Headquarters Economy Research Articles

Difficulties and Countermeasures of Headquarters Economy Development Under the Impact of Covid-19—Take Ningbo for Example

Regional economies characterized by clusters of headquarters from diverse industries stand out as influential dynamic economies. However, there is little discussion about these “headquarters economies”. Why do some metropolitan areas develop vibrant headquarters economies whereas others do not? The answer lies in understanding the essence of headquarters—the managerial talent pool that guides and governs these companies. Therefore, the headquarters economy plays an important role in driving economic development and managing the regional economy. According to the analysis, the development of Ningbo's headquarters economy is not fast enough. The impact of the epidemic on industrial agglomeration, talent agglomeration, and building vacancy rate are all important factors restricting the development of the Ningbo headquarters economy. This makes the development of the headquarters economy of Ningbo even worse. Therefore, how to develop Ningbo's headquarters economy is the most important part of Ningbo's economic development. This article puts forward suggestions from four aspects: business environment, industrial ecology, housing use, and the interaction between financial support and headquarters economy.

Rearsch and Suggestions on Wenzhou Exhibition Industry Under the Background of Normal Epidemic Prevention and Control

The report of the 13th Party Congress of Wenzhou pointed out that: adhere to the integrated development of the city, to create a modern Yongjiang coastal garden city, to cultivate building economy, headquarters economy, exhibition economy, to build a new international convention and exhibition center. Under the epidemic, all walks of life have been affected to varying degrees, but the exhibition industry is particularly in a special situation, which has suffered an unprecedented impact and even reached a critical moment. It is in urgent need of attention and attention from the municipal government and relevant departments.

Still in command and control? Hong Kong’s headquarters economy in the changing global and regional context

ABSTRACT One of the defining features of being a global city is its attractiveness to transnational corporations and global business and professional service providers to set up their headquarters there. Such clustering of headquarters in global cities enhances its function of command and control of business and professional services. Upon survey data gathered by the HKSAR Government on non-local corporations’ establishment of regional headquarters, regional offices, and local offices, this paper analyses Hong Kong’s attractiveness and competitiveness as one of the key strategic sites for transnational corporations’ coordination of business activities in Asia. We shall look at the trend of development before and after 1997. More importantly, we shall examine Hong Kong’s future as an international and regional business hub in the context of the rise of China, the changing domestic conditions within the Special Administrative Region, and the impacts of COVID-19.

Identification of the most suitable areas for the development of headquarters economy in China: a theoretical framework and empirical case study

Identification of the most suitable areas for the development of headquarters economy in China: a theoretical framework and empirical case study

The impacts of offshore and onshore outsourcing on China's upgrading in global value chains: Evidence from its manufacturing and service sectors

This paper investigates the impacts of offshore and onshore outsourcing on China's upgrading in global value chains (GVCs). First, based on Antràs and Chor (2018) and Wang et al., (2017), we build a model to theoretically structure the GVC networks and then calibrate China's positioning in GVCs. Next we incorporate both offshore and onshore outsourcing into one analysis framework to examine the effects of the two types of outsourcing on China's industrial upgrading. Then using its bilateral trade data and sectoral data from the WIOD (World Input-Output Database), we test empirically the impacts of offshore and onshore outsourcing on the positions of Chinese manufacturing and service sectors in GVCs in particular. We find that offshore outsourcing is a driving force behind China's upgrading along GVCs, while the effect of onshore outsourcing is insignificant. Additional empirical results also indicate that the headquarters economy and human capital strengthen the impacts of offshore outsourcing on China's GVC upgrading. Finally, based on the empirical findings, we derive some policy implications for Chinese government.

Evaluation on the Development of Headquarters Economy in China Using the Method of Multi-hierarchy Entropy

Evaluation on the Development of Headquarters Economy in China Using the Method of Multi-hierarchy Entropy

An office building outbreak: the changing epidemiology of tuberculosis in Shenzhen, China.

Tuberculosis (TB) is generally considered a disease that principally afflicts the low-income segments of a population. In the Nanshan District of Shenzhen, China, with the economic transformation and a new Headquarters Economy (HE) emerging, there are now more cases in office workers than in manufacturing workers. To illustrate this trend, we describe a small TB outbreak in an office building located in the centre of the rapidly growing HE district. Two active pulmonary tuberculosis cases were found in workers who shared an office, and whole genome sequencing showed that the genetic distance between the strains of the two cases was just one single nucleotide polymorphism, consistent with intra-office transmission. Investigation of 30 other workers in the same or adjacent offices with interviews, interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) and chest X-rays, identified one new TB case and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in 40.0% (12/30) of the contacts. The offices were under-ventilated. None of the IGRA positive, asymptomatic contacts agreed to receive treatment for LTBI, presumably due to TB stigma, and over the next 2 years 69.0% (20/29) of the contacts were lost to follow-up. Treatment for LTBI and stigma of TB remain challenges here. Office workers in the HE of rapidly economic developing areas should be targeted with increased vigilance by TB control programmes.

Book Review: Headquarters Economy: Managers, Mobility, and Migration

Book Review: Headquarters Economy: Managers, Mobility, and Migration

A Retrospective View on the First Three Years of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone

As a test ground for new policies, the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (SPFTZ) has been authorized for three years by the Chinese top legislature to suspend the application of certain provisions of the three foreign investment laws. Different from all the previous SEZs which have received some incentive policies from the central government, the SPFTZ has not been offered any preferential treatment. Instead, it has been encouraged to experiment with new innovative measures in administration. During the first three years of piloting reforms, the SPFTZ shall expedite the functional transformation of the government through limiting the administrative power; expand the opening up of service sectors by releasing the limitations on market access; streamline the administrative regulation on foreign investment; develop the multinational corporation headquarter economy with more sophisticated facilities, and try to experiment with new trade forms. As such, experience hence gained shall serve nationwide with new ideas and approaches in the next round of economic reforms.

Measuring the economic centrality of the Chinese urban network

In recent years, global concern has arisen regarding the significant changes in economic centrality in the Chinese urban system induced by informatisation, globalisation and regionalisation. This study aimed to establish a quantitative method based on a comprehensive analysis of economic centrality in the urban system and to apply this to a case study of the Chinese urban system. This paper, based on the analysis of three key factors – hinterland or large spatial scale; co-operation with a division of urban economy or competitive substitution relationship; and reliance on its own resources or a service network (in the case of an enterprise) – argues that economic centrality in an urban network is complex and is based on the size, network and headquarter economy (HQE) of a city. This paper demonstrates that the increasing importance of the network economy and the HQE does not displace that of a city's size, thus indicating that a city's size is still relevant but no longer a primary factor. The results prove that the methods used in this study permitted an effective analysis of the economic centrality in the Chinese urban system. The authors, therefore, hope that this paper can provide a frame of reference for analysing economic centrality in urban systems of developing countries.

Beyond the Urban–Suburban Divide: Urbanization and the Production of the Urban in Zurich North

AbstractStarting from current debates on ‘global suburbanism' and ‘postsuburbia', this article explores the changes that the former ‘urban periphery' of Zurich North has experienced in the last three decades. It mobilizes Henri Lefebvre's triadic concept of conceived, perceived and lived space in aid of an analysis of the profound urban transformations that can be observed. The construction of a new tramline serves as a guideline for an analysis of the implementation of new governance arrangements strengthening cross‐border cooperation between individual municipalities and new strategies of cooptation and expertise. This resulted in the production of new urban structures which led to a more densely woven and connected urban fabric primarily providing spaces for the headquarter economy and middle‐class housing. Concomitantly, great efforts have been made to create new public spaces, an urban image and even an urban atmosphere. These have proved at least partially successful, thus promoting a symbolic redefinition of the former urban periphery as a distinctively ‘urban' space. Conventional definitions and concepts no longer suffice to adequately understand such novel urban forms, leading to the conclusion that division into an ‘urban' and a ‘suburban' world is no longer a useful tool for urban analysis.

The Formation of Regional Financial Center in China: Based on the City of Guangzhou

This paper sets up an Evaluation Index System of the regional financial center with variable selected from three dimensions: economic development, financial development degree and innovation environment support. The principal component analysis methodology is then used to evaluate competition of six cities including Guangzhou. According to the composite score, Guangzhou is ranked fourth, behind Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. In addition, the SWOT analysis of Guangzhou regional financial center is adopted and two major problems are pointed out respectively, headquarter economy in low level and small financial scale. Finally, four recommendations to improve regional financial center of Guangzhou are put forward.

Building a “Headquarters Economy”: The geography of headquarters within Beijing and its implications for urban restructuring

As command centers, headquarters (HQ) of large firms are crucial to the economy of cities where they are located. Since HQ of large firms play a key role in shaping the urban structure, it is important to investigate the locational patterns of HQ within a city for both academic and policy considerations. Based on a data set of publicly listed firms with HQ located in Beijing, we found that the spatial distribution of HQ is characterized by both agglomeration and dispersion. On the one hand, HQ are significantly agglomerated at different geographical scales. Several clusters of HQ have been identified in our study. Moreover, a suburbanization of HQ trend has also emerged. The regression analysis shows that firm attributes, including sector, scale, ownership and year of going public, may explain the location pattern of HQ. We conclude by providing a detailed analysis of HQ distributions within Beijing that is being shaped by both market and state forces; it also highlights the role of HQ location in urban restructuring. The agglomeration of HQ is persistent and could be the results of the interplay between market and state forces, among which the agglomeration economy as well as the urban planning are most important. The results could also shed some light on the development of a “HQ economy” and urban planning for other cities.

Information Exchange, Headquarters Economy and Financial Centers Development: Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong

Over the past several years, China has consistently maintained economic growth and at the same time emerged as a new global giant in the international arena, despite the distractions caused by the global financial crisis, which was triggered by the US Sub-prime Mortgage Crisis of 2007 and the recent bond crisis that emerged in the European Union in 2011. Concurrent with China's growing interaction with the global economy and robust growth of its domestic economy, competition for the status of national and even international financial centers in the region has become fierce. This study focuses on a ‘local’ examination of internal conditions for the emergence and growth of Chinese financial centers over the next 10–20 years. Cities contending for the top slot in the roster of Chinese cities, like Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, are striving to become international financial centers and are trying to compete with Hong Kong. This study investigates the development potentials, future prospects and division of functions between different financial centers within China regarding Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai, with special reference to the role of information and locations of MNCs' regional headquarters.

Analysis on Headquarter Economy and Spatial System of Headquarter City in China

The paper discusses the concept of “Headquarters Economy” on the current, and it put forward the idea of “Headquarters City” that achieves upgrading of urban function based on the advantages of corporate networks. Taking 45 Chinese cities as the analysis object, the paper uses 42 indicators to build indicator-system so as to assess urban environment of headquarters location. Beijing and Shanghai are the most attractive advantage to concentration of large corporate headquarters. Shenzhen and Guangzhou are in the second position, and the headquarters location conditions are significantly higher than other provincial capital cities. At the same time, other 15 cities among different administrative levels of the municipalities, sub-provincial capital cities and prefecture-level cities have the location advantages to gather the regional corporate headquarters, as Tianjin, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing etc.

The Chinese Local Administrative Measures for Building Up the ‘Headquarter Economy’: a comparison between Pudong and Shenzhen

Why do large domestic and multinational enterprises choose one Chinese city over the others in which to set up their company headquarters? What could the Chinese local governments do in order to attract enterprises to establish headquarters in their localities? Following the Chinese commonly used term ‘headquarter economy’ and investigating the issue mostly from the local governments' perspective, this research examines two cases, Pudong and Shenzhen, to see how they have capitalized on their local advantages and attracted different types of large investments. Both the Pudong and Shenzhen governments provide preferential policies and administrative reforms to build a good investment environment and to develop a ‘headquarter economy’. Their preferential policies are similar in design but different in content, so as to attract different target investors. Their administrative reforms are similar in direction but with variations in pace and design for implementation. Our conclusion shows that ‘headquarter economy’ is a concept flexibly used and wisely adopted by Chinese local governments to develop local economies.

The Planning of Headquarter Economic Park Aiming at Social Sustainable Development and Ecological Construction - A Case Study of Jiahai Enterprises Headquarter Park, Changsha, China

Due to the industrial transfer in globalization and information, a new economic form—the headquarter economy gradually formed and became one of important development strategies for central city. In this paper, Jiahai enterprises headquarter park( JEHP) is as a study case, which located in development zone of Jinxia, Changsha. Based on the analysis of regional socio-economic, aiming at the sustainable development of society and create an ecological environment, the planning concept has been proposed, which is co-development of enterprises, park and social; sharing-plat of enterprises; co-create of natural environment and construction. A Paradigm has been provided in this paper, which is based on the concept of Ecology and sustainable development for the construction of headquarter economic park in new period.

Urbanization in Zurich; Headquarter Economy and City-Belt

The fundamental restructuring of the capitalist world system in the shift from Fordism towards flexible accumulation has produced remarkable changes in the process of urbanization. In this paper the spatial implications for Switzerland are examined. First, the way in which the Swiss economy, based on export-oriented industrial production, developed into a ‘headquarter economy’ specialized in controlling and organizing multinational production as well as in commanding international circuits of capital is investigated. Second, changes in the urbanization process in Switzerland are examined through a study of the rise of five urban regions and the transformation of Zurich into an international control center. Third, the regional and local effects of Zurich's headquarter economy and the political implications of the urbanization process are examined. Finally, the transformation of the urban periphery and the emergence of a city-belt in the north of Zurich are focused upon.