This paper contains a review of alternative theories which have been developed in order to explain growth and change in the small manufacturing firm. Models of small-firm growth derived within the industrial economics literature are evaluated together with stage models of growth and stochastic models. Social and psychological perspectives on growth are reviewed and the spatial dimension is also considered. We argue that most previous theories of small-firm growth place too little emphasis upon the difficulties which small owner-managed firms have in meeting the competitive requirements of the marketplace.

The paper is prompted by certain apparent deficiences both in the discussion of the regression model in instructional sources for geographers and in the actual empirical application of the model by geographical writers. In the first part of the paper the assumptions of the two regression models, the 'fixed X' and the 'random X', are outlined in detail, and the relative importance of each of the assumptions for the variety of purposes for which regression analysis may be employed is indicated. Where any of the critical assumptions of the model are seriously violated, variations on the basic model must be used and these are reviewed in the second half of the paper. THE rapid increase in the employment of mathematical models in planning has led R. J. Colenutt to discuss 'some of the problems and errors encountered in building linear models for prediction'. 1 Colenutt rightly points out that the mathematical framework selected for such models 'places severe demands on the model builder because it is associated with a highly restrictive set of assumptions. .. and it is therefore imperative that, if simple linear models are to be used in planning, their limitations should be clearly understood'. 2 These models have also been widely used in geography, for descriptive and inferential purposes as well as for prediction, and there is abundant evidence that, like their colleagues in planning, many geographers, when employing these models, have not ensured that their data satisfied the appropriate assumptions. Thus many researchers appear to have employed linear models either without verifying a sufficient number of assumptions or else after performing tests which are irrelevant because they relate to one or more assumptions not required by the model. Furthermore, many writers, reporting geographical research, have completely omitted to indicate whether any of the assumptions have been satisfied. This last group is ambiguous, and it is clearly not possible, unless the values of the variables are published, to judge whether the correct set of assumptions has been tested or, indeed, to ascertain whether any such testing has been performed at all. This problem partially arises from certain shortcomings in material which has been published with the specific objective, at least inter alia, of instructing geographers on the use of quantitative techniques. All of these sources make either incomplete or inaccurate specifications of the assumptions underlying the application of linear models, although it is encouraging to note that there has been a considerable improvement in the quality of this literature in recent years. Thus, there were four books and two articles published in the early and mid-1960s which may be classified as belonging to this body of literature, 3 yet, in five of these six sources, only one of the assumptions of the model is mentioned and, even

O'FARRELL P. N., WOOD P. A. and ZHENG J. (1998) Regional influences on foreign market development by business service companies: elements of a strategic context explanation, Reg. Studies 32 , 31-48. The internationalization literature - both of manufacturing and services - has concentrated upon the issue of entry, and largely ignored post-entry behaviour and market development. A major aim of this paper, therefore, is to present evidence on foreign market development by business service firms in two UK regions, Scotland and the South East of England, and the Amsterdam urban region of the Netherlands. Following a review of the relevance of the internalization approach, the development stages paradigm, network analysis and a strategic choice framework to internationalization by business services, empirical findings are presented from the three regions on trajectories of foreign market development, modal shifts, the incidence of proactive market strategies and the characteristics of major clients. A behavioural framework is proposed for decision making by business service firms developing foreign markets, identifying the elements of a strategic context explanation. O'FARRELL P. N., WOOD P. A. et ZHENG J. (1998) L'impact regional des societes de services sur l'evolution du marche exterieur: les elements d'une explication portant sur un contexte strategique, Reg. Studies 32 , 31-48. La documentation au sujet de l'internationalisation - et de l'industrie, et des services - s'est concentree sur la question de la penetration et dans une large mesure a ignore le comportement qui s'ensuit et le developpement des marches. Aussi, cet article cherche-t-il principalement a faire des preuves a propos du developpement des marches exterieurs par des societes de service situees dans deux regions au Royaume-Uni, a savoir en Ecosse et dans le Sud-Est, et la conurbation d'Amsterdam aux Pays-Bas. Suite a une critique de l'importance de la facon d'interiorisation, du paradigme des phases de developpement, de l'analyse de reseaux et d'un cadre de choix strategiques relatif a l'internationalisation des societes de service, les preuves empiriques se voient presenter a partir de trois regions quant au developpement des marches exterieurs, aux deplacements modaux, a la frequence des strategies de marchedynamiques et aux caracteristiques des clients importants. Un cadre du comportement se voit proposer pour la prise de decision des societes de service qui developpent des marches exterieurs et identifie les elements d'une explication portant sur un contexte strategique. O'FARRELL P. N., WOOD P. A. und ZHENG J. (1998) Regionale Einflusse auf Entwicklung von Markten im Ausland durch Gesellschaften, die Geschaftsdienstleistungen anbieten: Elemente einer Erklarung strategischer Zusammenhange, Reg. Studies 32 , 31-48. Die Literatur der Internationalisierung - der Produktion wie auch der Dienstleistungen - hat sich auf die Frage des Einstiegs konzentriert, und das Verhalten und Marktenwicklung danach grossenteils vernachlassigt. Es ist deshalb ein ...

ObjectiveTo evaluate whether accredited hospitals maintain quality and patient safety standards over the accreditation cycle by testing a life cycle explanation of accreditation on quality measures. Four distinct phases of the accreditation life cycle were defined based on the Joint Commission International process. Predictions concerning the time series trend of compliance during each phase were specified and tested.DesignInterrupted time series (ITS) regression analysis of 23 quality and accreditation compliance measures.SettingA 150-bed multispecialty hospital in Abu Dhabi, UAE.ParticipantsEach month (over 48 months) a simple random sample of 24% of patient records was audited, resulting in 276 000 observations collected from 12 000 patient records, drawn from a population of 50 000.Intervention(s)The impact of hospital accreditation on the 23 quality measures was observed for 48 months, 1 year preaccreditation (2009) and 3-year postaccreditation (2010–2012).Main outcome measure(s)The Life Cycle Model was evaluated by aggregating the data for 23 quality measures to produce a composite score (YC) and fitting an ITS regression equation to the unweighted monthly mean of the series.ResultsThe four phases of the life cycle are as follows: the initiation phase, the presurvey phase, the postaccreditation slump phase and the stagnation phase. The Life Cycle Model explains 87% of the variation in quality compliance measures (R2=0.87). The ITS model not only contains three significant variables (β1, β2 and β3) (p≤0.001), but also the size of the coefficients indicates that the effects of these variables are substantial (β1=2.19, β2=−3.95 (95% CI −6.39 to −1.51) and β3=−2.16 (95% CI −2.52 to −1.80).ConclusionsAlthough there was a reduction in compliance immediately after the accreditation survey, the lack of subsequent fading in quality performance should be a reassurance to researchers, managers, clinicians and accreditors.

O'FARRELL P. N., Wood P. A. and ZHENG J. (1996) Internationalization of business services: an interregional analysis, Reg. Studies 30, 101-118. Internationalization behaviour by business service firms in Scotland and the South East of England is analysed. Evidence is outlined on level of internationalization, time profile of entry into foreign markets, location of foreign markets, mode of entry into first and largest foreign markets, and behavioural aspects of international market selection and entry mode choice. Initial foreign market entries occurred in the early 1960s with South East business service organizations entering foreign markets earlier, while there was a surge in internationalization by Scottish businesses after 1988. Few firms engaged in a process of explicitly choosing a foreign market to enter since the most common entry mechanism was responding to a particular ad hoc order. Similarly almost 70% of firms made the mode choice decision without considering any alternative modes. O'FARRELL P. N., Wood P. A. et ZHENG J. (1996) L'internationalisation des services aux entreprises: une analyse interregionale, Reg. Studies 30, 101-118. On analyse le comportement des societes de services aux entreprises situees en Ecosse et dans le Sud-est de l'Angleterre quant a leur internationalisation. On esquisse des preuves concernant le niveau d'internationalisation, la periodicite de l'entree dans des marches exterieurs, la geographie des marches exterieurs, la methode d'entree dans le premier marche exterieur et le marche exterieur le plus important, et les aspects de comportement relatifs au choix de marche international et de methode d'entree. Les premieres entrees dans les marches exterieurs ont eu lieu au debiut des annees 1960, le moment ou les societes de services aux entreprises du Sud-est de l'Angleterre sont entrees dans les marches exterieurs tandis qu'il y a eu un accroissement de l'internationalisation par les societes ecossaises apres 1988. Rares ont ete les societes qui se sont livrees a un processus consistant a choisir explicitement un marche exterieur a entrer, puisque la methode d'entree la plus utilisee a consiste a repondre a une commande ad hoc. De la meme facon, presque 70% des societes ont fait le choix de methode sans considerer acune des autres methodes. O'FARRELL P. N., Wood P. A. und ZHENG J. (1996) Internationalisierung von Geschaftsdienstleistungen: eine interregionale Analyse, Reg. Studies 30, 101-118. Das Internationalisierungsverhalten von Firmen in Schottland und Sudostengland, die geschaftliche Dienstleistungen anbieten, wird analysiert. Beweise werden umrissweise angefuhrt fur den Umfang der Internationalisierung, fur das Zeitprofil des Einstiegs in Markte im Ausland, den Standort von Auslandsmarkten, die Art und Weise des Einstiegs in den ersten und den grossten Auslandsmarkt, sowie Aspekte des Verhaltens bei der Auswahl internationaler Markte und die Wahl der Methode des Einstiegs. Die ersten Einstiege in auslandische Markte erfolgten Anfang der sechziger Jahre, als im Sudosten...