THE ROLE OF LARGE PRODUCERS IN INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS - A CASE-STUDY OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS HOUSES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

A generalized concept of industrial districts is proposed. The concept hinges on the intertwined notions of the social division of labour, external economies and locational agglomeration. It is argued that large production units often play an important part in sustaining the growth and development of industrial districts and that such districts need not be composed solely of small production units. The argument is illustrated by means of a case study of the role of large systems houses within the high technology industrial districts of Southern California. It is concluded that neither large establishments nor the internationalization of the economy necessarily threaten the continued viability of industrial districts. It is also suggested that industrial districts represent a very widely developed phenomenon in time and space.