Flexible Specialisation and Small Firms in Italy: Myths and Realities

Amin, Ash

doi:10.1111/j.1467-8330.1989.tb00177.x

Cited by 116 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Es más, con frecuencia los planteamientos y análisis suelen ser ambiguos y poco formalizados, pueden tener excesivo contenido ideológico o dan una visión idílica de una realidad que cambia y se trasforma, por lo que han sido objeto de críticas frecuentes, no siempre bien fundamentadas (Amin, 1989;Harrison, 1992;Martin y Sunley, 2003). Gordon y McCann (2000) concluyen que la diversidad de las aproximaciones analíticas ha conducido a una cierta confusión en los análisis y las interpretaciones.…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Surgimiento y transformación de clusters y milieus en los procesos de desarrollo

Vázquez-Barquero

2006

EURE (Santiago)

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ResumenEl artículo presenta una interpretación de los factores que explican el surgimiento de los clusters y aglomeraciones de empresas, y de los mecanismos a través de los que se desarrollan y se transforman. La discusión se plantea desde la perspectiva del desarrollo económico. Se argumenta que la organización espacial de la producción es un fenómeno asociado con la dinámica económica de las ciudades y de las regiones y con las estrategias de organización y de localización de las empresas, y se sostiene que las fuerzas del desarrollo como la difusión de las innovaciones, el desarrollo urbano y el cambio institucional son factores que condicionan las decisiones estratégicas de la empresas, y por lo tanto, la organización espacial de la producción.

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Section: Introductionunclassified

Surgimiento y transformación de clusters y milieus en los procesos de desarrollo

Vázquez-Barquero

2006

EURE (Santiago)

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“…Nolan and OíDonnel (1991) point out that in order for flexible specialisation to achieve high wages and improved working conditions such production systems will require high profits. Amin (1991) points out that in Italy -where Piore and Sabel source many of the examples of flexible specialisation -small firms with less than fifteen employees (those fitting the flexible specialisation category) are not as profitable as the medium and large firms within the same industries. Rather, Amin found small firms paid up to 50% less than other sized employers, while at the same time employees of small firms worked longer hours.…”

Section: Flexible Specialisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The underlying assumption here is that mass production/mass consumption has been the dominant production paradigm since the introduction of the ëFordí assembly line. Amin (1991) demonstrates that small firms and craft production techniques were widely used during the ëFordistí era. That mass markets are saturated ignores the intensification of capital ownership through multinational companies and the internationalisation of brand names and the associated expansion of global mass markets (Amin, 1991).…”

Section: Flexible Specialisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Amin (1991) demonstrates that small firms and craft production techniques were widely used during the ëFordistí era. That mass markets are saturated ignores the intensification of capital ownership through multinational companies and the internationalisation of brand names and the associated expansion of global mass markets (Amin, 1991). Additionally, Rainnie (1991) points out that large firms have pursued niche marketing strategies for decades, and also suggest that product differentiation strategies are designed to stress customer inequalities thus legitimise luxury consumption by the ruling class.…”

Section: Flexible Specialisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Flexibility models: a critical analysis

Dyer

1998

International Journal of Manpower

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Mass production structures have been criticised as being too rigid to respond to increased global competition and to increasingly sophisticated consumers demanding differentiated products. Additionally, the job designs associated with mass production have been criticised for: deskilling workers leading to high worker dissatisfaction; rendering workers unable to make decisions about how they perform their jobs; and for creating a workforce that is not able to respond to the requirements associated with the demands of new work practices. Thus calls for increased flexibility at the organisation level have been made by employer and employee groups. Flexibility promises to provide the competitive edge needed in an increasingly global market; and employees with increased participation, more interesting jobs, stable employment, and better wages and work conditions. However, there still appear to be many unresolved issues relating to the flexibility debate.

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“…Introduction Development focused at the regional level has dominated the discourse on economic development in recent decades with notions of regions stimulating economic growth through a mixture of inter-firm networks, and cultural/political attributes featuring prominently (Amin, 1989;Sayer, 1995;Storper, 1997).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

From National to Regional Tourism Development Focus in Kenya: Examining the Challenges and Opportunities

Ndivo

Waudo

Waswa

2013

Tourism Planning & Development

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Despite Kenya's unique combination of tourist attractions spread throughout the country, the tourism activity in the country has always been almost exclusively centred on two geographical regions: the coastal beaches and a handful of game reserves and national parks. The goal of this study was thus to examine the reasons for the country's skewed tourism development and explore strategies of addressing the skew. The study was primarily based on documentary review of existing empirical and official government reports and other related documents. The study revealed key factors as being responsible for the lopsided development of Kenya's tourism. First and foremost, the country's tourism development policy proved to be a leading obstacle to the development of the country's tourist attractions and regions. Further, the centralised focus of Kenya's tourism planning, governance and marketing was also noted as being responsible for the skewed tourism development in the country. In addition, there was an evident lack of consensus on the demarcation of the different tourist regions in the country by the key tourism development agencies and stakeholders. It was also noted that Kenya lacks a tourism master plan, a roadmap to guide the development of the industry. Other factors included lack of awareness of the different attractions in the country and the passive role of tourism marketers in packaging and promoting the different tourist attractions in the country, only concentrating on the traditionally popular ones. The study thus recommends the adoption of a regional tourism development focus in Kenya that would facilitate the development and positioning of the different tourist attractions and regions as destinations on their own right. Unlike the centralised approach, this model would recognise the varied needs, level of maturity and vision of each region and be supported within the context of the existing national and county framework.

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Flexible Specialisation and Small Firms in Italy: Myths and Realities

Cited by 116 publications

References 21 publications

Surgimiento y transformación de clusters y milieus en los procesos de desarrollo

Surgimiento y transformación de clusters y milieus en los procesos de desarrollo

Flexibility models: a critical analysis

From National to Regional Tourism Development Focus in Kenya: Examining the Challenges and Opportunities

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