AN EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CORPORATE SPATIAL-ORGANIZATION, RESTRUCTURING, AND EXTERNAL CONTRACTING OF PRODUCER SERVICES WITHIN A METROPOLITAN REGION

Urban analysts contend that a key process underlying the extensive gro wth of producer services industries in U.S. metropolitan areas is the external contracting of producer services functions by corporations. T his practice has been linked to changes in the geographic scope of cor porate activity and to corporate restructuring. Using data collected f rom a sample of headquarters of service sector firms located in the no rtheast region of Ohio, the relationship between indicators of the geo graphic scope of corporate activity, corporate restructuring, and exte rnal contracting of producer services is examined. Reliance on interna tional markets by corporate headquarters was found to be most extensiv ely related to their use of external contracting for producer services .