Neighbourhood influences on organic buying

Past studies have explained organic buying as a function of sociodemographic or attitudinal consumer's traits and/or as a result of marketing influences. However, in view of mounting evidence of social effects on sustainable consumption, this paper aims to enrich our understanding of the determinants of organic demand by introducing neighbourhood effects in buying models; in particular, using scanner data from Nielsen household panelists of 2012–2013, this study tests the influence on demand of both structural variables (collapsed into a factor labelled “neighbourhood class”) and geographical location of a household, controlling for the influence of household characteristics and other marketing‐related influences (e.g., price). This paper concludes that structural class, rather than household class, positively influences organic milk purchasing. It also shows that relative class can also explain the likelihood of organic buying.     

Globalisation and the Spatial Concentration of Production

(1240) Friederike Niepmann and Gabriel J. Felbermayr In new trade theory (NTT) models, freer trade tends to increase the spatial concentration of industrial production across countries. While nations with large home markets and central geographical location become increasingly attractive business locations, small peripheral countries gradually deindustrialise. Using data for 26 industries, 20 OECD countries and 20 years, we investigate the empirical validity of this claim. Separating out the role of home market size from geographical factors, and using various panel methods, we find robust evidence in line with theory. Freer trade has indeed magnified the importance of domestic demand and geographical location for the pattern of industrial production across the globe and has therefore exacerbated spatial disparities.     

Foreign direct investment in Spain: Regional distribution and determinants

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the regional distribution of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Spain and its main determinants between 1995 and 2005/2008. By means of using different indicators, the paper reveals the major traits of this distribution, among which its highly geographical concentration stands out. Afterwards, the paper performs an explanatory factor analysis to reduce to a manageable number of factors the vast array of FDI determinants considered in the literature. The econometric analysis carried out reveals that factors such as economic potential, labour conditions and competitiveness are important for attracting FDI both at aggregate and sectoral levels; on the contrary, market size is not relevant at all as booster of FDI. Finally, the analysis is extended to take account of the presence of spatial effects, the results showing the existence of negative geographical spillovers associated to the economic potential and competitiveness factors.     

Who buys newspapers in Spain? An analysis of the determinants of the probability to buy newspapers and of the amount spent

In this paper, we examine the determinants of household consumption of newspapers and the amount spent on their purchase by considering several explanatory variables related to household characteristics and the main household wage earner. Results show that the variables have quite similar effects on both the relative probability of buying newspapers and the amount spent. The key variables are the age and occupational status of the main wage earner, the number of household members, income and having to pay for the house, as well as a number of geographical variables. However, certain differences are also observed. The most important is the education of the main wage earner: while its effect on buying newspapers is very small (only those who did not complete primary education are less likely to buy), its effect on the amount spent increases with the level of education. As other studies of cultural goods and services consumption have suggested, education and occupational status are more relevant determinants than income.     

Comparing trade areas of technology centres using ‘Geographical Information Systems’

Advances in geographical information systems have contributed to location and marketing design strategies on the part of retailers. The techniques used in this field are based on delimiting trade areas and spatial analysis. The same approach is applied in this study to technology centres, which are considered as suppliers of knowledge-intensive services to their associated firms. The research objective focuses on analysing the spatial distribution of firms associated with two technology centres from different sectors. The results indicate that firms associated with a technology centre present spatial patterns that are similar to those observed in retailing, while significant differences were also found between the two technology centres used for the study.     

江门区域经济差异测度及影响因素分析

采用人均GDP指标在多个空间层次上综合运用极差率、变异系数、加权变异系数以及泰尔指数对江门2002-2013年间的区域经济差异进行测度。基本结论是：江门四市三区之间、中心区域和外围区域之间的区域经济差异均经历了逐步增大继而略有缩小的发展过程,2008年全球金融危机一定程度上降低了江门区域经济差异程度。与佛山对比,江门区域经济不平衡问题突出,并且中心区域和外围区域之间的差异是构成江门总体差异的主要力量。影响江门区域经济差异的因素是多方面的,包括地理区位、要素投入、外向化程度、产业结构和城市化水平、区域经济政策等。促进江门区域经济协调发展、提高区域经济发展质量需要着力关注江门中心区域与外围区域的差距缩小。     

长三角地区城市FDI区位决定动态研究——空间计量的视角

文章以长三角25个地级以上城市为样本,利用空间计量学方法对其1991-2008年的FD I区位决定进行实证分析。结果发现:近20年来长三角城市FD I区位决定因素及其作用发生了动态变化,一些传统因素如市场规模、城市化水平、产业发展、工资水平、与上海距离等影响不再显著或有弱化趋势,取而代之的是外资集聚经济和工资效率因素上升为主导地位,其作用不断增强,基础设施因素影响日趋重要。值得注意的是,邻域空间关联效应一直是影响长三角城市FD I区位分布的重要因素,城市吸引FD I不仅取决于自身区位条件,还受周边城市FD I聚集的影响。上述发现对于长三角各城市利用FD I和跨国公司投资都具有重要政策意义。     

Generalising Gibrat: using Chinese evidence founded on fieldwork

This paper reports on determinants of small firm growth and survival, using fieldwork evidence collected by face-to-face and telephone interviews. It extends the ??basic?? size-age model to a ??comprehensive?? growth model with two types of additional explanatory variables: firm specific and business environmental. Estimation is by log-linear regression on Chinese cross-section data, with corrections for sample selection bias and heteroskedasticity. Our results from the comprehensive model highlight the importance of location choice and customer orientation for the growth of Chinese private firms.     

环境规制的“灰边”效应

本文基于“中心—外围”经济空间结构框架,在理论层面演绎了城市间环境规制强度级差对污染企业区位选择策略的影响,并基于2005—2012年京津冀地区微观企业具体的选址设厂地理信息,以北京市行政区划边界为断点对污染企业二氧化硫排放的空间分布特征进行了实证分析。理论演绎表明,在环境规制离心力和成本节约、市场需求潜力向心力等因素的共同作用下,污染企业最终将聚集在环境规制强度级差边界选址设厂,从而形成环中心城市的污染“灰边”。通过对6000余家污染企业共计18000余个有效观测值的回归研究发现,环北京市行政区划边界50公里范围内为污染物高排放带,改变估计参数、更换代理变量、删除特殊样本等一系列检验均证明了“灰边”效应稳健存在。北京市东部地区“灰边”效应的表现最为明显,非国有性质污染企业的高度聚集是形成环北京市污染物高排放带的主要原因。2008年北京奥运会及之后的一段时间,“灰边”效应曾随着外围城市污染企业关停力度的加大暂时消失,但2010年之后环北京市的污染“灰边”再度出现。本文将环境规制因素纳入区位选择理论分析框架,为“中心—外围”城市间联防联控进行污染治理的必要性提供了新的理论解释和实证依据。     

The Role of Geography in Financial and Economic Integration: A Comparative Analysis of Foreign Direct Investment,Trade and Portfolio Investment Flows

The objective of this paper is to examine the role of geography in explaining the patterns of financial and economic integration among both developed and developing countries. Using a gravity model, we compare North‐North, North‐South and South‐North FDI, trade and portfolio investment flows to examine how geographical factors influence these bilateral flows. The results indicate that the impact of geography variables on FDI and portfolio are similar to their effect on trade. Geography variables have a statistically significant effect both on FDI and portfolio investment, but FDI is more sensitive to distance. We interpret the negative effect of distance as the existence of information costs in financial flows. Also bilateral FDI, trade and portfolio investment flows react to macroeconomic fundamentals in the same way, however, with different degrees of sensitivity. There are significant differences between North‐North and North‐South flows. Our results find support for the argument that most FDI among industrial countries are horizontal, whereas most FDI investment in developing countries is vertical. The fact that the significance of geographical variables on financial flows still remained even after controlling for the macroeconomic fundamentals, is in contrast with the standard capital market model. The results can, however, be reconciled if geographical factors can proxy for information costs, which may in turn explain why country portfolios are still home‐biased. The significant effect of distance on financial flows may also explain how idiosyn cratic shocks are spread (i.e. contagion) to other countries in the same region. Ultimately, the geographical location of a country may determine its economic and financial integration into the world economy.     

Location determinants of green technological entry: evidence from European regions

Small Business Economics - In this paper, we explore the spatial distribution and the location determinants of new green technology-based firms across European regions. Integrating insights from...     

Exchange rates and US direct investment into Latin America

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze separately the determinants of maritime transport and road transport costs for Spanish exports to Poland and Turkey (markets for which maritime and road transport are competing modes) and investigate the different effects of these costs on international trade. First, we investigate the extent to which maritime and road transport costs depend on different factors such as unit values, distances, transport conditions, service structures, and service quality. Second, we analyze the relative importance of road and maritime transport costs in comparison with distance measures as determinants of trade flows. The main results of this investigation indicate that real distance is not a good proxy for transportation costs and identify the central variables influencing road and maritime transportation costs: for both modes, transport conditions are strong determinants, whereas efficiency and service quality are more important for maritime transport costs, and geographical distance is more important for road transport. Road and maritime transport costs are central explanatory factors of exports and they seem to deter trade to a greater extent than road or maritime transit time when endogeneity is considered.     

The FDI location decision: Distance and the effects of spatial dependence

We investigate how different conceptions of distance impact upon one of the fundamental decisions made by foreign investors, the choice of foreign direct investment (FDI) location within the selected host country. We argue that the attractiveness of host country locations to foreign investors depends not only upon location-specific attributes such as labor costs, but also upon the location's proximity to alternative locations. We provide theoretical rationales for how and why alternative concepts of distance might impact upon firms’ FDI location decisions, and explicitly model different measures of geographic, economic and administrative distance. Empirically we illustrate the use of a number of spatial regression models with a new dataset on FDI in Chinese prefecture-cities, and have shown, in this context, that geographic distance is not the ‘best’ measure of distance to use. We find clear evidence of spatial dependence between the cities based upon economic distance, with weaker evidence related to administrative distance. The distinctive contribution of this paper is to emphasize that city-level policy to attract FDI is more likely to succeed if the prefecture-city is economically (and administratively) close to alternative city locations, while any policy expenditure may fail to attract FDI inflows if the prefecture-city is distant from other city locations.     

Spatial environmental risk factors for pedestrian injury collisions in Ciudad Juárez,Mexico (2008–2009): implications for urban planning

The aim of this study is to examine the spatial distribution of pedestrian injury collisions and analyse the environmental (social and physical) risk factors in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. More specifically, this study investigates the influence of land use, density, traffic and socio-economic characteristics. This cross sectional study is based on pedestrian injury collision data that were collected by the Municipal Transit Police during 2008–2009. This research presents an analysis of vehicle–pedestrian collisions and their spatial risk determinants using mixed methods that included (1) spatial/geographical information systems (GIS) analysis of pedestrian collision data and (2) ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis to explain the density of pedestrian collisions data. In our model, we found a higher probability for pedestrian collisions in census tracts with population and employment density, large concentration of commercial/retail land uses and older people (65 and more). Interventions to alleviate this situation including transportation planning such as decentralisation of municipal transport system, investment in road infrastructure – density of traffic lights, pedestrian crossing, road design, improves lane demarcation. Besides, land use planning interventions should be implemented in commercial/retail areas, in particular separating pedestrian and vehicular spaces.     

Foreign direct investment (FDI) determinants and spatial spillovers across Mexico's states

This article studies the location pattern of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Mexico for the period 1994–2004. An empirical model is specified based on recent FDI theories. This model is estimated using state-level data and employing spatial econometric techniques. Results suggest that higher education levels and lower delinquency rates are important determinants to attract FDI. Results also suggest a relationship of complementarity between inbound FDI to the host state and inward FDI to its neighboring states.     

空间相关与外商直接投资区位决定——基于中国城市数据的空间计量分析

以2006年中国大陆244个地级及以上城市为样本,利用空间计量经济学方法对外商直接投资的区位决定进行实证研究。对全国城市分析的结果发现:除了劳动力素质、市场规模、基础设施以及集聚经济以外,空间相关性也是影响FDI区位分布的重要因素;一个城市吸引的FDI不仅取决于自身的区位条件,还与周边城市的FDI正相关;劳动力成本在区位决定中的影响不显著。进一步分地区的分析发现,FDI在东、中、西部城市的区位选择具有明显的差异。     

local industrial systems and the location of FDI in Italy

This article investigates the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) location across Italian provinces. Specifically it examines the relationship between industry‐specific local industrial systems and the location of inward FDI. This extends previous analysis beyond the mere density of activity, to illustrate the importance of the specific nature of agglomerations in attracting inward investment. The article develops a model of FDI location choice using a unique FDI database stratified by industry and province. The results also suggest that the importance of agglomeration differs between industries, and offers some explanation for this.     

The Role of Local Agglomeration Economies and Regional Characteristics in Attracting FDI: Italian Evidence

The objective of this paper is to test for the importance of local agglomeration externalities in determining inward foreign direct investment (FDI) intensity, viewed as a measure of regional attractiveness to FDI. The links between the degree of FDI inflow penetration into Italy and its determinants at the regional level are examined using alternative fixed effects panel data model specifications, also extended to include spatial effects. It is found that sectoral and regional specificities are relevant in attracting inward FDI into Italy and the different effects of intra‐sector and inter‐sector spillovers can be distinguished. There is also evidence that the importance of agglomeration spillovers connected to the geographical distance varies across regions, indicating both substitution and complementarity effects from FDI inflows into neighboring regions.     

会展旅游业的地理区位及其选择

会展业的发展在空间上客观存在着一个合理的地理区位。在不同的空间尺度上,会展业的区位影响因素是不尽相同的。区分和确定这些区位因子的差异和属性,有利于展会举办方做出准确的区位决策,促进会展业的不同利益群体获得各自的利益。     

Regional determinants of inward FDI distribution in Poland

In this paper we examine the location determinants of the inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Poland, at a regional level. Using survey data from an on-line questionnaire in February 2005 and a multinomial logit model incorporating the investor's specific characteristics, we show that knowledge-seeking factors alongside market and agglomeration factors, act as the main drivers for the inflow of FDI to the Mazowieckie region (including Warsaw), while efficiency and geographical factors encourage FDI to the other areas of Poland. Some implications are drawn for FDI attraction policy in Poland.