Article On the global city map, but not in command? Probing Manila’s position in the world city network Jana Kleibert Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space, Germany Abstract The changing geography of service employment and the relocation of back-office service tasks to developing economies present a challenge to contemporary world city network research and methodology, as cost-driven offshoring may wrongly suggest a city’s increased importance in global city rankings. In particular, financial service firms, but also management consultancies, law firms, and other advanced producer service firms have offshored tasks abroad. These firms’ offices are attributed a vital role in the world city network literature and form the basis for world city rankings using the interlocking network model. Based on empirical research on advanced producer service firms in Metro Manila, the Philippines, this paper argues that the existence of linkages and the appearance ‘on the map’ of dominant economic flows does not automatically lead to an increased command and control position of Manila. Instead, the attraction of lower-end services leads to Manila’s dependent articulation into global service production networks. The findings challenge the key assumptions about ‘command functions’ and ‘strategic role’ of global cities that underpin the global city rankings. The paper critiques current conceptualisations of command and control in global urban network theory in the light of changing intra-firm divisions of labour in advanced producer service firms, and stresses the importance of qualitative research. Keywords World city network, global cities, advanced producer services, offshoring, command and control, Manila Introduction The role of cities under globalisation and their function within a larger global urban network have been a key topic for global/world cities researchers, but the implication of services offshoring has yet to be properly accounted for. The changing economic geography of producer services is increasingly shaped by cost-cutting rationales and labour arbitrage. Corresponding author: Jana Kleibert, Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space, Flakenstr 29-31 15537, Erkner, Germany. Email: jana.kleibert@leibniz-irs.de Environment and Planning A 0(0) 1–19 ! The Author(s) 2016 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0308518X16663710 epn.sagepub.com