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| THE PRACTICAL STUDY ABOUT DECONCENTRATING CONSOLEDATED THEORY——The Effects of ICTs on Relocation Process of Firm |
| LU Zi |
| Department of Geography, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050016, China |
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Abstract This paper,through the case investigating about the North China Pharmaceutical Group and Medicine City of North China in Shijiazhuang Economic Technical Development Zone,deals with the analyses of relocation process in the company development,and describes the possible impact of ICTs on the relocation process:there is a close relationship between the new ICTs and spatial organization of the firm. ICTs plays an essential role in the new spatial organization. Here,ICTs emphasizes on the result of the merging of computing technology (terminals,software,micro-computer,and digital transmission,elc.). It departs from the literature which pays too little attention to the real motivations for any relocation.Our conclusion is:suburban space can be perceived as an available and often preferable alternative for quartering both back office and technically oriented workers. What we found was consolidated deconcentration.
The paper examines more closely the factor that weight in the selection of employee that are to be relocated before assessing the role of ICTs capabilities in the relocation process. The case studies indicate that companies use consolidated Deconcentration as an opportunity to acquire sufficient space to accomodate the rationalization. Suburban relocation presented the opportunity to effect the reconsolidation of operations. The view of "suburban footloose" is incorrect for three main reasons:first,the choice of office location is increasingly explained by spatial preferences and settlement patterns of the labor force;second,as the sites move away from the urban agglomeration center,the person transportation constraint in locational choice becomes more important;third,from investment benefit,it is very necessary that choose a special location for communication infrastructure,because communication service level consistents with "agency" distribution.
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Received: 27 September 1999
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2000, Vol. 15 
