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| SERVICE INDUSTRIAL LOCATION: CONCEPT, THEORY AND RESEARCH FRAMEWORK |
| FANG Yuan-ping1, YAN Xiao-pei2 |
1. School of Tourism Management, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
2. Center for Urban and Regional Studies, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China |
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Abstract Location theory is the one about the optimum location or place choice of human activities and relevant facilities which aims at obtaining the biggest synthetical benefit.Service location theory is a branch of location theory and one of the three social economy sector location theories. Since the World-WarⅡ, with the rapid growth of the global service economy, the research of service location has gotten much attention in foreign countries. After 1990's, Chinese scholars have focused on the research of service location, too. Due to the diversity and discrepancy of the characteristics of different service sectors, the research of service location theory is yet far from the systemic today. In order to promote the development of the location theory of service industries, this paper tries to forward the new concept of service industrial location. discusses its basic theories and builds the theoretical research framework of service industrial location.
Firstly, based on the basic concept of location theory, such as location body, location condition or location factor, location choice, location competition, spatial structure and location result or benefit, this paper puts forward the location process theory, according to the characteristics of service industries and service classification, and proposes the research framework of service location theory which is composed of the general service location theory and special service industrial location theory. The general service location theory includes location factor theory, location choice theory, spatial structure theory, location benefit theory, etc. The special service industrial location theory includes location theory of producer service, distribution service, consumer service and social service sectors.
Secondly, the paper analyses the basic theories of service location including economic theories, behavior theory and firm organization theory, social structural theory and Marxism theory, distribution theory, and social equality-efficient theory, etc. Furthermore, based on the analyses on the characteristics,relationship of different factors, the paper puts forward the Diamond Model of service location factors and advances the research process of the service location choice and location pattern of different service sectors.
Finally, the paper advances the empirical research framework of service location, which includes three parts: the basic empirical location theory, the location factor system and the empirical research of service industrial location. Also,it offers a tool to help us well understand the different service location phenomenon and the research of service geography at last.
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Received: 25 August 2007
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2008, Vol. 23 
