Antony Potter, Room D5 Postgraduate Room, Dept. of Geography, University of Sheffield, Winter Street, Sheffield, United Kingdom
Upgrading manufacturing - The role of supply chains, parent companies, private and public organisations in developing medium and large manufacturers in the South Yorkshire Objective 1 region (assigned to theme
This paper evaluates the assistance medium and large manufacturers receive from a variety of external organisations. This assistance can include market information, capital investment grants, R&D investment, employee training, export support and many more. Firstly, this research identifies the types of assistance medium and large South Yorkshire manufacturers received from external organisations in the past three years. Secondly, using Likert scales supplemented with qualitative data, this research investigates the perceived beneficial impact of this assistance. Finally, using multivariate analysis, this paper examines what factors determine whether establishments receive assistance from different external organisations; and what factors determine the perceived beneficial impact of this assistance. This research aims to inform senior policy makers within the South Yorkshire Objective 1 Programme Directorate about the types of assistance manufacturing establishments are receiving and their perceived beneficial impact. South Yorkshire was the focus for this research because its GDP per capita fell below 75% of the European Union average, qualifying the region for EU Structural Funding. Subsequently, over the past seven years South Yorkshire has received £1.8 billion in European Union Structural Funds. The results are taken from structured interviews with Managing Directors of eighty manufacturing establishments within South Yorkshire in 2004. These results constitute a sample with a 23% response rate. These manufacturing establishments are medium and large in size (50-249 and 250+ employees) and cover all manufacturing industries (UK SIC 2003). These results are representative according to the establishments industry and location within South Yorkshire, but over-represented by large establishments.
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