idea-space

Automotive Industry Cluster - Europe started by raimund.hudak

Relevance and need

Posted by raimund.hudak in category: Setting the research focus
What do we want to study, what is the problem?
The term business cluster, also known as an industry cluster, competitive cluster, or Porterian cluster, was introduced and popularized by Michael Porter in The Competitive Advantage of Nations (1990). The importance of economic geography, or more correctly geographical economics, was also brought to attention by Paul Krugman in Geography and Trade (1991). Cluster development has since become a focus for many government programs. The underlying concept, which economists have referred to as agglomeration economies, dates back to 1890, and the work of Alfred Marshall.
 

    Research focus

    Posted by raimund.hudak in category: Setting the research focus
    What is the focus in the current cluster analyses of knowledge we need to address?
    Michael Porter claims that clusters have the potential to affect competition in three ways: by increasing the productivity of the companies in the cluster, by driving innovation in the field, and by stimulating new businesses in the field. According to Porter, in the modern global economy, comparative advantage - how certain locations have special endowments (i.e., harbor, cheap labor) to overcome heavy input costs - is less relevant. Now, competitive advantage - how companies make productive use of inputs, requiring continual innovation - is more important. Porter argues that economic activities are embedded in social activities; that 'social glue binds clusters together. This is supported by recent research showing that particularly in regional and rural areas, significantly more innovation takes place in communities which have stronger inter-personal networks
     

      Context

      Posted by raimund.hudak in category: Setting the research focus
      What is the context we need to address?
      To sustain cluster performance in the long term, clusters need to manage network openness to business outside the cluster while facilitating strong inter-organisational relationships within the cluster.
       

        Research question

        Posted by raimund.hudak in category: Setting the research focus
        What is the research question?
         

          Literature

          Posted by raimund.hudak in category: Preparation
          Identify key literature on the topic
          Porter, Michael Location, Competition, and Economic Development: Local Clusters in a Global Economy|journal=Economic Development Quarterly, vol 14, no.1, 2000 [1]
          Porter, M. E. 1998, Clusters and the new economics of competition, Harvard Business Review, Nov/Dec98, Vol. 76 Issue 6
          Porter, M.E. (1990). The Competitive Advantage of Nations. New York: The Free Press.
          Krugman, P. (1991). Geography and Trade. MIT Press.
          Porter, Michael (1998). On Competition. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
           

            Theoretical framework

            Posted by raimund.hudak in category: Preparation
            Elaborate on the role of theory, theoretical framework, related models and methods.
            Following development of the concept of interorganizational networks in Germany and practical development of clusters in the United Kingdom; many perceive there to be four methods by which a cluster can be identified:
            • Geographical cluster - as stated in the automotive cluster in Germany
            • Sectoral clusters (a cluster of businesses operating together from within the same commercial sector e.g. pharma (south east England; ICT ) and aerospace (France, UK and Germany)
            • Horizontal cluster (interconnections between businesses at a sharing of resources level e.g. knowledge management)
            • Vertical cluster (i.e. a supply chain cluster)
            It is also expected - particularly in the German model of organizational networks - that interconnected businesses must interact and have firm actions within at least two separate levels of the organizations concerned
             

              Research approach

              Posted by raimund.hudak in category: Preparation
              Define your research approach, consider validity, reliability, sampling etc.
               

                Prepare instruments

                Posted by raimund.hudak in category: Data Collection
                Define and prepare your research instruments, operationalization etc.
                 

                  Prepare data

                  Posted by raimund.hudak in category: Data Analysis
                  Prepare the data and distribute roles for data analysis
                   

                    Analyze, Elaborate, iterate

                    Posted by raimund.hudak in category: Data Analysis
                    Analyse and elaborate on the findings, iterate and reach the key results of your research effort
                     

                      Distribute tasks and roles

                      Posted by raimund.hudak in category: Article writing
                      Distribute tasks and roles for the article writing
                       

                        Write, iterate

                        Posted by raimund.hudak in category: Article writing
                        Analyse data from research paper, compile market information from different sources in order to write the publication and iterate towards a harmonized presentation and / or term paper.
                         http://idea-space.eu:19001/up/b333bc12ba33fec262214d73eac3e59c.pptx 
                         

                          Experiences and Feedback

                          Posted by raimund.hudak in category: Feedback and next steps
                          All stakeholders provide their experiences
                           

                            Submit

                            Posted by raimund.hudak in category: Feedback and next steps
                            Submit your presentation or term paper HERE!