Corporate change in the Cumbrian Economy: Second Quarter (Apr.-Jun.) 2020

This CRED Economic Bulletin gives a review of corporate change in Cumbria for the period Apr-Jun 2020

Corporate change in the Cumbrian Economy: Fourth Quarter (Oct-Dec) 2019

This CRED Economic Bulletin gives a review of corporate change in Cumbria for the period October-December 2019

Cross-border collaboration in economic development: institutional change on the Anglo-Scottish border

This article considers how changes in institutional structures affect the motivations of policymakers towards collaboration across borders. The Anglo-Scottish Border is used to illustrate the varied motivations for cross-border collaboration using models of partnership working. Adapting recent frameworks of analysis based on the concept of cross-border regional innovation systems, the Anglo-Scottish border is used to show how institutional changes can alter the balance between symmetries and asymmetries that tend to characterize cross-border relationships. Due to progressive devolution of functions to the Scottish Parliament since the 1990s, there are increasing contrasts in institutional settings and policy frameworks across this sub-state border. The nature of cross-border collaboration in two time periods is compared and contrasted. The first took place during 2000–2004 under the banner of “Border Visions.” This is contrasted with the more recent attempts to stimulate cross-border collaboration in the context of the Referendum on Scottish Independence in 2014. It is shown that the motivations for cross-border working can shift in response to changes in the economy and also in response to interactions between policy debates that occur simultaneously at different spatial scales

Regional resilience and collective action: the response of local state actors to the needs of rural enterprise in crisis

While the usefulness of the term “regional resilience” is currently being debated widely in academia Hill, Wial and Wolman, 2008; Swanstrom, 2008; Chapple and Lester 2007, Simmie and Martin, 2010), the term is already very firmly embedded in the local public policy arena. The encroachment of this term into policy territory once occupied by “emergency planning” is quite striking. In this article, we explore the significance of this shift in emphasis which, we would argue, symbolises a different approach to governance associated with responses to disasters at a local level. Whereas emergency planning is commonly interpreted as a justification for centralised control of decision-making and an upward shift in governance, the concept of resilience focuses attention on the capacity of localities and regions to mitigate and when required to respond to crises as they arise with limited external assistance. A key element in our argument concerns the evolution of partnership as the preferred method for government in delivering a wide range of policies in local areas. Partnership working is often a highly complex process with uncertain outcomes that can take long periods of time to negotiate. It is not unreasonable, therefore, for some commentators to suggest that “normal” processes of local development are incompatible with situations where there is a need for rapid executive action to address emergency needs in a disaster. We develop the argument that increased reference to resilience in local public policy can be interpreted as part of an attempt by central powers to devolve greater responsibility for responding to disasters to local partnerships. We explore these ideas in the context of Cumbria, a rural region of the UK that has experienced a succession of such disasters between 2001 and 2010. The analysis examines the responses of local actors to these periodic crises and the extent to which lessons have been learnt and applied from past experience

Corporate change in the Cumbrian economy: second quarter (Apr-Jun) 2023

This CRED Economic Bulletin gives a review of corporate change in Cumbria for the period April to June 2023

Regulation and growth-oriented small businesses in North-West England

This paper examines the ways in which growth-oriented small and micro-businesses (SMBs) are affected by regulations. Case studies from North-West England are used to investigate the relationship between attitudes and responses to regulation and the characteristics of business growth. This research examines the relationship between regulation and growth using eight case studies of SMBs. The selected cases are proactive in seeking new market opportunities and innovative in terms of product development or business process. Case studies confirm that owner-managers of SMBs experience high levels of regulatory burden. However, some growth-oriented businesses also recognise the advantages in being proactive in seeking regulatory knowledge. These advantages were particularly prevalent in cases where growth is driven by product innovation in relatively new product-markets. The study is based on a limited number of case studies in one region of England. Even so, interviews facilitate probing to increase understanding of the underlying reasons for attitudes towards regulation. The cases demonstrate that even very small businesses can use regulatory knowledge as a basis for business growth. The findings suggest that networking in order to engage with regulatory regimes can generate competitive advantages and open up new market opportunities for small businesses. This research contributes towards the debate on the impact of regulations on the economy at the micro level and in so doing highlights important nuances in the relationship between business growth and the regulatory environment

The challenges faced by social enterprises in North West England

On 9th February 2015, a questionnaire was sent out electronically to all businesses in Cumbria and Lancashire that appeared to be social enterprises. The database of email addresses of these businesses was compiled using regional databases such as the Cumbria Social Enterprise Partnership http://www.socialenterpriseincumbria.org/A_to_Z_of_Enterprises, social media and previous UnLtd award winners. The project manager also took printed questionnaire surveys to events in Cumbria (Cumbria Social Enterprise Partnership Awards and the Annual Conference and Cumbria CVS Funding Fair). In this document, we are analysing the responses that were returned by 15th June 2015, although it must be noted that a few others have come in since that cut-off date

Corporate change in the Cumbrian Economy: First Quarter (Jan.-Mar.) 2022. CRED Economic Bulletin No. 12

This CRED Economic Bulletin gives a review of corporate change in Cumbria for the period Jan.-Mar. 2022

Corporate change in the Cumbrian Economy: First Quarter (Jan.-Mar.) 2021. CRED Economic Bulletin No. 8.

This CRED Economic Bulletin gives a review of corporate change in Cumbria for the period Jan-Mar 2021

Corporate change in the Cumbrian Economy: Second Quarter (Apr.-Jun.) 2021. CRED Economic Bulletin No. 9.

This CRED Economic Bulletin gives a review of corporate change in Cumbria for the period Apr-Jun 2021