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Regional Patterns of Small Firm Development in the Business Services: Evidence from the United Kingdom

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  • P A Wood

    (Department of Geography, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H OAP, England)

  • J Bryson
  • D Keeble

Abstract

The growth of business services in the United Kingdom during the 1980s is reviewed, and especially the role of small firms. Reports the results of an intensive questionnaire survey, undertaken in 1991, of a sample of small management consultancy and market research companies in three areas; inner London, the outer south east, and north west England. In interpreting the demand and supply characteristics of these firms, emphasis is placed on their interactions with the internal labour market strategies of predominantly large client organisations. Generally, the sample firms offer consultancy and marketing expertise which such clients do not provide from their own skill resources. Their founders were also often originally employees of such organisations, especially outside London. Regional economic and social characteristics mould the activities of these firms, even though many engage in a significant degree of interregional trade. The markets served, types of specialisation, the originating process, and the ages of founders show marked differences between the two sectors and the three areas.

Suggested Citation

  • P A Wood & J Bryson & D Keeble, 1993. "Regional Patterns of Small Firm Development in the Business Services: Evidence from the United Kingdom," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 25(5), pages 677-700, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:25:y:1993:i:5:p:677-700
    DOI: 10.1068/a250677
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    Cited by:

    1. Kent Eliasson & Hans Westlund, 2013. "Attributes influencing self-employment propensity in urban and rural Sweden," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 50(2), pages 479-514, April.
    2. Dioni Elche & Davide Consoli & Mabel Sánchez-Barrioluengo, 2021. "From brawn to brains: manufacturing–KIBS interdependency," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(7), pages 1282-1298, July.
    3. Gabriele Colombo & Claudio Dell’Era & Federico Frattini & Paolo Landoni, 2016. "Understanding Virtual Knowledge Brokers And Their Differences With Traditional Ones," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(01), pages 1-23, January.
    4. Suma Athreye & David Keeble, 2002. "Sources of Increasing Returns and Regional Innovation in the UK," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(4), pages 345-357.
    5. Michael Wyrwich, 2011. "Knowledge intensive Entrepreneurship across regions: Makes being a new industry a difference?," ERSA conference papers ersa11p1711, European Regional Science Association.
    6. Matthias Firgo & Peter Mayerhofer, 2016. "Wissensintensive Unternehmensdienste, Wissens-Spillovers und regionales Wachstum. Teilprojekt 3: Zur Standortstruktur von wissensintensiven Unternehmensdiensten – Fakten, Bestimmungsgründe, regionalpo," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 59427.
    7. Jayanti Sen & Alan Macpherson, 1998. "Regional Patterns of Business Performance Among Small and Medium Sized Public Accounting Firms in New York State," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(9), pages 827-838.
    8. Hans Westlund & Johan P. Larsson & Amy Rader Olsson, 2014. "Start-ups and Local Entrepreneurial Social Capital in the Municipalities of Sweden," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(6), pages 974-994, June.
    9. Peter Wood & Dariusz Wójcik, 2010. "A Dominant Node of Service Innovation: London’s Financial, Professional and Consultancy Services," Chapters, in: Faïz Gallouj & Faridah Djellal (ed.), The Handbook of Innovation and Services, chapter 25, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    10. Peter Wood, 2006. "Urban Development and Knowledge‐Intensive Business Services: Too Many Unanswered Questions?," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(3), pages 335-361, September.

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