IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envira/v29y1997i2p349-364.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Reconceptualising Manufacturing—Service Linkages: A Realist Approach

Author

Listed:
  • P J Dunham

    (Geography Subject Group, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry CV1 5FB, England)

Abstract

The study of manufacturing—service linkages emerged as an important research theme in economic geography during the 1980s. However, it is arguably becoming marginalised. Some recent contributions have begun to criticise the approach, calling instead for the development of a more ambitious research agenda which illuminates the nature and role of all services, whether they are producer or consumer oriented, and supplied to manufacturers, to other service organisations, or to the general public. In this paper I contend that the analysis of manufacturing—service linkages remains a valid focus of study, but argue that future research needs to be accompanied by a philosophical change. A realist conceptual framework for the analysis of manufacturing—service linkages is developed which, it is suggested, improves significantly on the positivist and Marxist approaches hitherto employed. I conclude with an assessment of the main strengths and weaknesses of the realist approach and a brief consideration of its wider potential for research involving services.

Suggested Citation

  • P J Dunham, 1997. "Reconceptualising Manufacturing—Service Linkages: A Realist Approach," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 29(2), pages 349-364, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:29:y:1997:i:2:p:349-364
    DOI: 10.1068/a290349
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1068/a290349
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1068/a290349?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. W J Coffey & A S Bailly, 1990. "Service Activities and the Evolution of Production Systems: An International Comparison," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 22(12), pages 1607-1620, December.
    2. J N Marshall & P A Wood, 1992. "The Role of Services in Urban and Regional Development: Recent Debates and New Directions," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 24(9), pages 1255-1270, September.
    3. Lovering, John, 1990. "Military Expenditure and the Restructuring of Capitalism: The Military Industry in Britain," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 14(4), pages 453-467, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. C. Michael Wernerheim & Christopher A. Sharpe, 2001. "The Potential Bias in Producer Service Employment Estimates: The Case of the Canadian Space Economy," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 38(3), pages 563-591, March.
    2. Gillian Bristow & Max Munday & Peter Gripaios, 2000. "Call Centre Growth and Location: Corporate Strategy and the Spatial Division of Labour," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 32(3), pages 519-538, March.
    3. George C S Lin & Y H Dennis Wei, 2002. "China's Restless Urban Landscapes 1: New Challenges for Theoretical Reconstruction," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 34(9), pages 1535-1544, September.
    4. C C Williams, 1996. "Understanding the Role of Consumer Services in Local Economic Development: Some Evidence from the Fens," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 28(3), pages 555-571, March.
    5. Bruce S. Tether & Qian Cher Li & Andrea Mina, 2012. "Knowledge-bases, places, spatial configurations and the performance of knowledge-intensive professional service firms," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 12(5), pages 969-1001, September.
    6. Jonathan V. Beaverstock & Joanne Smith, 1996. "Lending Jobs to Global Cities: Skilled International Labour Migration, Investment Banking and the City of London," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 33(8), pages 1377-1394, October.
    7. Andy Danford & Mike Richardson & Martin Upchurch, 2002. "Trade Union Strategy and Renewal: the Restructuring of Work and Work Relations in the UK Aerospace Industry," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 16(2), pages 305-327, June.
    8. B Warf, 1996. "International Engineering Services 1982–92," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 28(4), pages 667-686, April.
    9. Azulay, Israel & Lerner, Miri & Tishler, Asher, 2002. "Converting military technology through corporate entrepreneurship," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 419-435, March.
    10. John Finch, 1993. "Company-led strategies in defence sector restructuring: Implications for local economic development," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 7(4), pages 334-346, February.
    11. S L Cornish, 1996. "Marketing Software Products: The Importance of ‘Being There’ and the Implications for Business Service Exports," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 28(9), pages 1661-1682, September.
    12. Paul Bishop & Peter Gripaios & Gillian Bristow, 2003. "Determinants of Call Centre Location: Some Evidence for UK Urban Areas," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 40(13), pages 2751-2768, December.
    13. J V Beaverstock, 1996. "Subcontracting the Accountant! Professional Labour Markets, Migration, and Organisational Networks in the Global Accountancy Industry," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 28(2), pages 303-326, February.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:29:y:1997:i:2:p:349-364. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.