Competitive or cooperative relationships in clusters
A comparative study of two internationalising agro-processing clusters in Ghana
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15539003 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Anthony Ayakwah (0000-0002-6534-7481, Koforidua Technical University, corresponding author), Leandro Sepulveda (0000-0003-1863-010X, Middlesex University), Fergus Lyons (0000-0002-6275-4102, Middlesex University) |
| Year | 2018 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 2/3 |
| Pages | 230-251 |
| Publication date | 2018-02-07 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Critical Perspectives on International Business (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1742-2043 • E-ISSN: 1758-6062 |
| Publisher | Emerald Publishing Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1108/cpoib-12-2016-0063 |
| OpenAlex | W2773824178 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 33 |
Purpose An efficient policy supporting clustered business operations necessitates an appreciation of the dynamics of rivalry and collaborations among businesses. This paper postulates that variation in competition and cooperation can significantly influence the nature of business relationships among clustered businesses, which is essential for cluster policy particularly (Newlands, 2003) as most research on rivalry and cooperation in clusters have been in developed economies. The purpose of this paper is to seek to fill the gap in the literature in African clusters based on original empirical research. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a mixed-method research design allowing for data triangulation to study two food processing clusters. The approach comprises a survey and in-depth interview with key actors along the supply chain. Findings The findings show that business clusters with more formal business structures tend to have minimal horizontal competition but higher vertical cooperation. Comparatively, clusters with more socially embedded milieu tend to have higher levels of cooperation and minimal competition in both vertical and horizontal relationships. The research also shows that such variations in inter-business relationships have an effect on cluster operations in terms of business access to finance, formal contract, sharing of innovation and the way they relate to different stakeholders in their supply chain. Originality/value This paper advances a critical case for international business theory on clusters in Africa to incorporate the distinctive business relationships in small and medium enterprises (SME) clusters. It also demonstrates how unique location-specific attributes of developing economies hold the key to sustaining the operations of SME-based clusters
Business · Cluster (spacecraft · Competition (biology · Economic geography · Economics · Horizontal and vertical · Industrial organization · International business · Management · Microeconomics · Originality · Qualitative research · Rivalry · Sociology · Supply chain · Triangulation · Business Strategy and Innovation · Computer Science · Digital Platforms and Economics · Local Economic Development and Planning · Marketing
Critical survey. The new 'geographical turn' in economics
Location, Competition, and Economic Development
Virtual Incubation in Industrial Clusters
Economic Action and Social Structure
The growth process of informal enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa
Toward a Definition of Mixed Methods Research
Putting the Human Back in ‘‘Human Research Methodology’’
Defining clusters of related industries
African Enterprise Clusters and Industrialization
From Retro to Avant-garde
The New Economic Geography, Now Middle-aged
The Economic Performance of Regions
Increasing Returns and Economic Geography
Coming of age, seeking legitimacy
Learning and Adaptation in Decentralised Business Networks
Neo-Marshallian Nodes in Global Networks
Paul Krugman's Geographical Economics and Its Implications for Regional Development Theory
The Dynamics of Technical and Business Knowledge Networks in Industrial Clusters
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |