Showing papers by "Anne E. Green published in 1990"

Business reorganization and the uneven development of corporate services in the British urban and regional system

Abstract: Corporate structures have an important influence on the location of service employment. A corporate complex of head offices and associated service suppliers in the hinterland of capital cities underpins the spatial centralization of service activities in national economies. Established forms of firm organization which separate conception and control functions from implementation have been modified in recent years, but the spatial implications of such changes remain the subject of debate. This paper examines case study evidence of the reorganization of corporate services in Great Britain, and relates this to a broader analysis of corporate service employment change. Important changes in corporate behaviour and locational relations are underway. While hitherto business reorganization has encouraged the spatial centralization of many types of corporate services close to the capital, it is currently creating some opportunities for the development of a wide range of service activities in provincial parts of Britain.

Craft and technician skill shortages in engineering

Abstract: The occupational profile of the engineering industry has changed radically in recent years. Employment of craftsmen has declined in absolute and relative terms and is projected to continue to decrease in future. Technicians have increased in relative significance and their employment is forecast to remain stable. Trainees are crucial to the future supply of qualified personnel, but the cutback in trainees has outstripped the rate of employment loss. Time‐series models reveal that the length of the adjustment process which brings supply and demand back into balance given a shock to the system is approximately four years, consistent with the lags in training. Trends in manpower balances indicate that current net loss rates from stocks will have to be reduced if supply is to meet demand in the short and medium term. Hence the way in which skills shortages can and do occur in declining occupations is illustrated.