked reputation as an intermediate mechanism that complements the duality of system versus personal trust and accounts for firm growth. We reinterpret secondary data on the German consulting market, illustrate the significance of these mechanisms, and demonstrate how management consulting is situated in structures of social relations.

No abstract

How to cite TSpace items Always cite the published version, so the author(s) will receive recognition through services that track citation counts, e.g. Scopus. If you need to cite the page number of the TSpace version (original manuscript or accepted manuscript) because you cannot access the published version, then cite the TSpace version in addition to the published version using the permanent URI (handle) found on the record page.