ABSTRACT
A small diversion of the research effort from the field of business and institutional management to Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) would find far more fertile ground and produce many more benefits not only for rural society, but for the whole nation. The chapter examines United Kingdom rural development agencies in a comparative context but it will also reflect the difficulties and weaknesses of the research course which has just been indicated, in particular the risk that historical analysis is perceived as irrelevant to current and future decisions. RDAs are part of the governmental machine. Not only do they operate within government policy, but they are also an important source of ministerial publicity. Most analysis of RDAs focuses around the changing expressions of strategy. Although, given the generally greater resources of the two regional RDAs, their concentration on inward investment need not be at the expense of indigenous growth. Leadership and management aspect must be studied in a longitudinal way.
