The Service Economy: A Geographical Approach

Services dominate the modern economy. This controversial and important book reviews research into the development and future of the service economy. Professor Illeris synthesises not only English language research on the nature and function of services, but also introduces the lesser–known but equally important work done on services by researchers in other languages which often reaches surprising and challenging conclusions. While the emphasis is on producer services in the western world, due consideration is also given to the role and significance of personal and household services which have been frequently ignored in the literature. The approach adopted is geographical and macro–economic and among the topics discussed are the nature and classification of service activities, the role and importance of services in the overall economy and the increasing importance of services in regional development and international trade. The overall theme of the book is how our society has been transformed into a service economy and what this implies for individuals, institutions and states as both producers and consumers of services. This is a key text for students and researchers of economics, economic geography, planning, regional science and applied social science as well as of interest to planners, consultants and managers in service industries and government.

Spis treści:
WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT?
The Nature and Role of Services.
Classification of Service Activities.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SERVICES.
Development of Household Services.
Productivity and Effectiveness.
Development of Producer Services.
Qualifications and Conditions of Work.
LOCATION OF SERVICES AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
Inter–Urban Distribution of Service Activities.
Factors of Inter–Urban Location.
The Role of Services in Regional Development.
Services Within Cities.
SERVICES IN THE ECONOMICALLY DEVELOPED WORLD.
International Vari ation.
International Trade in Services.
CONCLUSIONS.
The Service Society.
Important Conclusions and Further Questions.
Appendix.
Case Studies.
Bibliography.
Index.

Okładka tylna:
Services dominate the modern economy. This controversial and important book reviews research into the development and future of the service economy. Professor Illeris synthesises not only English language research on the nature and function of services, but also introduces the lesser–known but equally important work done on services by researchers in other languages which often reaches surprising and challenging conclusions. While the emphasis is on producer services in the western world, due consideration is also given to the role and significance of personal and household services which have been frequently ignored in the literature. The approach adopted is geographical and macro–economic and among the topics discussed are the nature and classification of service activities, the role and importance of services in the overall economy and the increasing importance of services in regional development and international trade. The overall theme of the book is how our society has been transformed into a service economy and what this implies for individuals, institutions and states as both producers and consumers of services. This is a key text for students and researchers of economics, economic geography, planning, regional science and applied social science as well as of interest to planners, consultants and managers in service industries and government.