IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/urbstu/v40y2003i3p615-630.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

'Making Friends or Making Things?': Interfirm Transactions in the Sheffield Metal-working Cluster

Author

Listed:
  • H.D. Watts

    (Department of Geography, University of Sheffceld, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK, h.watts@sheffield.ac.uk)

  • A.M. Wood

    (Departmeret of Geography, University of Oklahoma, 100 East Boyd Street, Norman, Oklahoma 73019-1007, USA, amwood@ou.edu.P)

  • P. Wardle

    (Regeneration and Partnerships Department, East Staffordshire Borough Council, Midland Grain Warehouse, Derby Street, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 2JJ, UK, perry.wardle@eaststaffsbc.gov.uk)

Abstract

The paper comprises an examination of the material inputs of a sample of 70 small firms in the Sheffield metal-working cluster and an assessment of the extent to which purchases are accompanied by face-to-face (embodied) transactions. It is shown that there are no significant differences between the level of embodied transactions accompanying local (intra-cluster) material links and those associated with non-local flows. It seems that, on this measure at least and within this cluster, the Sheffield metal-working cluster lacks the dense network of embodied transactions with local suppliers suggested in the wider literature. The lower-than-expected measures of embodied transactions suggest that one of the mechanisms for the transfer of knowledge between buyers and suppliers within an industrial cluster is poorly developed in this particular case.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:40:y:2003:i:3:p:615-630
    DOI: 10.1080/0042098032000053950
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1080/0042098032000053950
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/0042098032000053950?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. David Keeble & Frank Wilkinson, 1999. "Collective Learning and Knowledge Development in the Evolution of Regional Clusters of High Technology SMEs in Europe," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(4), pages 295-303.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. Edward Lorenz, 1988. "Neither Friends nor Strangers," Post-Print halshs-00483728, HAL.
    5. Udo Staber, 2001. "Spatial Proximity and Firm Survival in a Declining Industrial District: The Case of Knitwear Firms in Baden-Wu¨rttemberg," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(4), pages 329-341.
    6. Ian R. Gordon & Philip McCann, 2000. "Industrial Clusters: Complexes, Agglomeration and/or Social Networks?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 37(3), pages 513-532, March.
    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. Robert Huggins & Andrew Johnston, 2009. "Knowledge Networks in an Uncompetitive Region: SME Innovation and Growth," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 227-259, June.
    2. Drucker, Joshua & Feser, Edward, 2012. "Regional industrial structure and agglomeration economies: An analysis of productivity in three manufacturing industries," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(1-2), pages 1-14.

    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. McCann, Philip & Arita, Tomokazu, 2006. "Clusters and regional development: Some cautionary observations from the semiconductor industry," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 157-180, June.
    2. F. Xavier Molina-Morales & M. Teresa Martínez-Fernández, 2008. "Shared Resources in Industrial Districts: Information, Know-How and Institutions in the Spanish Tile Industry," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 31(1), pages 35-61, January.
    3. Otto, Anne & Fornahl, Dirk, 2008. "Long-term growth determinants of young businesses in Germany : effects of regional concentration and specialisation," IAB-Discussion Paper 200813, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    4. Joana Almodovar & Aurora A.C. Teixeira, 2009. "Conceptualizing clusters through the lens of networks: a critical synthesis," FEP Working Papers 328, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    5. Cappellin, Riccardo & Steiner, Michael, 2002. "Enlarging the scale of knowledge in innovation networks: theoretical perspectives and policy issues," ERSA conference papers ersa02p506, European Regional Science Association.
    6. Iain Begg, 2002. "'Investability': The Key to Competitive Regions and Cities?," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(2), pages 187-193.
    7. Solène Chesnel & Jérémie Molho & Florian Raimbeau & Hélène Morteau & Dominique Sagot-Duvauroux, 2013. "Les clusters ou districts industriels du domaine culturel et médiatique : revue du savoir économique et questionnement," Working Papers hal-02502563, HAL.
    8. Gashawbeza Bekele & Randall Jackson, 2006. "Theoretical Perspectives on Industry Clusters," Working Papers Working Paper 2006-05, Regional Research Institute, West Virginia University.
    9. James Simmie, 2004. "Innovation and Clustering in the Globalised International Economy," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 41(5-6), pages 1095-1112, May.
    10. Weeranan Kamnungwut & Frederick Guy, 2011. "Knowledge in the air and cooperation between firms: Traditions of secrecy and the reluctant emergence of specialization in the ceramic manufacturing district of Lampang, Thailand," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1108, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised May 2011.
    11. Morosini, Piero, 2004. "Industrial Clusters, Knowledge Integration and Performance," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 305-326, February.
    12. Vera Barinova & Denis Burkov & Stepan Zemtsov & Vladimir Eremkin, 2016. "Uncovering Regional Clustering of high technology SMEs: Russian Case," Working Papers 147, Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy, revised 2016.
    13. Philip Mccann, 2006. "On the supply-side determinants of regional growth," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(7), pages 681-693.
    14. repec:rri:wpaper:200605 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Anne Otto & Dirk Fronahl, 2009. "Long-Term Growth Determinants Of Young Businesses In Germany – The Effects Of Regional Concentration And Specialisation," Romanian Journal of Regional Science, Romanian Regional Science Association, vol. 3(1), pages 1-35, JUNE.
    16. Shiri M. Breznitz, 2013. "Cluster Sustainability," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 27(1), pages 29-39, February.
    17. Martin Perry, 2005. "Clustering Small Enterprise: Lessons from Policy Experience in New Zealand," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 23(6), pages 833-850, December.
    18. 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.
    19. Qiliang Mao & Xianzhuang Mao, 2021. "Cultural barriers, institutional distance, and spatial spillovers: Evidence from regional industrial evolution in China," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(3), pages 1440-1481, September.
    20. 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.
    21. Ana Maria Bonomi Barufi & Eduardo A. Haddad, Peter Nijkamp, 2016. "New evidence on the wage curve: non-linearities, urban size, and spatial scale in Brazil," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2016_39, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).

    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:urbstu:v:40:y:2003:i:3:p:615-630. 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: http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/urbanstudiesjournal .

    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.