The Competitiveness of Business Services and Regional Development: Evidence from Scotland and the South East of England

P.N. O'Farrell, D.M. Hitchens and L.A.R. Moffat
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P.N. O'Farrell: Department of Economics, Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
D.M. Hitchens: Department of Economics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 INN, UK
L.A.R. Moffat: Department of Business Organisation, Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK

Urban Studies, 1993, vol. 30, issue 10, 1629-1652

Abstract: This paper presents a matched-pairs analysis of the competitive performance of business service companies in Scotland and the South East of England. Value added per person is one-quarter higher in the English firms and a significantly higher proportion of them (49 per cent) have introduced a new service during the previous five years compared with 34 per cent of Scottish businesses. The latter were also more likely to function as multi-service companies reflecting the greater demand in Scotland for a more generalised service offering. The English service businesses also achieved a much greater degree of export orientation. The paper reviews various supply- and demand-side causes of the performance differences and the implications of potential policy responses are considered.

Date: 1993
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:30:y:1993:i:10:p:1629-1652

DOI: 10.1080/00420989320081631

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