Corporations as an Object of Research in Geography of Industry

Abstract

Today, corporations play an important role in the global, national and local economy. Regardless of the business profile, degree of internationalisation or size, they participate in numerous economic processes, which is why they are the subject of research in geography of industry, especially in geography of enterprises. The main goal of the article is to review research related to corporations in Polish literature on the subject in the field of geography of industry. The author also aims at organising the concept of corporations, presenting closer their classifications, as well as indicating the place of research on corporations in geography. The preparation of the article began with a literature query, as well as an analysis of the existing data (desk research). As a result, the analysis of the concept of a corporation, various types of classifications and divisions of corporations, as well as a literature review of the subject in terms of the corporation’s research issues were made. As the research carried out indicates, in Polish literature on the issues of geography of industry, the researchers who concentrate on corporations look at the concentration of their head offices, theory and location factors, shaping processes and location of production, service and various branches, network connections, strategies implemented by corporations and their organisational forms, processes of corporation influence on international conditions for the development of domestic and regional systems and industrial enterprises, stimulation of inflow of foreign direct investment, the influence of corporations on the shaping of various industrial sectors, export relations, the role of cities in globalisation processes and the location of the corporation and their effects, as well as on corporate CSR activities.