IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eme/ijdipp/v11y2012i1p19-36.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The role of human and social capital on the development of wooden furniture clusters in Sri Lanka

Author

Listed:
  • H.M. Nihal Padmasiri

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate how human and social capital assist in the development of clustered and non‐clustered firms in the wooden furniture industry in Sri Lanka. The study resulted in three major findings: the most experienced and educated entrepreneurs played an important role to secure their market introducing brand name for the product; human capital acquired through formal education and experience is highly significant for the performance of clustered firms than that of non‐clustered firms; and irrespective of clustered or non‐clustered, performance of the firms in the wooden furniture industry in Sri Lanka is significantly relying on social capital. Design/methodology/approach - Both cross‐sectional and time series data of 96 active firms related to the wooden furniture industry in Sri Lanka are used in this study. The data were collected through questionnaires which were distributed by visiting wooden furniture firms in Sri Lanka in the year 2010. To test the hypotheses, two dependent variables, namely, brand name dummy and the size of the firm (in value added revenue) were used. Findings - The number of years of schooling of the managers and their operational experience within their own business have a positive and highly significant effect on the introduction of a brand name for the products in both type of wooden furniture firms (clustered and non‐clustered). Formal education and prior work experience as managers are more significant in the case of clustered wooden furniture firms than non‐clustered firms. Originality/value - The author visited these firms personally and interviewed the managers. From this, the author tried to see how both human and social capital contribute to the firms' performance. According to the author's knowledge, this type of study has never been done before in Sri Lanka.

Suggested Citation

  • H.M. Nihal Padmasiri, 2012. "The role of human and social capital on the development of wooden furniture clusters in Sri Lanka," International Journal of Development Issues, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 11(1), pages 19-36, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:ijdipp:v:11:y:2012:i:1:p:19-36
    DOI: 10.1108/14468951211213840
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/14468951211213840/full/html?utm_source=repec&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=repec
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/14468951211213840/full/pdf?utm_source=repec&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=repec
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1108/14468951211213840?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. T. Sonobe & D. Hu & K. Otsuka, 2002. "Process of Cluster Formation in China: A Case Study of a Garment Town," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 118-139.
    2. Yamamura, Eiji, 2009. "Dynamics of social trust and human capital in the learning process: The case of the Japan garment cluster in the period 1968-2005," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 377-389, October.
    3. Tetsushi Sonobe & Keijiro Otsuka, 2014. "Cluster-Based Industrial Development," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-137-38511-6.
    4. Eiji Yamamura & Tetsushi Sonobe & Keijiro Otsuka, 2003. "Human capital, cluster formation, and international relocation: the case of the garment industry in Japan, 1968--98," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 3(1), pages 37-56, January.
    5. Eiji Yamamura & Tetsushi Sonobe & Keijiro Otsuka, 2005. "Time path in innovation, imitation, and growth: the case of the motorcycle industry in postwar Japan," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 169-186, January.
    6. Sonobe, Tetsushi & Hu, Dinghuan & Otsuka, Keijiro, 2004. "From inferior to superior products: an inquiry into the Wenzhou model of industrial development in China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 542-563, September.
    7. Sonobe, Tetsushi & Hu, Dinghuan & Otsuka, Keijiro, 2006. "Industrial development in the inland region of China: A case study of the motorcycle industry," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 818-838, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Keijiro Otsuka, 2006. "Cluster‐Based Industrial Development: A View From East Asia," The Japanese Economic Review, Japanese Economic Association, vol. 57(3), pages 361-376, September.
    2. Khondoker, Abdul Mottaleb & Sonobe, Tetsushi, 2010. "Human Capital and Industrial Development: Evidence from the Machinery Industry in Bangladesh," MPRA Paper 44007, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Sonobe, Tetsushi & Hu, Dinghuan & Otsuka, Keijiro, 2006. "Industrial development in the inland region of China: A case study of the motorcycle industry," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 818-838, December.
    4. Babur Wasim Arif, 2013. "Education, Experience and Enterprise Development," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 8(3), pages 273-299, December.
    5. Long, Cheryl & Zhang, Xiaobo, 2012. "Patterns of China's industrialization: Concentration, specialization, and clustering," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 593-612.
    6. Babur Wasim Arif & Tetsushi Sonobe, 2012. "Virtual Incubation in Industrial Clusters: A Case Study in Pakistan," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(3), pages 377-392, March.
    7. Sana Ullah & Muhammad Tariq Majeed & Muhammad Hafeez, 2019. "Education, experience, social network and firm survival: the case of the electrical fittings cluster in Sargodha, Pakistan," DECISION: Official Journal of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Springer;Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, vol. 46(3), pages 267-278, September.
    8. Alhassan Iddrisu & Yukichi Mano & Tetsushi Sonobe, 2012. "Entrepreneurial Skills and Industrial Development: The Case of a Car Repair and Metalworking Cluster in Ghana," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 3(3), pages 302-326, September.
    9. Tetsushi Sonobe & Yuki Higuchi & Keijiro Otsuka, 2012. "Productivity Growth and Job Creation in the Development Process of Industrial Clusters," GRIPS Discussion Papers 11-22, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.
    10. Long, Cheryl & Zhang, Xiaobo, 2011. "Cluster-based industrialization in China: Financing and performance," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(1), pages 112-123, May.
    11. Tetsushi Sonobe & John E. Akoten & Keijiro Otsuka, 2009. "An Exploration into the Successful Development of the Leather‐Shoe Industry in Ethiopia," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(4), pages 719-736, November.
    12. Fleisher, Belton & Hu, Dinghuan & McGuire, William & Zhang, Xiaobo, 2010. "The evolution of an industrial cluster in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 456-469, September.
    13. Kimura, Yuichi, 2011. "Knowledge Diffusion and Modernization of Rural Industrial Clusters: A Paper-manufacturing Village in Northern Vietnam," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(12), pages 2105-2118.
    14. Jianqing Ruan & Xiaobo Zhang, 2009. "Finance and Cluster-Based Industrial Development in China," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 58(1), pages 143-164, October.
    15. Keijiro Otsuka & Tetsushi Sonobe, 2011. "A Cluster-Based Industrial Development Policy for Low-Income Countries," GRIPS Discussion Papers 11-09, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.
    16. Fahd Rehman, 2012. "Human Capital and MultifacetedInnovation: Evidence from the Lahore Knitwear Cluster in Pakistan," Lahore Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, The Lahore School of Economics, vol. 17(2), pages 63-86, July-Dec.
    17. John Strauss & Edward Y. Qian & Minggao Shen & Dong Liu & Mehdi Majbouri & Qi Sun & Qianfan Ying & Yi Zhu, 2010. "Private-Sector Industrialization in China: Evidence from Wenzhou," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Keijiro Otsuka & Kaliappa Kalirajan (ed.), Community, Market and State in Development, chapter 16, pages 262-290, Palgrave Macmillan.
    18. Huang, Zuhui & Zhang, Xiaobo & Zhu, Yunwei, 2006. "The Formation of Wenzhou Footwear Clusters: How Were the Entry Barriers Overcome?," 2006 Annual Meeting, August 12-18, 2006, Queensland, Australia 25371, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    19. Girum Abebe & Tetsushi Sonobe, 2012. "Management Practices, Self-Selection into Management Training Participation, and Training Effects in the Garment Industry in Ethiopia," GRIPS Discussion Papers 11-23, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.
    20. Tetsushi Sonobe & Keijiro Otsuka, 2012. "The Role of Training in Fostering Cluster-Based Micro and Small Enterprises Development," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2012-099, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eme:ijdipp:v:11:y:2012:i:1:p:19-36. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Emerald Support (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.