Multinational and the Branch Plant Economy: an Investigation of Plant Quality in Yorkshire and Humberside and Northern Ireland

This paper seeks to contribute to longstanding but recently revived debates about the nature of the branch plant economy in the UK regions. It introduces new empirical evidence on the ‘quality’ of MNE plants in Yorkshire and Humberside and Northern Ireland. Plant quality in both regions is shown to be more variable than might be expected on the basis of the branch plant stereotype, with a substantial proportion of plants displaying at least some of the features associated with the idealised ‘quality plant’. The paper then investigates variations in plant quality using a typology that distinguishes between the different strategic roles played by MNE plants within their parent groups. The typology is shown to be a useful framework for interpreting variations in plant quality both within and between regions, with the ‘rationalised manufacturer’ type comparing closely to the archetypal branch plant and the ‘product specialist’ and ‘macro-region replica’ types being of superior quality. A discussion of the key characteristics of the main ‘strategy types’ is then used to expose the nature of the branch plant economy in Yorkshire and Humberside and Northern Ireland. In concluding, the paper reflects on the wider implications of this evidence and considers the lessons for policy-makers.