What Holds a Regional Cluster Together in its Inmost Folds?

Abstract

Working across companies in regional clusters has become a common practice, but research on the socio-psychological processes that bind cluster actors is surprisingly rare. This study investigates what holds regional clusters together in their inmost folds. We combine research on social identity theory and organizational citizenship behavior with cluster research, advancing knowledge on identification processes and citizenship behavior in regional clusters. Results from a survey of cluster actors in a sensor technology cluster in Germany show that not all antecedents of identification, found to be significant in the organizational context, are important for the cluster actors’ identification with the cluster. While cluster distinctiveness, visible cluster affiliation, and group formation factors are relevant, cluster prestige, inter- and intra-cluster competition are not. Results also emphasize the importance of cluster identification for cluster actors’ willingness to exhibit citizenship behavior, as well as the significance of these behaviors as predictors of cluster sustainability.