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Advancing the Treatment of Human Agency in the Analysis of Regional Economic Development: Illustrated with Three Norwegian Cases

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  • Grillitsch, Markus

    (CIRCLE, Lund University)

  • Asheim, Bjørn

    (University of Stavanger)

  • Isaksen, Arne

    (Universit of Agder)

  • Nielsen, Hjalti

    (Lund University)

Abstract

Human agency has become a core topic in economic geography complementing traditional, structural approaches to explain regional development. This paper contributes firstly with a discussion of the theoretical and conceptual relationships between the agency of individuals, organizations, and systems. Secondly, it proposes a novel analytical framework for studying how human agency, combined with external changes affects regional economic development, and how regional structural preconditions and external changes explain the activation of change agency. Thirdly, the relevance of the framework is examined through comparative studies of about 20 years of industrial development in three Norwegian regions. This illuminates the importance of human agency in regional transformation processes, how regional preconditions influence but not determine the activation of change agency, as well as why and how regional policy plays a role in the emergence of change agency. Yet, future research needs to investigate the context conditions, which promote or hinder the activation of change agency, to trace changes in economic activities over time and link it to causal mechanisms, and to pay attention to the unintended consequences of change agency in the longer-term.

Suggested Citation

  • Grillitsch, Markus & Asheim, Bjørn & Isaksen, Arne & Nielsen, Hjalti, 2021. "Advancing the Treatment of Human Agency in the Analysis of Regional Economic Development: Illustrated with Three Norwegian Cases," Papers in Innovation Studies 2021/7, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:lucirc:2021_007
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    Cited by:

    1. Maximilian Benner, 2021. "System-level agency and its many shades: How to shape the system for path development?," PEGIS geo-disc-2021_10, Institute for Economic Geography and GIScience, Department of Socioeconomics, Vienna University of Economics and Business.
    2. Maximilian Benner, 2021. "Revisiting path-as-process: A railroad track model of path development, transformation, and agency," PEGIS geo-disc-2021_09, Institute for Economic Geography and GIScience, Department of Socioeconomics, Vienna University of Economics and Business.
    3. Zariņa Vita & Svirina Anna & Shina Inga & Uzule Kristine, 2022. "The Relationship Between the Industry-Level Economic Development and Human Development in Latvia," Economics and Culture, Sciendo, vol. 19(2), pages 70-80, December.
    4. Grillitsch, Markus & Sotarauta, Markku & Asheim, Björn & Fitjar, Rune Dahl & Haus-Reve, Silje & Kolehmainen, Jari & Kurikka, Heli & Lundquist, Karl-Johan & Martynovich, Mikhail & Monteilhet, Skirmante, 2022. "Agency and Economic Change in Regions: Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to identify Routes to New Path Development," Papers in Innovation Studies 2022/5, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    human agency; regional development; structural transformation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy

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