National Industry Clusters and Regional Specializations in Turkey

The article aims to identify industry clusters in Turkey by examining inter-industry selling and purchasing relationships. The 1990 Turkish input-output table is used to identify similarities between selling and purchasing patterns of the 60 manufacturing industries and derive a matrix that describes relative linkages between them. The article also investigates the regional specializations by using the identified national clusters as templates for an analysis of local patterns. Principle component factor analysis reveals the presence of six identifiable industry clusters. The firms within the identified clusters provide a potential to share technical information and knowledge transfer through formal or informal interactions.     

Complex Contagions and the Diffusion of Innovations: Evidence from a Small-N Study

The recent literature on “complex contagions” challenges Granovetter’s classic hypothesis on the strength of weak ties and argues that, when the actors’ choice requires reinforcement from several sources, it is the structure of strong ties that really matters to sustain rapid and wide diffusion. The paper contributes to this debate by reporting on a small-N study that relies on a unique combination of ethnographic data, social network analysis, and computational models. In particular, we investigate two rural populations of Indian and Kenyan potters who have to decide whether to adopt new, objectively more efficient and economically more attractive, technical/stylistic options. Qualitative field data show that religious sub-communities within the Indian and Kenyan populations exhibit markedly different diffusion rates and speed over the last thirty years. To account for these differences, we first analyze empirically observed kinship networks and advice networks, and, then, we recreate the actual aggregate diffusion curves through a series of empirically calibrated agent-based simulations. Combining the two methods, we show that, while single exposure through heterophilious weak ties were sufficient to initiate the diffusion process, large bridges made of strong ties can in fact lead to faster or slower diffusion depending on the type of signals circulating in the network. We conclude that, even in presence of “complex contagions,” dense local ties cannot be regarded as a sufficient condition for faster diffusion.     

Industry Clusters in Ireland: An Application of Porter's Model of National Competitive Advantage to Three Sectors

This paper examines the importance of industrial clusters, and the relevance of Porter's diamond model, in the context of the small open economy of Ireland. It analyses the experience of three relatively successful Irish indigenous sectors and it considers to what extent have clusters of related or connected industries been important in accounting for the degree of success attained in Ireland. We do not find evidence of well-developed clusters of the type described by Porter, and our study provides support for some previous critiques of Porter's model. It is concluded that Irish industrial policy does not need to be focused strongly on developing the type of industry clusters described in Porter's model. At the same time, different elements of Porter's model do prove to be relevant and we find that companies in Ireland benefit from being part of some form of wider grouping of connected or related companies and industries, although these groupings can differ from Porter's clusters in significant respects.     

论抗日战争时期的云南铜业

抗日战争时期,中国国防用铜量急剧增加,但国土大部沦陷,云南成为抗战军需用铜唯一的供给地。国民政府经济部所属资源委员会与云南省政府共同组建"滇北矿务局","彻底管理"云南铜业,有效整合云南铜矿资源,把云南铜业完全纳入国家军事战略资源的范畴。国民政府在云南采取积极措施,使云南军需铜材产量大幅提升,保证了抗战的铜材需求,有力支持了中国人民的抗日战争。云南铜业的生产规模和技术也在抗战期间得到极大提升,加快了云南矿业现代化发展步伐。     

Some Problems of the Multi-Purpose Utilization of Natural Resources for the National Development of African Countries

A survey of water and mineral resources of the African continent and their problems of development. The author suggests that African states, with their relatively small population and economic capabilities, should collaborate in the construction of major water projects and in the exploitation of large mineral deposits.     

1949—1966年工矿地区图书发行工作探析

工矿地区的群众始终是党和国家开展图书发行工作的重要对象。新中国成立之初,由于力量所限,工矿地区的图书发行工作主要采取流动供应方式;随着发行力量的不断增强,尤其是大规模经济建设对相关图书的迫切需求,在工矿地区发行图书的内容、数量和形式日益丰富,新华书店工矿门市部与书亭、工矿图书馆、义务发行员和流动供应图书相结合的发行方式逐渐成为主流。在党和国家的统一领导与管理下,以新华书店为代表的国营图书发行机构将内容多样、种类丰富的图书送到工人读者手中,在加强政治宣传、提升工业产量、推动技术进步和满足工人文化需求等方面发挥了重要作用。     

The Role of Leading Firms in the Evolution of SME Clusters: Evidence from the Leather Products Cluster in Florence

Clusters that emerged in the past have changed during the latest decades, so that today the research challenge in economic geography is on their evolution over time. The aim of this paper is to update the evolutionary path of SME Italian clusters, which faced the economic crisis are undergoing a process of decline in the number of firms. Furthermore, changes in the techno-economic landscape and in the competitive environment have generated new challenges. In this context, some leading firms, able to connect local resources (and firms) to global networks, have emerged over time and today they act as a gatekeeper. The focus will be on local networks interacting with leading firms and particular attention will be devoted to the pattern of co-evolution and to the geographical dimension of this co-evolutionary process. To empirically verify if other firms in the cluster may co-evolve with the leading firm over time, a deep analysis of the Gucci network in the leather products cluster in Florence will be carried out.     

Structural Adjustment and Subsistence Industry: Artisanal Gold Mining in Ghana

Since the implementation of Ghana's national Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), policies associated with the programme have been criticized for perpetuating poverty within the country's subsistence economy. This article brings new evidence to bear on the contention that the SAP has both fuelled the uncontrolled growth of informal, poverty‐driven artisanal gold mining and further marginalized its impoverished participants. Throughout the adjustment period, it has been a central goal of the government to promote the expansion of large‐scale gold mining through foreign investment. Confronted with the challenge of resuscitating a deteriorating gold mining industry, the government introduced a number of tax breaks and policies in an effort to create an attractive investment climate for foreign multinational mining companies. The rapid rise in exploration and excavation activities that has since taken place has displaced thousands of previously‐undisturbed subsistence artisanal gold miners. This, along with a laissez faire land concession allocation procedure, has exacerbated conflicts between mining parties. Despite legalizing small‐scale mining in 1989, the Ghanaian government continues to implement procedurally complex and bureaucratically unwieldy regulations and policies for artisanal operators which have the effect of favouring the interests of established large‐scale miners.     

On Physical-Geographic Regionalization and the Regionalization of Natural Resources

The author finds conventional physical-geographic regionalization inadequate for economic-geographic purposes, and proposes instead a “natural regionalization” or regionalization of natural resources. Such a regionalization would reflect the economic assessment of the natural environment of a given area and would be more appropriate in economic-geographic research. The principles underlying natural-resource regionalization are illustrated with a regional scheme for the Sudan, an area to which the author has devoted special study.     

Network Analysis of Production Clusters: The Potsdam/Babelsberg Film Industry as an Example

The cluster concept has assumed a prominent position in the institutional approaches which have been applied in economic geography in recent times. Although there are numerous analyses based on the cluster concept, no agreement has been reached to date on suitable methods for analysis and comparison of regional clusters. This paper presents a research design for the analysis of regional production clusters which employs the network analysis method to develop, in particular, the 'quality analysis' of clusters, using the film industry production cluster in Potsdam/Babelsberg (adjacent to the Berlin metropolis) as a practical example.     

资源委员会江西省政府合办江西省重工业理事会1942年年报

抗战爆发后,华北、华东地区相继沦陷,原集中于此的重工业企业或关闭,或迁移,国民政府为保障国防需求,在华中、西南等地大力发展重工业。在此背景下,江西省政府与资源委员会合办机器、炼钢、硫酸、车船、电工五厂,并于1942年4月成立江西省重工业理事会,对各厂进行监督考核。本组史料即为该理事会1942年年报,对各厂的沿革、组织、计划、资产、业务发展等方面均有所反映。     

Worker Housing in the Vermont Copper Belt: Improving Life and Industry Through Paternalism and Resistance

During the mid-nineteenth century, east-central Vermont supported two major copper mines and their associated villages. In order to wrest thousands of tons of copper from the earth these mines, the Elizabeth and Ely mines, hired and housed thousands of miners, laborers, and their families. Both mines pursued the same resource in the same environment during the same period, but the Ely Mine developed a centralized village, while the Elizabeth Mine housed its workers in isolated housing clusters. The causes of these differences in worker housing can be traced to differences in scale, setting, and managerial philosophy, and can be analyzed within the larger historical context of Improvement and the larger ethnographic context of paternalism in mining communities.     

城：夏商时期对自然资源的控制问题

本文主要从中心——周边系统相互关系的角度探讨了晋南地区两个商城的政治经济活动,特别是跨地域的控制和运输重要自然资源的问题,并认为聚落形态的变化尤其是城的兴衰,应从政治、经济系统的角度考察。在中国早期国家发展阶段,政治中心从周边地区掠取重要自然资源战略的改变,往往会影响人口的移动和城市的兴衰。     

国家经济建设重心变迁与陕西工业

陕西工业发展、变化与国家经济建设重心变迁紧密相关。 1 95 3— 1 975年国家强力度的投资和大规模的工业建设 ,使陕西工业“跳跃”式地进入现代工业化 ,使以现代工业为主体的陕西经济结构得以完善。 1 979年国家投资重心东移以及经济管理体制的根本性变化 ,并没有减弱陕西经济发展的势头 ,改革开放同样也给予陕西工业结构重新组合的历史契机。 2 0世纪末 ,中国西部大开发战略的提出 ,使陕西工业发展迎来了又一次新的历史机遇。     

买办与近代民族保险业的初创

买办在近代民族保险业初创时期表现活跃,是创办民族保险业的主力.买办对于保险,从洋行工作中的初步接触到附股求利再到投资自营,从观念上对国人的不懈启蒙到实践层面的积极参与.表现出极大的热情.正是在他们的倡导下,加上官府的扶助,民族保险业最终在洋务运动中突破外商的垄断艰难地产生出来.买办于民族保险业实有开拓奠基之功.     

商周时期南北方铜矿开采技术比较研究--以鄂赣交界地带和辽西地区为例

本文选取了鄂赣交界地带和辽西地区的4座晚商至西周早中期的古铜矿遗址,分别从探矿技术、开采技术、开采工具、相关配套设施和选矿技术等方面对南北两区域古铜矿的开采技术进行全面比较,并试图从两地的自然环境、矿物品质以及生产组织方式等不同方面来解释出现这种差异的原因。     

Climate shocks and conflict: Evidence from colonial Nigeria

This paper offers a historical micro-level analysis of the impact of climate shocks on the incidence of civil conflict in colonial Nigeria (1912–1945). Primary historical sources on court cases, prisoners and homicides are used to capture conflict. To measure climate shocks we use the deviation from long-term rainfall patterns, capturing both drought and excessive rainfall. We find a robust and significant curvilinear (U-shaped) relationship between rainfall deviations and conflict intensity, which tends to be stronger in agro-ecological zones that are least resilient to climatic variability (such as Guinean Savannah) and where (pre-) colonial political structures were less centralized. We find evidence that the relationship is weaker in areas that specialize in the production of export crops (such as cocoa and palm oil) compared to subsistence farming areas, suggesting that agricultural diversification acts as an insurance mechanism against the whims of nature. Additional historical information on food shortages, crop-price spikes and outbreaks of violence is used to explore the climate–conflict connection in greater detail.