Eastern European cities as command and control centres in a time of economic crisis

Abstract

This article describes the command and control function of eastern European cities based on the financial performance of the largest corporations with headquarters in the region and the impact of selected sectors on this function. Research has shown that, despite the global economic crisis of 2008–2012, the revenue and net income of the companies studied have increased to some extent. Currently, the strongest “command and control cities” in eastern Europe are Warsaw and Prague. The sector that exerts the greatest influence on the regional command and control function in eastern Europe is the consumer business and transportation sector. The economic crisis has also produced a geographical pattern in eastern Europe that runs counter to current global trends: companies in the region currently tend to concentrate their headquarters in fewer cities, which is becoming common in other parts of the world. The article employs a standardization method based on the mean and standard deviation of financial values for each corporation studied.