Corporate clustering in Australian Cities: an analysis of the geographic distribution of ASX-listed headquarters
Abstract: The geographic distribution of company headquarters has been studied in a variety of contexts as a means by which to understand the hierarchies and vectors of corporate power. Much of this is framed in the context of ‘agglomeration economies’—the concept that spatial clustering creates synergistic relationships – both tangible and intangible – between firms, their employees, and related institutions. This paper provides a comprehensive cross-sectional analysis of the geographic dimensions of corporate headquartering both within and between Australia’s major city-regions. Drawing on a list of 1,913 endogenous corporate headquarters, the country’s agglomerations are detailed and interrogated so as to provide an understanding of how their locational structure crystallized over time and the implications thereof. This research supports the notion that Sydney and Melbourne are Australia’s most prominent nodes of economic power, but also recognises a significant cluster of relatively small mining-related companies in Perth, as well as an orientation toward larger median firm size in Brisbane. Specific metropolitan-scale industrial clusters are also considered, and defined pathways for further research in this vein are suggested vis-à-vis a range of contemporary network analysis methods.
