Geographical Dimensions Research Articles

Has the High-Tech Industry along the Belt and Road in China Achieved Green Growth with Technological Innovation Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability?

From the perspective of green growth, which seeks to coordinate and make sustainable the development of resources, the environment, and the economy, this study’s aim was to find out whether the high-tech industry along the Belt and Road (B&R) is sustainable and effective in using resources, reducing environmental pollution, and increasing performance. This study used panel data covering 16 provinces (municipalities) along the B&R in China between 2009 and 2016. This study used the directional distance function (DDF) and the global Malmquist–Luenberger (GML) index model to analyze the technological innovation efficiency (TIE) of the high-tech industry (HTI) while considering the undesirable output (environmental pollution). Further, supplemented by ArcGIS geographical analysis, this study carried out a comparative analysis of the TIE and its decomposition in the HTI along the B&R from geographical and time-series dimensions. Moreover, the panel Tobit regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of TIE. The results show that the direct financial support of the government has no impact on the improvement of TIE in the HTI, the government’s regulation of environmental pollution can significantly affect the improvement of the TIE, the intensity of R&D has a significantly negative impact on the TIE, a higher level of R&D personnel in the HTI can be helpful in improving TIE, and increasing the import and export trade volumes of the HTI can promote TIE.

The online forum as a digital space of curation

This paper focus on the concept of curation that emphasizes intermediary processes sorting and filtering the information overload that characterize contemporary digitalized society. The paper has two overall aims. The first aim is theoretical and the ambition is to identify practices and processes distinctive to curation in digital spaces. From this literature the paper argues that contemporary digital curation is characterized by (a) digitally produced and mediated processes, (b) de-professionalization, (c) a combination of productive and consumptive modes, (d) space as a ‘quality stamp’, and (e) an increasingly underlying and/or everyday practice. The second aim is empirical and, through a case study of an online forum dedicated to hi-fi and high-end audio equipment, the ambition is to identify curatorial practices and processes taking place at the forum and to understand how the online forum functions as a curatorial space. More specifically, in the analysis of the empirical material three themes are highlighted. First, personal consumer experiences are expressed through narrated purchases in which the constant pursuit of the ‘perfect audio reproduction system’ is materialized as these narratives involve with the explanations and motivations behind personal reflections and experiences of purchase decisions. Second, the online forum has clear power structures. Third, the online forum deals with geographical dimensions in several ways, e.g. by functioning as a space for legitimization where the lack of distance and the use of (partially) anonymous profiles generate both advantageous and disadvantageous dimensions.

Designing and managing co-innovation: the case of Loccioni and Pfizer

PurposeKnowing the factors influencing the success of collaborative innovation is particularly relevant for both academics and practitioners. Nonetheless, many studies have regarded the megatrends influencing innovation imperatives, the development of co-innovation strategies, the selection of partners and the involvement of user communities, but not so much the understanding of how the co-innovation process is concretely designed and managed. Adding to extant research, the purpose of this paper is to explore how companies collaborate in co-innovation processes.Design/methodology/approachA longitudinal, single case study has been conducted on the co-innovation process between Loccioni, an Italian medium-sized, high tech family firm, and Pfizer, one of the largest companies operating in the pharmaceutical sector.FindingsFrom the case study analysis, three main results have emerged. First, the role of medium-sized companies in leading the co-innovation process as both the initiator and orchestrator. Second, the interplay between the local and the global dimension of co-innovation and the importance of (un)formal roles in innovation. Third, the “double funnel” of co-innovation, linking both the technological and the relational dimensions. Specifically, the case highlights the relevance of the relational – beyond the technological – aspects of co-innovation, providing a relational model that links the geographical dimensions (local/distant) and the role of specific individuals.Originality/valueThe paper presents an example of how a medium-sized firm has implemented its co-innovation process, shedding new light on possible barriers and success factors that other smaller or similar companies may follow when dealing with large multinationals.

Where cities fail to triumph: The impact of urban location and local collaboration on innovation in Norway

AbstractThe role of cities in fostering innovation has for long been taken for granted. Agglomeration and the knowledge spillovers generated in dense urban environments have been considered fundamental drivers of innovation. This view has, however, become challenged by research questioning the returns to physical agglomeration and local networking, placing instead more emphasis on the importance of interregional and international collaboration, and on innovation in peripheral regions. This paper delves into the debate on the role of cities for innovation by examining the interplay between urban location and local collaboration in Norway. It uses data from the Community Innovation Survey for 2006–2010 to map out the geographical dimension of R&D collaboration in Norwegian firms with a view to assessing whether different types of R&D collaboration in urban and rural locations affect firms’ propensity to innovate. The results show that local collaboration is associated with increased process and organisational innovation, while it does not produce higher levels of product or marketing innovation. Conversely, international collaboration is connected with higher probabilities of product, new‐to‐market and marketing innovations. Furthermore, location in urban or rural areas makes no difference for most innovation outcomes in Norway when other characteristics are controlled for. Location in cities also does not shape the returns to local R&D collaboration. Hence, the role of cities for innovation in Norway, whether in themselves or as sites for dense local interaction, is less relevant than the urban innovation literature would predict.

Towards regional renewal: a multilevel perspective for the EU

ABSTRACT The 2008 financial crisis reopened the debate on regions’ ability to deal with shocks within the European Union. We identify the spatial dimension of the renewal capacity, among the dimensions of economic resilience, and estimate its main drivers. We investigate the variables that determine the regional renewal capacity using different model specifications focusing upon several socioeconomic factors at two geographical scales: national and regional. The results highlight the fact that regional renewal has to be analysed including both local and contextual (national) factors. This multilevel perspective is useful for policy strategies in terms of reorienting their targets to the proper geographical and socioeconomic dimensions.

Construction and Demolition Waste in Romania: The Route from Illegal Dumping to Building Materials

The paper performs a critical overview concerning the construction and demolition waste (C&DW) management issues in Romania. Five main stages related to C&DW management are highlighted such as: (i) illegal dumping on public lands; (ii) C&DW collection and disposal in urban landfills; (iii) C&DW treatment and reuse in civil constructions (roads, coating material for landfills); (iv) regional integrated waste management systems; (v) recycling of building materials (e.g., cement industry and recycled aggregates). The paper reveals the poor monitoring of C&DW flows across Romanian counties and the geographical dimension of this waste stream collected by waste operators. The paper examines the current challenges in Romania and it reveals the future prospects to provide a reliable transition towards sustainable C&DW management activities. The targeted route: waste fractions can be recycled and/or reused as building materials via integrated waste management systems, which enable a circular economy in urban and rural municipalities.

Global village or virtual balkans? evolution and performance of scientific collaboration in the information age

Scientific collaboration is essential and almost imperative in modern science. However, collaboration may be difficult to achieve because of 2 major barriers: geographic distance and social divides. It is predicted that the advancement of information communication technologies (ICTs) will bring a puzzled conclusion for collaboration in the scientific community: the “Global Village” trend with significantly increased physical distance among collaborated scientists and the “Virtual Balkans” trend with significantly increased social stratification among collaborated scientists. The results of this study reveal that the scientific community evolves towards the Global Village generally on both the geographic and social dimension, but with variations in term of collaboration patterns. The influence of such collaboration patterns on research performance (that is, productivity and impact), however, is asymmetric to each side of collaborators. When researchers from top‐tier and general‐tier institutions collaborate, researchers from top‐tier institutions face a decrease in research productivity and impact, whereas researchers from general‐tier institutions increase in research productivity and impact. Furthermore, the development of ICTs plays an important role in shaping the evolving trends and moderating effects of collaboration patterns. Our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of scientific collaboration in the geographic, social, and technological aspect.

Regional disparities in access to higher education in Greece

This study examines the geographical dimension of access to higher education in Greece by mapping spatial disparities in the distribution of vathmos prosvasis, the decisive score for being accepted in one of the country’s tertiary education departments. Influenced by the ‘spatial turn’ in the humanities and the social sciences, this paper takes a geographical approach. Spatial autocorrelation indices (Moran’s I) show that examinees from mountainous settlements, insular areas, and inner city neighbourhoods are much less likely to achieve a score that would allow them to enter one of the country’s higher educational institutions. The authors use the ‘oval’ metaphor in order to describe these differences. A number of explanatory variables at school catchment area level reduce the variation in vathmos prosvasis, but no conclusions can be made with regards to casual relationships between school neighbourhood characteristics and individual scores. The alarmingly low scores in a specific geographical region, the so-called ‘Pomakohoria’, are discussed as an example of how access to higher education in Greece is being affected by location.

Energy poverty policies and measures in 5 EU countries: A comparative study

Energy Poverty (EP) is the inability to attain a socially and materially necessitated level of domestic energy services. In the EU this occurs primarily due to low incomes, poor energy performance of buildings and high energy costs. The impacts of EP range from impaired social lives to unhealthy living conditions, with further consequences in the physical and mental health of energy poor individuals. Member states have been assigned by the EU with the responsibility of dealing with EP within their own territories. This is attainable mainly by creating effective policies, while also encouraging synergies among policies of different fields. However, scientific knowledge is gathered and action is taken on a national level only in a limited number of EU countries. For this reason, this paper aims to fill in the gap and capture snapshots from five EU countries (Cyprus, Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria and Lithuania) where EP has not been exhaustively examined. The study provides an overview of selected policies and measures directly or indirectly targeting EP alleviation and analyses their history and evolution at an EU level as well as at national level. It considers the different geographical dimensions, conditions and aspects (e.g. national or regional) where EP is encountered, in an attempt to identify any variances or similarities in the approaches adopted. Through this comparative study, strengths and weaknesses of national strategies are identified and analysed. Conclusively, based on this analysis, recommendations are made on how to utilise policy tools and provide the most efficient support to energy poor households in the corresponding countries.

Is Home the Best Place for Aging? the Complex Landscape of Eldercare

ABSTRACTCurrent long-term care policy prioritizes eldercare in home and community settings rather than institutions in order to reduce government spending and maintain the quality of life for frail elders. A considerable body of literature has adopted Andersen’s behavioral model and geographical perspectives to illustrate the links between related factors and the arrangements for care. By synthesizing Andersen’s behavior model and geographic dimension of care, this study investigates the complex landscape of eldercare and shows how multilevel factors (individual, community, and macro-level) affect frail elders, their caregivers, and family members involved in services and care.

The Struggles for the Right to the City Across Spatial Scales: Experiences from Grand Belleville in Paris

This article examines the diffusion process of social movements, placing emphasis on their geographical dimensions. It focuses on the influence of the anti-austerity mobilization Nuit Debout on local urban collectives in Grand Belleville. Building on a three-year participant observation within the collective Droit à la Belle-Ville in which the authors are involved as activists, the article provides two results. First, it shows that diffusion is a context-dependent process. Anti-austerity mobilization had a particular resonance in Grand Belleville because of place-based political history and previously existing activist networks. Some collectives, such as Droit à la Belle-Ville, act as transmitters because they frame their action on both local and global scales. Second, practices and ideological frameworks move from global to local arenas according to the way local collectives re-contextualize them and define their scale of action. Overall, the study sheds new light on the aftermath of large anti-austerity mobilizations and enhances our knowledge of the contemporary local urban activism struggling for the right to the city.

„The House of Geography Education“ – an Example Model

All processes and phenomena have geographical dimensions which justify the presence of geography science as the main subject of study in Bulgarian school system. As such the role of geography in development of specific competences and patterns of behavior is with undeniable value for students. Against the background of growing public demands for education (and geographic one in particular), it is necessary to develop a new educational paradigm, respectively new educational models that set the student's personality and their needs, interests and responsibilities in the center of geography training process. In this regard, we are taking a step forward by presenting an exemplary educational model of geography education. We construct it on the basis of current interpretations from contemporary geography didactics in Bulgaria and in countries with developed educational systems. We present it through a metaphor having in mind that "severe" theoretical issues may be broken and examined from a different perspective and give us the possibility for further researches of the issue.

The Limits to Collaboration Across Four of the Most Innovative UK Industries

AbstractThis study demonstrates the importance and limits to external knowledge collaboration across different geographical dimensions and the most innovative UK industries (knowledge‐intensive business services (KIBS), high‐tech manufacturing, information and communication technologies (ICT), creative industries). Traditionally, this issue has presented a challenge for the geography of innovation, external knowledge sourcing and open innovation literatures, in terms of first identifying the phenomenon and second measuring it. We propose and estimate a structural model that estimates the knowledge production function with innovation inputs and outputs at the firm level. Our sample includes 19,510 observations and 17,859 firms, mainly from the UK Innovation Survey and the Business Registry. We demonstrate that external collaboration may bestow a significant advantage for innovation developed by the firm and in collaboration with other businesses, but there are limits to collaboration. They are likely to be better offset by firms in knowledge‐intense sectors (KIS), while they remain consistent across collaboration with partners across four geographical regions. Our findings call for further research on innovation and revision of national and regional innovation policies.

Out-migration of university enrolment: the mobility behaviour of Italian students

Purpose Student mobility from the south to the north/centre of Italy is an increasingly crucial topic because the most important consequence is the continual depletion of universities situated in the southern regions. Using micro-data from the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR), the purpose of this paper is to investigate how contextual factors affect this mobility. Design/methodology/approach Empirical evidence is provided by developing a multilevel logit model of student decisions to move at university enrolment that allows us to identify the unique effects that student and province characteristics have on out-migration. Multilevel analysis is appropriate because the research questions focus on the role of province characteristics, variables that are measured at the macro level, on student-level outcome (out-migration) while controlling for student-level characteristics, variables that are measured at the micro level. Findings The present paper intends to contribute to the literature by quantifying the way in which contextual factors affect student mobility from the south to the north/centre of Italy. Findings show that province differences remain significant even after controlling for individual characteristics stressing the importance of the geographical dimension for student mobility. These findings have important policy implications for the future of university system in Italy. Originality/value This paper is relevant to the literature concerning this issue because most of the empirical applications are based on spatial models that do not take into account individual characteristics of the students. In addition, the multilevel methodology proposed can be easily generalise to other countries.

El cuerpo inclasificable. Inteligibilidad de mujeres trans/travestis en la serie documental ‘Tacos altos en el barro’

This work analyze the representations of trans / transvestites women in the documentary series Tacos altos en el barro (2012) directed by Rolando Pardo. It tells the stories of Wanda, Killy, Paloma, Daiana, Paola and Zaira. Six trans / transvestite women living in indigenous communities of the province of Salta located in the north of Argentina. The interest will be placed on the strategies that the audiovisual story uses to support the dynamic process of intersectional constructions of the gender inscribed in the regulations of class, sex and race, understanding the margin as the symbolic space to which relegates to the dissidence of the heteronormative system but also in its less metaphorical dimension, related to the geographical dimensions where poverty rests. In this sense, the ways in which the documentary is inserted into the network of hegemonic constructs of the representation of normative agents within the binary system based on sex and on the degree of sexualization of the body, where trans/ transvestites bodies become unclassifiable and against which, the heterosexual matrix operates in its readjustment.

Explaining time variation in geographic price dispersion

ABSTRACTThe pattern of price dispersion significantly varies over time and across locations. Using a detailed dataset with product-level retail prices, we examine the role of time-varying factors in shaping the time variation of price dispersion. We find that price dispersion variation in an integrated region is mainly driven by oil prices, while the variation in a segmented region is attributed to dispersion in real income. We also find that dispersion in value-added tax rates explains a significant portion of price dispersion fluctuations in both geographic dimensions. This paper offers new evindence on the trade-off that exists for the role of time-varying factors as contributors to price dispersion variation by highlighting their relative importance across different dimensions of economic geography.

Antecedents of students’ identification with university brands

PurposeUniversities are increasingly encountering high levels of national and international competition. In order for universities to continue with their business success and expansion, they have relied on developing and maintaining a differentiated brand identity by improving their branding strategy. The purpose of this paper is to examine the antecedents of students’ identification with the brand of public universities in Iran.Design/methodology/approachSampling was done in multiple stages. In the first stage – using stratified sampling – students were recruited from distinct degree programs and universities based on the Iranian national demographic proportions. In the second stage, convenient sampling was used within each degree program category. For data collection, the interviewer distributed questionnaires among students regardless of age and gender. The number of questionnaires distributed in each university (i.e. the sample size in each university) was determined using the number of students in the country and percentage of students at each university.FindingsThe results showed support for the hypothesized positive relationship between brand identification and the antecedent factors including prestige, interorganizational and intraorganizational competition. On the other hand, the results showed no significant relationship between brand identification and the antecedent factors including distinctiveness and memorable experience. Outcomes (i.e. word-of-mouth, active engagement and loyalty) of brand identification were also tested and their relationships with brand identification are supported.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was conducted in the higher education sector in one cosmopolitan Iranian city (i.e. Tehran) to which Iranians from other cities travel to for studying. Thus, the results of this survey include a variety of sub-cultures. In the future, a study that incorporates all major metropolitan cities of Iran may increase the generalizability of the findings. Unrelated to the purpose of this study, a future research study may extend the currently studied geographical dimensions and examine the antecedents of students’ identification with the brand of public universities across different nations using a cross-cultural approach.Practical implicationsA study of the antecedents of students’ identification with the university brand can provide a guide for universities to manage their brand and marketing strategies. Managers of higher education institutions can take important steps in establishing a link between students and university brands. Managers can highlight interorganizational competitions. The authors recommended universities publicize and honor students’ success in academic competitions on the university website, via ceremonies dedicated to the student winners, and using print banners that identifies their name and achievement, among other mediums. Additionally, competitions can be promoted among students through professors and motivational speeches from recognized leaders.Originality/valueResults revealed that brand prestige of public universities positively affects students’ identification. This study highlights the importance of national and international rankings of universities and the sensitivity of students to such rankings. Undoubtedly, this is evident in Iranian students’ behavior in selecting their university. Additionally, this study showed that brand distinctiveness of public universities does not significantly affect students’ identification with the university brand. Further examination is recommended to help explain this finding and a cross-cultural comparison will assist in this endeavor.

Refining predictions of population decline at species' rear edges.

According to broad-scale application of biogeographical theory, widespread retractions of species' rear edges should be seen in response to ongoing climate change. This prediction rests on the assumption that rear edge populations are "marginal" since they occur at the limit of the species' ecological tolerance and are expected to decline in performance as climate warming pushes them to extirpation. However, conflicts between observations and predictions are increasingly accumulating and little progress has been made in explaining this disparity. We argue that a revision of the concept of marginality is necessary, together with explicit testing of population decline, which is increasingly possible as data availability improves. Such action should be based on taking the population perspective across a species' rear edge, encompassing the ecological, geographical and genetic dimensions of marginality. Refining our understanding of rear edge populations is essential to advance our ability to monitor, predict and plan for the impacts of environmental change on species range dynamics.

Regional labour flows between manufacturing and business services: Reciprocal integration and uneven geography

This article uses Statistics Sweden’s full-population geo-coded register data for Swedish workers and their labour market moves, between 2010 and 2014, to analyse regional flow patterns of employees between manufacturing, general business services and knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS). The findings generally show that labour flows between manufacturing and services have important bi-directional features, even with manufacturing generally declining. There is no staff exodus from manufacturing to services, but rather an exchange suggesting skill interdependencies, especially between high-tech manufacturing and KIBS. However, there are strong geographical dimensions to this, emphasising a reinforcement of the spatial division of labour patterns. In trend terms, the decline of manufacturing is rather similar across all regional types; however, business services are growing much faster in metropolitan regions. The labour flow between manufacturing and KIBS is more likely in metropolitan regions, but far more often additionally involves geographical mobility, either between or towards the metropolitan regions. Thus, the major challenge facing less dense and peripheral regions is not necessarily the decline of manufacturing per se, but that (a) the low levels of transition into business services are insufficient to make up for employment losses in manufacturing and (b) the fact that there is considerable out-migration of experienced and skilled workers from manufacturing, who are joining the growing numbers of business services in metropolitan regions.

Complexity in Large U.S. Banks

While both size and complexity are important for the largest U.S. bank holding companies (BHCs), specific types of complexity and their patterns across banks are not well understood. We introduce a range of measures of organizational, business, and geographic complexity. Comparing 2007 with 2017, we show that large U.S. BHCs remain very complex, with some declines along organizational and geographical complexity dimensions. The numbers of legal entities within some large BHCs have fallen. By contrast, the multiple industries spanned by legal entities within the BHCs have shifted more than they have declined, especially within the financial sector. Nonfinancial entities within U.S. BHCs still tilt heavily toward real-estate-related businesses and span numerous other industries. Fewer large BHCs have global affiliates, and the geographic span of the most complex has declined. Favorable tax treatment locations still attract a significant share of the foreign bank and nonbank entities, while fewer legal entities are present in informationally opaque locations.