Firm size and regional linkages: A typology of manufacturing establishments in Southern Spain

ROMERO 1. and SANTOS F. J. (2007) Firm size and regional linkages: a typology of manufacturing establishments in southern Spain, Regional Studies 41, 571 -584. Regions with different levels of development are characterized by different enterprise compositions according to firm size and regional productive linkages. Using these two variables and two additional ones - the technological level and the position in the value chain - the composition of the industrial sector in any region can be studied. In this respect, a new theoretical enterprise typology is proposed in this paper as a powerful analytical tool. Furthermore, empirical work is carried out using a data set from the survey done to estimate the regional input- output table of Andalusia, a backward region in southern Spain. Thus, the theoretical enterprise typology is applied to the industry in Andalusia, so that some strengths and weaknesses of the regional economy are identified.