PHD THESI S REVI EW

Territorial marketing: interaction between industrial

and regional networks
Ricardo Alexandre Fontes Correia
Published online: 17 February 2011
#
Springer-Verlag 2011
Abstract This is a summary of the author's PhD Thesis, supervised by Professor
Carlos Brito, and defended on December 21, 2010 at the Faculty of Economics of
the University of Porto (Portugal). The thesis is written in Portuguese and is
available from the author upon request. The research deals with the reciprocal
influence between firms and regional dynamics. The study puts in evidence that the
relationship between firms and regions is specific and dependent upon particular
features, thus, impossible to replicate in other contexts. It also suggests that regional
dynamics are mostly reliant upon intangible factors and networks interactions taking
place at various scales, and not on circumscribed material components. Such
specificity renders fragile the literature associated to the traditional stand of
economic geography and clusters' theory. These results provide regional admin-
istrations with a new perspective for the territorial promotion.
Keywords Regions
.
Industrial networks
.
Relational geography
.
Interaction
.
Relations
.
Firms
.
Territorial marketing
Regional dynamics depend on several events which overcome their own geograph-
ical borders. Such events are mainly played by firms, which register the dynamic and
the territorial structure to their action. Firms create inter-organisational networks that
connect them with other actors located in several scales. Therefore, their web of
relationships influences the territorial structure and dynamics. Simultaneously, the
space is not a neutral element as the territorial features influence the strategic action
of companies in different ways. This interactive relationship between firms and
regions is not yet totally explained by the traditional stand of economic geography
and clusters theory that mainly focuses on the analysis inside the region and are
Int Rev Public Nonprofit Mark (2011) 8:9395
DOI 10.1007/s12208-011-0064-y
R. Alexandre Fontes Correia (*)
Escola Superior de Comunicao, Administrao e Turismo, Polytechnic Institute of Bragana,
Apartado n 128, 5370-326 Mirandela, Portugal
e-mail: ricardocorreia@ipb.pt
based upon a list of material resources that should be available to the firms therein
located.
This doctoral thesis aims at analysing how the strategic action of firms is reflected
on the dynamics and regional structure, and how these regional factors affect firms
actions.
The thesis is structured in seven chapters. The first three chapters outline the
conceptual framework on which the doctoral research is based on. In Chapter 1,
devoted to the introduction, the state of art between regions and firms influence is
analysed. This analysis results in the detection of issues that are not satisfactory
explained by existing literature, which contextualize and reinforce the urgency of the
topic developed in this thesis.
Chapter 2 addresses regional studies under the perspective of the relational
geography approach, which challenge the traditional vision of the regional
management and economic geography. The network approach is highlighted by this
new trend of literature on relational geography, as particularly suited for the
comprehension of multiple interactions between actors located in different territories
that become visible in particular places. This chapter also underlines the important
regional role conferred to the firms by the relational geography, which proposes an
approach between spatial and economic management.
The third chapter reviews the process of firms interactions from the perspective
of the Industrial Networks approach. This theoretical contribution clarifies firms
interaction and strategic action that constitute one of the most important factors for
regional dynamics that is highlighted, but not sufficiently explained by the relational
geography. The interaction processes is here divided in episodes and relations, and
firm strategic action considered dependent upon firms network theories, their
position in the network as well as their resources. Industrial networks are also
described in terms of three basic variables: actors, resources and activities.
Additionally, the recent industrial network approach contributions to the spatial
analysis are reviewed, thus reinforcing and complementing the research obtained
from the relational geography.
In the fourth chapter, the previously mentioned theoretical approaches are
summarised and related, and their limitations identified. The main aim of the thesis
is here divided in three questions of analysis that are reflected on the theoretical
model aimed at answering what has been detected as issues remaining unclear in the
mutual influence between regions and firms. The conceptual model developed in this
chapter connects three different levels: the focal firm, its network of relations, and
the territory dynamics and structure. It assumes a dominant position during the
empirical work developed in the following chapters.
The fifth chapter presents the methodological choices adopted for the empirical
research guidance. Due to its capacity to reflect the dynamics of the phenomena
under study and suitability to other determinants resulting from the theoretical
constructs, a qualitative methodology with multiple case studies was followed. The
empirical field of research was based on six cases of focal firms located in different
regions of Portugal and Spain. Ikea-Swedwood, Aquapura hotels and the Aveiro port
administration were the selected firms located in diverse Northern Portugal regions.
Coren, Cortizo group and Cabreiro are the ones located in different regions of the
Spanish Northern Province of Galicia.
94 R.A.F. Correia
Chapter 6 is the most extensive of this doctoral thesis. It describes and examines
each of the six different cases according to the theoretical constructs identified in the
theoretical review and translated in the model. It also offers a comparative analysis
of the cases, from which the differences between the reciprocal influence processes
of each firm and territorial dynamic, derive as clear. Firms result fairly diverse from
this analysis. Even within the same economic sector their way of acting is different
and such difference is reflected on the way their relationship network articulates in
various regions. Furthermore, regions are also fairly heterogeneous in their
characteristics and have specific features and development paths that to different
extents influence the firms strategic action and relationships network.
The last chapter, devoted to conclusions, contains the main results of the research,
coming from the comparison between the empiric patterns with the ones expected
from the previous theoretical constructs. Theoretical contributions as well as
suggestions for further research are also presented in this chapter. Additionally it
contains several recommendations related to regional management that public
authorities can adopt in order to improve the dynamics and attractiveness of the
regions under their supervision.
Territorial marketing 95