How does the embeddedness in institutional structures enable or constrain the economic evolution of manufacturing regions? The history of these regions explains the origins and persistence of certain region-specific institutions. In this article the embeddedness in institutions-as the products of historically situated interactions, conflicts and negotiations among different socioeconomic actors and groups-is compared in the development of two manufcturing regions: the Uddevalla region in Sweden and the Southeast Brabant region in the Netherlands. This comparative investigation of two manufacturing regions suggests that the type of manufacturing seems to be decisive for the possibility to adapt. Since social capital, or embeddedness, has been strong in both regions, it is not a sufficient factor alone to explain why one of the regions has managed to transform better than the other.
Åberg, M. (1994) 'Folkhemmets Uddevalla och det svenska samförståndet', Bebyggelsehistorisk tidskrift 28: 39-58.
2.
Åberg, M. (1997) Uddevalla stads historia. Uddevalla: Uddevalla Kommun.
3.
Amin, A.
(1993) 'The Globalization of the Economy: An Erosion of Regional Networks?', pp. 278-295. in G. Grabher (ed.) The Embedded Firm: On the Socio-Economics of Industrial Networks. London: Routledge.
4.
Amin, A.
(1999) 'An Institutionalist Perspective on Regional Economic Development', International Journal of Urban and Regional Research23: 365-378.
5.
Amin, A.
and K. Robins (1991) 'These Are Not Marshallian Times', pp. 105-118. in R. Camagni (ed.) Innovation Networks - Spatial Perspectives. London: Belhaven Press.
6.
Amin, A.
and N. Thrift, eds (1994) Globalization, Institutions, and Regional Development in Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
7.
Bockholt, P.
and T. van der Weele (1998) 'Southeast Brabant: A Regional Innovation System in Transition', pp. 48-71. in H.-J. Braczyk, P. Cooke and M. Heidenreich (eds) Regional Innovation Systems: The Role of Governances in a Globalized World. London: University College London Press.
8.
Boschma, R.
and J.G. Lambooy (1999) 'Evolutionary Economics and Economic Geography', Journal of Exolutionary Economics9: 411-429.
9.
Braczyk, H.-J.
and M. Heidenreich (1998) 'Regional Governance Structures in a Globalized World', pp. 414-440. in H.-J. Braczyk, P. Cooke and M. Heidenreich (eds) Regional Innovation Systems: The Role of Governances in a Globalized World. London: University College London Press.
10.
Braczyk, H.-J.
, P. Cooke and M. Heidenreich, eds (1998) Regional Innovation Systems: The Role of Governances in a Globalized World. London: University College London Press.
11.
Brown, R.
(1998) Maximising the Economic and Technological Impact of Large Companies. A Study of Autonova, Saab Automobile and Volvo Aero Corporation in the Fyrstad Economy. Glasgow: European Policies Research Centre.
12.
Camagni, R.
(1991) Innovation Networks: Spatial Perspectives. London: Belhaven Press.
13.
Coleman, J.S.
(1988) 'Social Capital in the Creation of Human Capital', American Journal of Sociology94: 95-121.
14.
De Smidt, M.
(1990) 'Philips: A Global Electronics Firm Restructures its Home Base', pp. 55-76. in M. De Smidt and E. Wever (eds) The Corporate Firm in a Changing World Economy Case Studies in the Geography of Enterprise. London: Routledge.
15.
Ekberg, T.
(1997) 'Fyrstad's New Sense of Identity and Purpose', The Nordie Journal of Regional Development and Territorial Policy8: 13-18.
16.
Ekstedt, E.
, R.A. Lundin, a. Söderholm and H. Wirdenius (1999) Neo-Industrial Organising. London: Routledge.
17.
Fukuyama, F.
(1995) Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity. London: Hamish Hamilton.
18.
Ghemawat, P.
(1991) Commitment. New York: Free Press.
19.
Grabher, G.
, ed. (1993) The Embedded Firm: On the Socio-Economics of Industrial Networks. London: Routledge.
20.
Granovetter, M.
(1973) 'The Strength of Weak Ties', American Journal of Sociology6: 1360-1380.
21.
Granovetter, M.
(1985) 'Economic Action and Social Structure: The Problem of Embeddedness', American Journal of Sociology91(3): 481-510.
22.
Håkansson, H.
and a. Lundgren (1997) 'Paths in Time and Space: Path Dependence in Industrial Networks', pp. 119-137. in L. Magnusson and J. Ottosson (eds) Evolutionary Economics and Path Dependence. Cheltenham: Edgar Elgar.
23.
Hallin, G.
(1995) Struggle over Strategy. States, Localities and Economic Restructuring in Sunderland and Uddevalla. Uppsala: Uppsala University.
24.
Hallin, G. and S. Larsson (1998) Företagsutveckling Fyrstad och Företagsstart Fyrstad. Stockholm: Nord Region.
25.
Harrison, B.
(1997) Lean and Mean. New York: Guilford Press.
26.
Herrigel, G.B.
(1993) 'Power and the Redefinition of Industrial Districts: The Case of Baden-Württemberg', pp. 227-251. in G. Grabher (ed.) The Embedded Firm: On the Socio-Economics of Industrial Networks. London: Routledge.
27.
Herrigel, G.B.
(1996) Industrial Constructions: The Sources of German Industrial Power. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
28.
Kalb, D.P.
(1995) Expanding Class: Power and Everyday Politics in industrial Communities, North Brabant Illustrations, 1850-1950. Utrecht: University of Utrecht.
29.
Kristensen, P.H.
(1999) 'A New Sociology of the Firm', International Studies of Management and Organization29(2): 94-112.
30.
Magnusson, L. (2000) Den tredje industriella revolutionen - och den svenska arbetsmarknaden. Stockholm: Prisma and Arbetslivsinstitutet.
31.
Magnusson, L.
and J. Ottosson (1997) Evolutionary Economics and Path Dependence. Cheltenham: Edgar Elgar.
32.
Nordström, L. (1988) Uddevallas förändring. Stockholm: ERU (Expertgruppen för forskning om regional utreckling).
33.
Oinas, P.
(1998) The Embedded Firm? Prelude for a Revived Geography of Enterprise. Helsinki: Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration.
34.
Olsen, M.
(1982) The Rise and Decline of Nations. Economic Growth, Stagflation and Social Rigidities. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
35.
Piore, M.J.
and C.F. Sabel (1984) The Second Industrial Divide. New York: Basic Books.
36.
Porter, M.
(1990) The Competitive Advantage of Nations. New York: Free Press.
37.
Portes, A.
and P. Landolt (1996) 'Unsolved Mysteries: The Toqueville Files II', The American Prospect7(26): 18-21; available at: www.prospect.org archives/26/26-cnt2.html
38.
Putnam, R.D.
(1993) Making Democracy Work, Civic Traditions in Modern Italy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
39.
Storrie, D. (1993) The Anatomy of a Large Swedish Plant Closure. Gïteborg: Göteborgs universitet.
40.
Tönnissen, F. (1998) Die Region Eindhoven Venlo: Regionale Wachstumprozesse, Groβunternehmen und intraregionale Zusammenarbeit. Cologne: Wirtschaftsund Sozialwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität zu Köln.
41.
Uddevallakommissionen (1987) En ny framtid för Uddevallaregionen. Göteborg: The County Administrative Board.
42.
Uddevallarapporten (1971) Uddevalla: Företagsdemokratidelegationen and Utvecklingsruppen vid Uddevallavarvet AB.
43.
Visser, J.
and A. Hemerijck (1998) A Dutch Miracle. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
44.
Wever, E.
and E. Stam (1999) 'Clusters of High Technology SMEs: The Dutch Case', Regional Studies33(4): 391-400.
45.
Zukin, S.
and P. DiMaggio, eds (1990) 'Introduction', in Structures of Capital: The Social Organization of the Economy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
