Developing and retaining competitive advantage was a major concern for all companies; it fundamentally relied on being aware of the external environment and customer satisfaction. Modifications of the environment conditions and unexpected economic events could cause of a loss of the level of organisational adjustment and subsequent loss in competitiveness, only those organisations able to rapidly adjust to these dynamics would be able to remain. In some instances, companies decided to geographically co-locate seeking economies of scale and benefiting from complementarities. Literature review revealed the strong support that clusters had from Government and Local Authorities, but it also highlighted the limited practical research in the field. The aim of this research was to measure the dynamism of the cluster formed by the geographical concentration of diverse manufacturers within the Mondragon Cooperativa Group in the Basque region of Spain, and compared it to the individual dynamism of these organisations in order to have a better understanding the actual complementarities and synergies of this industrial colocation. Literature review identified dynamic capabilities as the core enablers of organisation when competing in dynamic environments; based on these capabilities, a model was formulated. This model combined with the primary data collected via questionnaire and interviews helped measure the dynamism of the individual cluster members and the cluster as whole as well as provided an insight on the complementarities and synergies of this type of alliance. The findings of the research concluded that the cluster as a whole was more dynamic than the individual members; nevertheless, the model suggested that there were considerable differences in speed among the cluster members. These differences on speed were determined by the size of the company and their performance in dimensions such as marketing, culture and management. The research also suggested that despite of the clear differences in the level of dynamism among cluster members, all companies benefited in some way from being part of the cluster; these benefits were different in nature depending on each specific members.

xvii, 191 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / For over a century, researchers from diverse intellectual disciplines have tried to explain the emergence of regional business clusters. I contribute to research on cluster emergence by applying an institutional logics framework to model how cluster emergence is influenced by such factors as supportive institutional logics, knowledge spillover, labor pooling, and technological uncertainty. This study is guided by the research question: How do institutions, specifically, varying levels of a congruous institutional logic, affect regional cluster emergence? Using the passage of the 1978 Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) as a catalyst for business cluster emergence in the renewable energy sector, this study examines the emergence of wind and solar energy manufacturing clusters. I test hypotheses about the positive influences of a congruous institutional logic across U.S. metropolitan statistical areas to see if the relative prevalence of a congruous institutional logic results in more firms and greater levels of clustering. For example, a pro-environmental sentiment among human populations aligns, or in other words, is congruous, with renewable energy manufacturing. I use fixed effects estimation to test several hypotheses regarding positive direct and moderating effects of institutional alignment on cluster emergence. I find that congruous institutional logics have a positive direct influence on clustering, and as technological uncertainty increases, this positive direct influence is enhanced. I find only partial support for the moderating influence of congruous institutional logics on the positive direct effect of positive externalities on clustering. This study contributes to practice and theory by building a model and supporting hypotheses on the influence of institutional fit on regional cluster emergence. / Committee in charge: Michael Russo, Chairperson, Management; Jennifer Howard-Grenville, Member, Management; Alan Meyer, Member, Management; Glen Waddell, Outside Member, Economics

Governments around the world have pursued ICT based initiatives including the provision of infrastructure to assist regional areas to develop economically (Beckinsale et al. 2006). There has been considerable interest in exploiting ICT to develop high technology clusters and support innovative networks (Lawson & Lorenz 1999). However, these initiatives have met with mixed success. It is clear that such development depends on more than providing appropriate technology Attention to social and organisational factors is crucial if regional areas are to realise the potential of ICT as a tool for regional development (Gengatharen & Standing 2005). It is important to understand the nature of business networking as well as the perspective of those participating in such networks if successful initiatives are to be established. The aim of this research is to identify how ICT can be used for knowledge sharing among businesses in regional areas and how the online networks through which knowledge is shared can contribute to the development of the region. This research investigates the question of what value small businesses in those regions derive from knowledge sharing networks using ICT. It also seeks to identify the value creation potential of those networks for their region. Previous research has shown that large organisations have achieved significant value from virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) as a structure for sharing knowledge and supporting innovation (Wenger 2004). The concept of Communities of Practice and Virtual Communities of Practice provided a useful point of departure for this research. The investigation comprised interpretive case studies of two Australian regional areas and their local business networks which incorporated SMEs in a variety of industries. Each case study was conducted in three stages. First, semi-structured interviews were conducted with regional economic development leaders. Second, 192 small and medium business owners were surveyed about their business activities and their participation in local business networks. Third, in-depth interviews were conducted with 23 small business owners to gain a richer understanding of their participation in knowledge-sharing networks and the value they realised or anticipated from various knowledge-sharing activities. A combined analysis of the two cases was conducted as well as the individual analyses. The research adopted a modified Structured Case method (Carroll & Swatman 2000). The analysis of the two case studies revealed: a.) There was a significant difference between the majority of SMEs who traded within the region and those trading largely beyond the region. The latter’s more proactive online sharing knowledge and seeking of business opportunities would enable them to access most value from VCoEs. b.) The participating SMEs operated in a number of industries and what they had in common was an interest in improving their enterprises. Consequently they used their regional networks which were not aligned to any one industry to make connections and share knowledge. They did not necessarily seek to access specific information. c.) A necessary prerequisite of VCoEs is having vibrant CoEs where face-to-face interaction enhances the development of trust and social capital. This appeared as an important factor facilitating the move to incorporate online knowledge sharing. d.) Younger businesses appeared to gain the most value from knowledge sharing in CoEs as they were using their networks to determine how to grow their firm. e.) The value of VCoEs to the SME participants is primarily in their general connection to other businesses in the region. Since the participants operate in a number of industries, what they have in common is an interest in their enterprises. The main value appears to come from the potential of the VCoEs to add to this connection and to social capital. This study found that successful management of VCoEs must: i) Ensure the network website is actively used by members before attempting to incorporate online knowledge sharing. ii) Monitor and stimulate online forum interaction rather than rely on interaction to occur naturally. iii) Not rely on email as a mechanism for stimulating knowledge sharing. Email is seen as more appropriate for formal documentation than for candid exchange of views. The concept of virtual communities of practice was found to be somewhat inappropriate for the diverse SMEs in the regional networks. Because of their diversity, they do not necessarily see value in sharing knowledge about practice but they do see value in sharing more general information and in providing support, connection and ideas that facilitate the strategic direction of their business. To address this issue, the concept of virtual communities of enterprise (VCoEs) is proposed as recognition of what the participating SMEs had in common: an interest in their individual businesses as part of the region. The original contribution of this research consists of its identification of the issues in linking SMEs across industries. It provides new insights on the business practices of regional SMEs and developed the concepts of Community of Enterprise (CoE) and Virtual Community of Enterprise (VCoE) to capture the special nature of knowledge sharing in regional multi-industry business networks. New perspectives are revealed on the ways that value could be derived from knowledge sharing by these regionally networked SMEs, as such it adds to the body of knowledge in an area where there has been little systematic investigation. This research reinforces the importance of social capital as an essential pre-requisite for accessing the value of intellectual capital in regions. Social capital emerges as vital when establishing and maintaining face-to-face knowledge sharing in regional networks and a necessary pre-condition for successfully establishing online knowledge sharing. Trust is a key factor and this research extends understanding of the role of social capital and the importance of trust in regional networks and online interaction. Its findings have significant implications for the development and management of CoEs and VCoEs as it outlines the key elements that need to be addressed when establishing and maintaining them, the appropriate applications for this context and the issues involved in management of the networking and online contexts. These findings not only increase our understanding of the management dynamics of online networks, they can also provide guidance to those seeking to establish successful VCoEs.

Syfte: Att undersöka huruvida scenkonstkompanier bildar industrispecifika kluster som ger upphov till gemensamma fördelar och därmed kan höja den konstnärliga kvaliteten.  Metod: En kvantitativ enkätundersökning bland aktiva svenska scenkonstkompanier som analyserats genom principalkomponentanalys. Slutsatser: Det tycks finnas ett kluster av scenkonstverksamhet i Stockholm. Klustret inkluderar dock inte alla kompanier som finns på platsen, vilket indikerar att scenkonst inte är ett bra begrepp för att avgränsa kluster. Genre, professionalitetsgrad och närvaron av en konstnärlig ledare som inte också ingår i ensemblen tycks vara viktiga faktorer för att förstå vilka verksamheter som bildar gemensamma kluster. / Purpose: To determine whether the Performing Arts form industry specific clusters that share positive externalities and improve artistic quality. Method: A quantitative study based on a survey among active Swedish performing arts companies, analyzed by means of a Principal Components’ Analysis. Results: A cluster of Performing Arts’ companies seems to exist in Stockholm. However, the cluster does not include all Performing Arts’ activities present in the area, indicating that Performing Arts is not a good delineator of the specific activities prone to form a common cluster. Genre, professionality and the presence of an Artistic Director who doesn’t take part in the ensemble seem to be important factors to predict liability to form local clusters.