The evolution of networks in traditional manufacturing clusters of undeveloped rural areas: The case of steel measuring tape cluster in Nanzhuang Village, Yucheng County, Henan Province

Abstract

This paper uses the social network analysis(SNA) to examine the evolution of networks in traditional manufacturing clusters of undeveloped rural areas,based on the case of steel measuring tape cluster in Nanzhuang village,Yucheng county,Henan province.By contrasting the network structure and characteristics of the spin-off networks in initial stage with that of the emotion networks,advice networks and cooperation networks in present stage in the cluster,it finds the particularities of evolution of networks in traditional manufacturing clusters of undeveloped rural areas,such as the auto-organizational principle of this kind of clusters.In the process of this evolution,the changing of the size,status,capabilities of the enterprises or the community environmental changes may alter the core relations in cluster network.The evolution of networks in traditional manufacturing clusters of undeveloped rural areas can be divided into four stages,that is,the family-extensive family networks,the division-production networks,the local innovation networks and the global supply networks.The different types play different roles in different stages of cluster development.Meanwhile,the intrinsic capabilities and the extrinsic contracts of enterprises also match the network stages respectively.