IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envirc/v23y2005i6p833-850.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Clustering Small Enterprise: Lessons from Policy Experience in New Zealand

Author

Listed:
  • Martin Perry

    (Department of Management and Enterprise Development, Massey University, Private Box 756, Wellington, New Zealand)

Abstract

Doubts have been raised about the value of cluster-promotion policy given the lack of agreement over how clusters are identified. Such criticism overlooks how clusters are sometimes a mode of inquiry rather than a specific pattern of industrial location. The desire to promote business clusters is connected to a real phenomenon, but policy needs to acknowledge that exemplar clusters do not provide a role model for how other local economies may develop and that industry and market characteristics affect the significance of clustering. Efforts to promote business clusters in New Zealand show how the perceptions of cluster opportunities by business managers differ from those expected by policymakers. A review of twenty-five cluster initiatives identifies six ways that the projects question widespread opportunity to benefit from encouraging localised business collaboration: (1) value-chain division, (2) conditions on cooperation, (3) the need to go national, (4) facilitator dependence, (5) need for a leader, and (6) missing clusters. Policy intervention should be based on determining how best to work with groups of variable significance and character rather than being driven by idealised interpretations of cluster development.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin Perry, 2005. "Clustering Small Enterprise: Lessons from Policy Experience in New Zealand," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 23(6), pages 833-850, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirc:v:23:y:2005:i:6:p:833-850
    DOI: 10.1068/c0504
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1068/c0504
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1068/c0504?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ray Oakey & Michelle Kipling & Susan Wildgust, 2001. "Clustering Among Firms in the Non-Broadcast Visual Communications (NBVC) Sector," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(5), pages 401-414.
    2. Giorgio Gottardi, 1996. "Technology strategies, innovation without R&D," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 3(2), pages 119-134.
    3. Börje Johansson & Charlie Karlsson & Roger R. Stough (ed.), 2001. "Theories of Endogenous Regional Growth," Advances in Spatial Science, Springer, number 978-3-642-59570-7, February.
    4. Steven Pinch & Nick Henry, 1999. "Paul Krugman's Geographical Economics, Industrial Clustering and the British Motor Sport Industry," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(9), pages 815-827.
    5. Ron Martin & Peter Sunley, 2003. "Deconstructing clusters: chaotic concept or policy panacea?," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 3(1), pages 5-35, January.
    6. Crouch, Colin & Gales, Patrick Le & Trigilia, Carlo & Voelzkow, Helmut, 2001. "Local Production Systems in Europe: Rise or Demise?," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199242511.
    7. Edward Feser & Edward Bergman, 2000. "National Industry Cluster Templates: A Framework for Applied Regional Cluster Analysis," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(1), pages 1-19.
    8. Christian Longhi, 1999. "Networks, Collective Learning and Technology Development in Innovative High Technology Regions: The Case of Sophia-Antipolis," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(4), pages 333-342.
    9. Swann, G. M. Peter & Prevezer, Martha & Stout, David (ed.), 1998. "The Dynamics of Industrial Clustering: International Comparisons in Computing and Biotechnology," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198289593.
    10. repec:rri:bkchap:19 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Stuart A. Rosenfeld, 2003. "Expanding Opportunities: Cluster Strategies That Reach More People and More Places 1," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(4), pages 359-377, June.
    12. Stuart, Toby & Sorenson, Olav, 2003. "The geography of opportunity: spatial heterogeneity in founding rates and the performance of biotechnology firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 229-253, February.
    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. Peter Maskell & Leïla Kebir, 2005. "What qualifies as a cluster theory?," DRUID Working Papers 05-09, DRUID, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Industrial Economics and Strategy/Aalborg University, Department of Business Studies.
    2. Max-Peter Menzel, 2010. "Sources of ‘Second Generation Growth’: Spin-off Processes in the Emerging Biochip Industries in Jena and Berlin," Chapters, in: Dirk Fornahl & Sebastian Henn & Max-Peter Menzel (ed.), Emerging Clusters, chapter 10, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Maude Toussaint-Comeau & Robin Newberger & Darline Augustine, 2016. "Inclusive Cluster-Based Development Strategies for Inner Cities," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 30(2), pages 171-184, May.
    4. Broekel, Tom & Fornahl, Dirk & Morrison, Andrea, 2015. "Another cluster premium: Innovation subsidies and R&D collaboration networks," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(8), pages 1431-1444.
    5. Peter Maskell & Leïla Kebir, 2006. "What Qualifies as a Cluster Theory?," Working Papers hal-01675959, HAL.
    6. Yasuyuki Motoyama, 2008. "What Was New About the Cluster Theory?," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 22(4), pages 353-363, November.
    7. Anastasiia Konstantynova & James R. Wilson, 2014. "Comparing Cluster Policies: An Analytical Framework," Working Papers 2014R01, Orkestra - Basque Institute of Competitiveness.
    8. Anna Lejpras, 2015. "Knowledge, location, and internationalization: empirical evidence for manufacturing SMEs," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(8), pages 734-754, November.
    9. Hector Rocha, 2004. "Entrepreneurship and Development: The Role of Clusters," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 363-400, October.
    10. Cristina Santos & Alexandre Almeida & Aurora A.C. Teixeira, 2008. "Searching for clusters in tourism. A quantitative methodological proposal," FEP Working Papers 293, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    11. Sara Cruz & Aurora Teixeira, 2010. "The Evolution of the Cluster Literature: Shedding Light on the Regional Studies-Regional Science Debate," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(9), pages 1263-1288.
    12. Wang, Liang & Tan, Justin & Li, Wan, 2018. "The impacts of spatial positioning on regional new venture creation and firm mortality over the industry life cycle," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 41-52.
    13. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Fabrice Comptour, 2010. "Do clusters generate greater innovation and growth? An analysis of European regions," Working Papers 2010-15, Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados (IMDEA) Ciencias Sociales.
    14. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Michael Storper, 2006. "Better Rules or Stronger Communities? On the Social Foundations of Institutional Change and Its Economic Effects," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 82(1), pages 1-25, January.
    15. Rani Jeanne Dang & Christian Longhi & Karine Roux & Damien Talbot & Catherine Thomas, 2009. "Territorial innovation dynamics: a knowledge based perspective," Post-Print halshs-00365192, HAL.
    16. Ron A. Boschma & Anet B.R. Weterings, 2005. "The effect of regional differences on the performance of software firms in the Netherlands," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 5(5), pages 567-588, October.
    17. Rani J Dang & Karine Roux & Christian Longhi & Damien Talbot & Catherine Thomas, 2014. "Territorial Innovation Dynamics: A Knowledge Based Perspective," Post-Print hal-02385361, HAL.
    18. H.D. Watts & A.M. Wood & P. Wardle, 2003. "'Making Friends or Making Things?': Interfirm Transactions in the Sheffield Metal-working Cluster," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 40(3), pages 615-630, March.
    19. Dirk Czarnitzki & Hanna Hottenrott, 2009. "Are Local Milieus The Key To Innovation Performance?," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(1), pages 81-112, February.
    20. Delgado, Mercedes & Porter, Michael E. & Stern, Scott, 2014. "Clusters, convergence, and economic performance," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(10), pages 1785-1799.

    More about this item

    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:sae:envirc:v:23:y:2005:i:6:p:833-850. 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: SAGE Publications (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.