Regional geographies of intercity corporate networks: The use of exponential random graph models to assess regional network‐formation

Drawing on the ‘local buzz and global pipeline’ perspective on the geographies of production in knowledge-intensive industries, our analysis associates observed network patterns with exogenous city characteristics (e.g., GDP and population) and endogenous local network structures (e.g., ‘star’ network structures) through exponential random graph models (ERGMs). Our analysis contributes to the quantitative analysis of urban systems and locational strategies of producer service firms, as we: (i) perform a direct two-mode network analysis of intercity corporate networks; (ii) explore the association between macro network patterns and local formation processes; and (iii) identify regional dynamics in network formation. Resumen Haciendo uso de la perspectiva del “boca a boca” y los “planes en curso globales” en las geografias de la produccion en las industrias intensamente basadas en el conocimiento, nuestro analisis asocia patrones de red observados con las caracteristicas exogenas de la ciudad (p. ej. PIB y poblacion) y las estructuras de red locales endogenas (p. ej. estructuras de red en ‘estrella’) mediante modelos de graficos aleatorios exponenciales (ERGMs, por sus siglas en ingles). Nuestro analisis contribuye al analisis cuantitativo de los sistemas urbanos y las estrategias de localizacion de las empresas de servicios al productor, con la: (i) realizacion de un analisis de red bimodal directo de las redes corporativas interurbanas; (ii) exploracion de la asociacion entre los patrones de la red a escala macro y los procesos de formacion locales; y (iii) identificacion de las dinamicas regionales en la formacion de redes.

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