Policy Review Section

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Abstract
In this Policy Review Section, Steve Martin and Graham Pearce of the Public Sector Management Division, Aston Business School, examine the manner in which Bilmingham City Council broadened its economic development perspective over the past decade to include a series of major European initiatives. They argue that the development of this explicit international dimension is likely to become ever more prevalent during the 1990s as local authorities address the implications of a larger European market, seek to maximize funding from the Structural Funds, lobby to bend EC programmes more directly to the needs of their areas, and establish international networks to facilitate economic development projects and exchange best practice. In the second article, Monder Ram of the Management Department, Birmingham Polytechnic, examines the possibilities of introducing ‘team working’ into the West Midlands clothing industry. In recent years local authorities have become increasingly interested in the idea of encouraging modern flexible production methods amongst local industries with the objective of both raising productivity and improving the quality of working life for employees. The so-called ‘Third Italy’ exemplified by regions such as Emilia Romagna is often cited as an example of how local authorities, the private sector and other agencies can facilitate the development of a viable base of small and medium sized companies through the establishment of collaborative working relationships and the introduction of flexible specialization. However, drawing on the example of the West Midlands clothing industry, Monder Ram stresses the need to take into account the specific context of the local sector including the product market competition, buyer-supplier relationships, and the characteristics of the local labour market if such strategies are to prove effective.

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