The Importance of Organizational Culture in Cluster Management

Abstract

In the article the emphasis was placed on the characteristics of a business cluster, that is a community of people and organizations belonging to a given social and economic environment, which is connected by means of social, organizational, formal and informal ties basing on co-opetition. There has been presented the significance of the cluster as an organization created as a result of cluster initiative of various sectors’ representatives: business, science, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and local government. Due to the diversity of the systems of values, standards, symbols, and patterns of behavior of particular cluster partners, there was indicated the role of organizational culture in the cluster development process. The author also emphasizes that organizational culture of a cluster is the key factor conditioning the development of social capital within a cluster, since it is conducive to the improvement of the quality of interpersonal relationships, intraorganizational relationships, cooperation abilities, organizational climate and mutual trust. Moreover, it indicates that social capital of a cluster, which results from loyalty and the ability of this structure’s members to cooperate efficiently aiming to attain individual and common objectives, is a factor that determines the permanency of functioning and the development of a cluster.