INTERNATIONAL OUTSOURCING AND PARTNER LOCATION IN THE SPANISH FOOTWEAR SECTOR AN ANALYSIS BASED IN INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT SMES

In the globalized economy, international production delocalization can be considered a recurrent strategy in manufacturing industries. Taking into account this evidence, this paper seeks to determine the different factors influencing production outsourcing and partner location in four Spanish industrial districts. Using a sample of 401 footwear firms, results obtained from an ordered logit model indicate that institutional networks, internationalization efforts, firm size and differentiation policies favour more distant partner locations. Finally, the implications for practitioners and policy makers are specifically addressed.