Marginalization of Sunset Firms in Regime Coalitions: A Social Network Analysis

Abstract

Marginalization of sunset firms in regime coalitions: a social network analysis, Regional Studies. Business leaders and organizations are central to the formation and maintenance of urban regimes. Business communities are not monolithic, however, and they vary in their composition of economic activities and industry sectors, and in the resources they command. Differentiation in business community resources has implications for regime networks, particularly in cities where large percentages of their economic base are comprised of industries in decline. Utilizing social network analysis, this paper finds that business leaders associated with traditional manufacturing are marginalized within the prevailing regime networks of two United States ‘rustbelt’ cities in favour of leaders associated with newer, more stable, industries.