Periphery, uncertainty, and legacy: networks of global service firms within the former Soviet Union space

Abstract

This paper discusses intercity networks within the former Soviet Union (FSU), a semi-periphery of the global economic system of interactions. Intercity networks are constructed following an assumption that interaction between offices of the same corporation indicates connectivity between cities. In the FSU global corporations operate against a backdrop of continuous uncertainty. Consequently, it is possible to estimate temporal dynamics and spatial distribution of uncertainty by looking at the evolving structures of global companies with the example of global advanced producer service (APS) companies. These companies are regarded as brokers, integrating the region into the global business activities. The dataset comprises structures of the APS firms within the region in 2015 and 2018. A comparative analysis of networks in 2015 and 2018 demonstrates temporal dynamics of network reconfiguration and unequal spatial distribution of corporate offices in uncertain conditions. Through the lens of the network transformation, we reveal the continuous restructuring and peripheralization of the region.