IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ris/invreg/0362.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Intra-Cluster Cooperation Enhancing SMEs’ Competitiveness - The Role of Cluster Organisations in Poland

Author

Listed:
  • Jankowska, Barbara

    (Poznan University of Economics and Business)

  • Götz, Marta

    (Vistula University, Warszawa)

  • Główka, Cezary

    (Leszno Printing and Advertising Cluster)

Abstract

The determinants of SMEs’ competitiveness and, in particular, the constraints faced by SMEs, as well as the implications of the barriers for a firm’s growth have been investigated by a great number of researchers. Despite the popularity of the studies focused on SMEs competitiveness this topic is not losing its relevance, since SMEs are backbone of national economies. The issue is of even greater importance for post-transition economies. In this paper, we argue that intracluster cooperation, which should epitomise the genuine and fully fledged cluster, provides cluster firms, in particular SMEs, with advantages and thus can assist SMEs in upgrading their competitiveness. Special role play in this respect also dedicated cluster organisations. The conceptual part of the paper is accompanied by empirical considerations. Best practices from selected Polish clusters dominated by micro, small and medium enterprises are presented

Suggested Citation

  • Jankowska, Barbara & Götz, Marta & Główka, Cezary, 2017. "Intra-Cluster Cooperation Enhancing SMEs’ Competitiveness - The Role of Cluster Organisations in Poland," INVESTIGACIONES REGIONALES - Journal of REGIONAL RESEARCH, Asociación Española de Ciencia Regional, issue 39, pages 195-214.
  • Handle: RePEc:ris:invreg:0362
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://investigacionesregionales.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/12/09-JANKOWSKA.pdf
    File Function: Full text
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ranjay Gulati, 1999. "Network location and learning: the influence of network resources and firm capabilities on alliance formation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(5), pages 397-420, May.
    2. Saxenian, AnnaLee, 1991. "The origins and dynamics of production networks in Silicon Valley," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 20(5), pages 423-437, October.
    3. Cooke, Philip & Wills, David, 1999. "Small Firms, Social Capital and the Enhancement of Business Performance through Innovation Programmes," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 219-234, November.
    4. Christian H.M. Ketels & Olga Memedovic, 2008. "From clusters to cluster-based economic development," International Journal of Technological Learning, Innovation and Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 1(3), pages 375-392.
    5. Bengt-ake Lundvall & Bjorn Johnson, 1994. "The Learning Economy," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 1(2), pages 23-42.
    6. Altenburg, Tilman & Meyer-Stamer, JORG, 1999. "How to Promote Clusters: Policy Experiences from Latin America," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 27(9), pages 1693-1713, September.
    7. Tether, Bruce S., 2002. "Who co-operates for innovation, and why: An empirical analysis," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 947-967, August.
    8. Michael Fritsch, 2003. "Does R&D-Cooperation Behavior Differ between Regions?," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(1), pages 25-39.
    9. Jan Johanson & Jan-Erik Vahlne, 1977. "The Internationalization Process of the Firm—A Model of Knowledge Development and Increasing Foreign Market Commitments," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 8(1), pages 23-32, March.
    10. Giuseppe Medda & Claudio Piga & Donald Siegel, 2006. "Assessing the returns to collaborative research: Firm-level evidence from Italy," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(1), pages 37-50.
    11. Leo van den Berg & Erik Braun & Willem van Winden, 2001. "Growth Clusters in European Cities: An Integral Approach," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 38(1), pages 185-205, January.
    12. Knut Koschatzky, 1998. "Firm Innovation and Region: The Role of Space in Innovation Processes," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 2(04), pages 383-408.
    13. Jonathan Sapsed & David Gann & Nick Marshall & Ammon Salter, 2005. "From here to eternity?: The practice of knowledge transfer in dispersed and co-located project organizations," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(6), pages 831-851, September.
    14. Wollner, Craig, 1994. "Regional Advantage: Culture and Competition in Silicon Valley and Route 128. By Annalee Saxenian · Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1994. xi + 226 pp. Figures, tables, notes, and index. $24," Business History Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 68(3), pages 429-431, October.
    15. Schmitz, Hubert & Nadvi, Khalid, 1999. "Clustering and Industrialization: Introduction," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 27(9), pages 1503-1514, September.
    16. Alexander Kaufmann & Petra Wagner, 2005. "EU regional policy and the stimulation of innovation: The role of the European Regional Development Fund in the objective 1 region Burgenland," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(4), pages 581-599, June.
    17. Belderbos, Rene & Carree, Martin & Lokshin, Boris, 2004. "Cooperative R&D and firm performance," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(10), pages 1477-1492, December.
    18. Nabil Amara & Rejean Landry & Mathieu Ouimet, 2005. "Milieux innovateurs: Determinants and policy implications," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(6), pages 939-965, September.
    19. Hessels, Jolanda & Parker, Simon C., 2013. "Constraints, internationalization and growth: A cross-country analysis of European SMEs," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 137-148.
    20. Ann Markusen, 1996. "Sticky Places in Slippery Space: A Typology of Industrial Districts," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 72(3), pages 293-313, July.
    21. Giovanni Dosi, 2000. "Sources, Procedures, and Microeconomic Effects of Innovation," Chapters, in: Innovation, Organization and Economic Dynamics, chapter 2, pages 63-114, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    22. John Humphrey & Hubert Schmitz, 1998. "Trust and inter-firm relations in developing and transition economies," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(4), pages 32-61.
    23. John Hagedoorn & Jos Schakenraad, 1994. "The effect of strategic technology alliances on company performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(4), pages 291-309, May.
    24. Audretsch,David B. & Thurik,Roy (ed.), 1999. "Innovation, Industry Evolution and Employment," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521641661, September.
    25. Jan Lambooy, 2004. "The transmission of knowledge, emerging networks, and the role of universities: An evolutionary approach," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(5), pages 643-657, July.
    26. Birley, Sue, 1985. "The role of networks in the entrepreneurial process," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 107-117.
    27. Belderbos, Rene & Carree, Martin & Lokshin, Boris, 2004. "Cooperative R&D and firm performance," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(10), pages 1477-1492, December.
    28. Rolf Sternberg, 1999. "Innovative Linkages and Proximity: Empirical Results from Recent Surveys of Small and Medium Sized Firms in German Regions," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(6), pages 529-540.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Martine Gadille & Juan Ramón Gallego-Bono, 2021. "Rebuilding a Cluster While Protecting Knowledge within Low-Medium-Tech Supplier SMEs: A Spanish and French Comparison," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-35, October.

    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. Paulo Santos & Aurora A.C. Teixeira & Ana Brochado, 2006. "The ‘de-territorialisation of closeness’ - a typology of international successful R&D projects involving cultural and geographic proximity," FEP Working Papers 222, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    2. Kibaek Lee & Jaeheung Yoo & Munkee Choi & Hangjung Zo & Andrew P Ciganek, 2016. "Does External Knowledge Sourcing Enhance Market Performance? Evidence from the Korean Manufacturing Industry," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(12), pages 1-19, December.
    3. Nanditha Mathew & George Paily, 2022. "STI-DUI innovation modes and firm performance in the Indian capital goods industry: Do small firms differ from large ones?," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 435-458, April.
    4. Benner, Maximilian, 2009. "What do we know about clusters? In search of effective cluster policies," MPRA Paper 43848, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2009.
    5. Segarra-Blasco, Agusti­ & Arauzo-Carod, Josep-Maria, 2008. "Sources of innovation and industry-university interaction: Evidence from Spanish firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(8), pages 1283-1295, September.
    6. Kaiser, Ulrich & Kuhn, Johan M., 2012. "Long-run effects of public–private research joint ventures: The case of the Danish Innovation Consortia support scheme," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(5), pages 913-927.
    7. Sánchez-González, Gloria & González-Álvarez, Nuria & Nieto, Mariano, 2009. "Sticky information and heterogeneous needs as determining factors of R&D cooperation with customers," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 1590-1603, December.
    8. Stoetzer, Matthias-Wolfgang & Pfeil, Silko & Kaps, Katharina & Sauer, Thomas, 2011. "Regional dispersion of cooperation activities as success factor of innovation oriented SME," Jena Contributions to Economic Research 2011,4, Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena – University of Applied Sciences, Department of Business Administration.
    9. Qin Yang, 2018. "Geographical Diversity of Alliance Portfolio and Firm Innovation: The Roles of Resource Characteristics and Governance Structures," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 15(06), pages 1-22, December.
    10. Kim, Jikyoung & Kim, Wonjoon, 2022. "The intensity and diversity of R&D partner types and product development: Do product innovation types and industry sectors matter?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    11. Shimizu, Hiroshi & Hoshino, Yusuke, 2015. "Collaboration and Innovation Speed : Evidence from a Prize Data-Set, 1955-2010," IIR Working Paper 15-04, Institute of Innovation Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    12. Kapoor, Rahul & McGrath, Patia J., 2014. "Unmasking the interplay between technology evolution and R&D collaboration: Evidence from the global semiconductor manufacturing industry, 1990–2010," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(3), pages 555-569.
    13. Annika Rickne, 2006. "Connectivity and Performance of Science-based Firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 26(4), pages 393-407, May.
    14. Mario Davide Parrilli, 2010. "Heterogeneous Social Capitals: A New Window of Opportunity for Local Economies," Working Papers 2010R06, Orkestra - Basque Institute of Competitiveness.
    15. Dragana Radicic & Geoffrey Pugh & David Douglas, 2020. "Promoting cooperation in innovation ecosystems: evidence from European traditional manufacturing SMEs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 257-283, January.
    16. Mathew, Nanditha & Paily, George, 2020. "STI-DUI innovation modes and firm performance in the Indian capital goods industry: Do small firms differ from large ones?," MERIT Working Papers 2020-008, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    17. Yeung, Henry Wai-chung & Liu, Weidong & Dicken, Peter, 2006. "Transnational corporations and network effects of a local manufacturing cluster in mobile telecommunications equipment in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 520-540, March.
    18. Amoroso, S., 2013. "Heterogeneity of innovative, collaborative, and productive firm-level processes," Other publications TiSEM f5784a49-7053-401d-855d-1, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    19. Bernal, Pilar & Carree, Martin & Lokshin, Boris, 2022. "Knowledge spillovers, R&D partnerships and innovation performance," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    20. Devarakonda, Ramakrishna & Reuer, Jeffrey J. & Tadikonda, Harsha, 2022. "Founder social capital and value appropriation in R&D alliance agreements," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(4).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    cluster; cooperation; competitiveness; cluster organisation; SME; Poland;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D85 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Network Formation
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:ris:invreg:0362. 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: IIRR-JORR (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aecrrea.html .

    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.