This title was first published in 2002. The concept of embeddedness refers to the social construction of inter-firm relationships and the enmeshing of economic relationships within broader social structures and relationships in particular places. Previous research has suggested embedding is the best way to generate local growth and social capital and has focused on SMEs in Europe and North America, although the existing model is being more widely adopted now. This volume is the first to examine the complex processes of embedding in this wider context. Bringing together a broad range of case studies from the developed and developing world which address the nature of embeddedness from various perspectives, it not only questions the universality of the current model and the policy initiatives it has spawned but also provides a much wider understanding of embeddedness. It does so by discussing the social dimensions more fully and by throwing light on the spatial and temporal ambiguity of the concept and its inadequate treatment of power.

’This edited volume presents a unique overview of theoretical and empirical contributions of some of the hotbeds of thinking in economic geography since the mid 1980s, particularly that related to the issue of the social embeddedness of economic action. Different views of this conception are discussed and a wealth of empirical studies presented which draw upon different sectoral, cultural and regional contexts. The selection of articles is especially constructive for it also allows the reader to examine various views of the embeddedness concept from different countries. This book is a valuable contribution to current thinking in economic geography and will help bridge the gap towards the applicability of embeddedness in empirical studies.’ Professor Harald Bathelt, Institute of Economic Geography, University of Frankfurt, Germany 'This volume includes valuable explorations of its social dimensions; economic geographers have largely neglected these. Case studies extending well beyond North America and Europe provide a sound basis for questioning current assumptions about the veracity of public policy initiatives based on a rather narrow understanding of embeddedness.' Professor P W Daniels, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham 'For anyone interested in embeddedness, this book is must reading. The book succeeds in drawing out the complexity of the concept and its rich empairical illustrations help to illustrate the conceptual arguments.' Journal of Rural Cooperation

Simon Leonard is an economic, urban and social human geographer, completing his PhD studies at the London School of Economics and working in research and academic employment at University College London, the Greater London Council Economic Policy Group and the London Research Centre. Between 1992 and 2016 he was a lecturer in the former Department of Geography at the University of Portsmouth, and Head of Department for the last nine years of that period.

Michael Taylor was one of the world’s foremost Economic Geographers and his work helped shape the study of manufacturing industries, local economic development and geographical approaches to theorising firms in place and across space. His research both shaped academic debate and informed policy development in the UK, New Zealand and Australia. He published over 150 papers and book chapters and 15 books. He held the position of Chair of the IGU Commission on “The Dynamics of Economic Space” from 2008. He retired from the Chair of Human Geography at the University of Birmingham in 2011 and was awarded the position of Adjunct Professor at the University of Western Australia until the time of his death in 2021. Mike left behind a highly influential legacy of research and publications.