Information Technology Clusters Research Articles

The Structure and Nature of Social Capital in the Relationship between Spin-Offs and Parent Companies in Information Technology Clusters in Brazil and Spain

The Structure and Nature of Social Capital in the Relationship between Spin-Offs and Parent Companies in Information Technology Clusters in Brazil and Spain

Philosophical Futurism and the Evolution of Education: Analyzing Personality Consciousness, ICT, and Forward-Thinking Pedagogical Strategies

The purpose of the article was to identify promising educational strategies in the context of the subject of the educational space personal potential correlation and the capabilities of innovative educational elements. The philosophical and futuristic guidelines of educational development are focused on the worldview and mental transformation of consciousness associated with the active use of ICT elements. The tasks of the article were focused on the philosophical and ideological understanding of the educational space of the future – the positioning of the subjects of educational activity and a new balance between the traditional and innovative components of the educational system. Methodology. The study used general scientific methods: analysis, comparison, and systematisation. A special place in the methodological arsenal of scientific research is occupied by forecasting and modelling since they help achieving the goals of the article, namely - to identify promising educational directions of development. The philosophical and scientific methodological approaches, especially those of synergistic content, have also been updated. Interdisciplinary connections provided an opportunity to study innovative elements and their impact on improving the educational paradigm. The results of the study indicated the need for a balance between the potential of the subject of the educational space and the capabilities of the information technology cluster in the educational process. Prospects for the study are the development of philosophical and axiological guidelines that will become a guide for the feasibility of using innovative educational formats. Conclusion. Thus, the evolution of education is occurring at a rapid pace and is causing a transformation of the value components of this sphere of social activity. Such perspectives define a new understanding of the content of the educational environment, pedagogical format, and activity of all subjects and stakeholders of the educational process.

PROMOTING THE REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS THROUGH CLUSTERS‘ APPROACH: CASE OF THE LATVIAN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CLUSTER

The purpose of this research is to contribute to the debate on regional competitiveness concept by evaluating genesis of the studies of concept development, and the impact assessment. This paper also presents the impact of clusters on regional competitiveness through the experience of the Latvian Information Technology (IT) cluster. The methods used in the research are literature analysis, correlation and statistical analysis. The main tasks include: (i) the usage of competitiveness concept to describe main factors of regional competitiveness, (ii) identification of the role of clusters for regional competitiveness by testing the linkage between regional competitiveness and state of cluster development, (iii) presenting the experience of the Latvian Information Technology (IT) cluster and the assessment of advantages enterprises operating in the cluster environment. The novelty of the research is testing the relationship between regional competitiveness and state of cluster development, as well as introducing the assessment of the CEOs of the Latvian IT cluster enterprises on advantages of cluster environment. In addition, synthesis of the cluster’s concept has led to findings on mandatory and desirable features of clusters. The authors conclude that regions with higher competitiveness have better developed clusters, while regions with higher state of cluster development are more competitive. The experience of Latvian IT enterprises in the cluster’s environment recognize that more can be achieved by working together than if acting alone. However, benefits of belonging to cluster aren’t always recognized and exploited. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.eis.0.12.20846

The Dual Effects of Information Technology Clusters: Learning and Selection

Clusters are hubs of innovation. Economic developers have initiated a great deal of policies to promote clusters and encourage technological advancement. Despite the efforts of previous studies to quantify the cluster innovation relationship, they failed to differentiate two major mechanisms, such as learning (firms improving in clusters) and selection (less innovative firms being forced out of clusters). This study differentiates and quantifies learning and selection using nonparametric estimation and quantile regression. Using employment and establishment data as well as patent data from Maryland from the years 2001 to 2012, this study detects both mechanisms in information technology clusters. Learning in clusters increases patent filing by 15.7% to 17.2% for firms that have ever filed for patents. At the same time, firms filing fewer than one patent per year are 40% less likely to survive in clusters than they are in nonclusters. Magnitudes of both effects should be considered in the design of cluster policies.

Business Survival Inside and Outside of Chinese IT clusters

This article examines the geographical effects of industrial clusters on the business survival (BS) of information technology (IT) companies in China. The authors aim to find the differences of BS among inside and outside of the clusters in four different regions by using the methodology of Cox Proportional Hazard Model. The authors find that large sized IT clusters in the Haidian district of Beijing and the Pudong district of Shanghai have higher risks of business withdrawal (BW) than their surrounding areas, whereas the medium-sized cluster in the Nanshan district of Shenzhen and medium-sized IT cluster in the Binjiang district of Hangzhou does not show significant risks compared with their surrounding areas.

An empirical study of information technology clusters and regional economic growth in Russia

The paper is devoted to the identification of the “Information Technologies” cluster in the regions of the Russian Federation and verification of the assumption that there is an interaction between the degree of cluster representation in the region and the GRP size. The authors considered the main theoretical and methodological provisions concerning the identification of clusters with the Top-down approach. Based on the develops of M. Porter and G. Lindqvist, the “Information Technologies” cluster characteristics such as local content, size and focus were calculated for 80 regions of the Russian Federation. The conclusions about the specifics of the cluster development in the country were made. Using the methods of regression analysis, the authors tested a number of hypotheses and revealed the presence of a positive interaction between the GRP volume and the “Information Technologies” cluster presence in the regions of the Russian Federation, as well as the local content, size and focus of this cluster in the regions of the Russian Federation.

Information technology clusters and regional growth in America, 1970–1980

We use county business patterns data for the 1970s to study the role of information technology (IT) clusters in fostering regional growth in America. We interpret the IT industry as made up of four components: computer hardware, computer software, semiconductors, and key computer customers. We pose two fundamental questions. First, did counties where the IT industry clustered in 1974 grow at a faster rate between 1974 and 1980? Second, did each individual component of the IT industry grow faster between 1974 and 1980 in counties where the other components clustered in 1974? We find that counties in which the IT industry clustered early on grew faster than those in which it did not, after controlling for a variety of county-specific characteristics and after addressing the potentially endogenous nature of the IT industry’s location. We also find that each individual component of the IT industry grew faster in regions in which the other components clustered. We interpret these findings as consistent with the tenets of the spillover theory of entrepreneurship.

The Formation of Information Technology Clusters in Kazakhstan: System and Structured Approaches

The Formation of Information Technology Clusters in Kazakhstan: System and Structured Approaches

The Formation of Information Technology Clusters in Kazakhstan: System and Structured Approaches

The Formation of Information Technology Clusters in Kazakhstan: System and Structured Approaches

Understanding the innovativeness of information technology products and service providers in an IT cluster in Nigeria

Every society has social and other systems that encourage and promote, or otherwise, individuals to engage in creative processes and/or support new ideas and experimentation that may result in new products, services or technological processes. This study examined how the most popular innovation variables provide explanation for the capacity of information technology (IT) products and service providers in the Otigba Computer Hardware Cluster in Lagos, Nigeria to devise and harness new strategies of solving IT problems. The study also investigated the respondents’ capacity to acquire, assimilate, transform and use knowledge, and the relationship between these capacities and their innovativeness. Data were collected from 273 respondents with the aid of a questionnaire and an indepth interview schedule. The study confirms the importance of stronger networking for transfer of knowledge by showing that the respondents’ interaction with knowledge sources has strong relationship with their capacity to innovate, acquire, understand and use knowledge. However, innovativeness among the operators in the cluster is not necessarily a function of the traditional innovation variables of absorptive, acquisition, transformation, exploitation and other capacities. The capacity to transform knowledge into applications has a significant effect on the capacity of the operators to introduce new ideas, processes and techniques. Findings from the interviews reveal that the information technology products and service providers are able to devise new ways of solving old and new IT problems, especially as they relate to computer hardware. Research on innovativeness among operators in this cluster must seek explanation from local circumstances in addition to the popular recognised variables

The role of joint actions in the performance of IT clusters in Mexico

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to show the importance of joint actions and institutions for collaboration (IFCs) in the development and performance of information technology (IT) business clusters in the context of Mexico. Design/methodology/approach – A review of the literature suggests the types of linkages that the clusters must develop to be successful in the context of emerging countries. Two IT clusters in the region of Puebla and Jalisco are compared to highlight the factors that differentiate successful and less successful clusters in this type of environment. Findings – The presence of an IFC, such as the Jalisco Institute of Information Technology in Jalisco, is a determinant factor of the performance of the IT cluster there, contrary to Puebla. A model of dynamic interactions in clusters is proposed as a result of the analysis of the two cases. Research limitations/implications – Our analysis included clusters from IT industry in Mexico. It needs to be extended to more clusters, more industries and other emerging countries settings for the sake of comparison and generalization. Practical implications – In the context of the relative scarcity of formal institutions in emerging country settings, the purposive collaboration of both private and public sectors in IFCs is necessary to ensure a long-standing development and performance of business clusters. Originality/value – In this article, we show the specific role of institutional arrangements in cluster development and performance in emerging countries, which has seldom been investigated both theoretically and empirically.

Market-Oriented Projects: Analysis in an Information Technology Cluster

This article introduces and analyzes the result of research addressing the business performance of the Local Productive Arrangement of Information Technology RMBH-MG. The theoretical model of reference for the quantitative research was the Market Orientation, or Markor scale, proposed by Kohli, Jaworski (1993). 83 entrepreneurs, out of a total of 142 of the sector, as well as 04 leading business entities were investigated. The study shows that the technical support in the development of micro and small enterprises provided by SEBRAE generated better level of satisfaction in the construct "generation of intelligence" and the "reply to", in relation to "construct" dissemination of intelligence ". The construct "response to the market of the companies met" presented higher performance than the construct "dissemination of technological information". The project as a whole was well rated by entrepreneurs. Nomologicamente the theoretical model explains satisfactorily the project performance.

Bangalore information technology cluster

The information technology (IT) cluster in Bangalore, India has developed substantially since the liberalisation reforms introduced in 1991. This development has been underpinned by government support and a labour arbitrage strategy that seeks to carve out a share of the large IT services markets in Europe and the USA. More recently, however, these costs have been rising in India opening up opportunities for foreign IT service rivals in places such as Eastern Europe and China. With the labour arbitrage strategy waning, we believe the Bangalore IT cluster needs to realign its strategy towards higher-value exports and the growing domestic market. In order for such a strategy to work, a number of critical reforms are needed to allow the domestic IT services industry to adjust. Most, if not all, of these reforms require public sector support and it is here where the most intractable changes are necessary.

Evolution of Innovation Networks across Geographical and Organizational Boundaries: A Study of R&D Subsidiaries in the Bangalore IT Cluster

In this paper, we investigate the evolution of multinational corporation (MNC) research and development (R&D) subsidiaries through evolution of innovation networks. Their evolution within and outside MNC R&D subsidiaries has not been investigated in the context of MNCs that source innovation from emerging economies. We do so, using two dimensions: geographical and organizational boundaries. In order to identify a pattern, we chose the information technology (IT) cluster in Bangalore, India, as the context for a qualitative study; for there are MNC subsidiaries that operate and innovate within and outside organizational boundaries, and have strong links with firms within and outside of Bangalore cluster. The globalized nature of the cluster helps us infer the evolution of innovation networks by taking a knowledge flow perspective. We identify four distinct phases based on where and how knowledge flows. We find that the innovation networks of these MNC subsidiaries in emerging economies first develop as hierarchical networks and then extend to the local markets. Within the first part, the networks start with a non‐local nature (phase A) and get embedded into local networks (phase B and phase C), finally developing into non‐local (phase D) market ties that enable MNC headquarters to source innovation from the host country. In an emerging economy context, clusters can serve as a springboard by providing a local environment that can help overcome institutional voids.

Directions and Paths of Knowledge Flows through Labour Mobility: A Social Capital Perspective

Angeli F., Grandi A. and Grimaldi R. Directions and paths of knowledge flows through labour mobility: a social capital perspective, Regional Studies. This paper investigates how knowledge flows across companies through labour mobility, focusing on differences in regional affiliations, industry affiliations and foreign affiliations. The theoretical framework relies on a social capital perspective, which postulates that firms devote consistent strategic effort to shaping their social capital through labour inflows and outflows. The regression analyses, based on 1331 dyads involving 3895 employee movements across 397 companies in the Bangalore information technology cluster in India, indicate that companies tend to hire locally and from rivals. Moreover, multinational corporations favour labour outflows to cluster firms, which enhance their local social capital and fuel knowledge transfers within clusters.

Entrepreneurial firms and cluster competitiveness: institutions and public policy determinants

Globalisation brings many competitive challenges to emerging economies, particularly to small and medium-size firms (SMEs). Focusing on the information technology cluster in Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy, and a high-tech municipality (Campinas) the researchers examined the role of governmental institutions and their interaction with business and academe to foster competitiveness. Despite a high quality infrastructure and an excellent workforce, most public sector initiatives are not specific to SMEs nor to the needs of companies located in Campinas. Factors like: 1) the lack of a governance structure to coordinate policies in support of SMEs; 2) the absence of sufficient public resources to support innovation and bring new products to market; 3) the inaccessibility of research centres for small firms hinders the growth and development of Campinas as a dynamic IT cluster. The researchers propose 15 specific actions to improve the competitiveness of SME technology firms in Campinas and in the cluster.

On the Sociospatial Dynamics of Personal Knowledge Networks: Formation, Maintenance, and Knowledge Interactions

Whilst personal knowledge networks between organisations have been argued to be important for regional economic development, their functioning and, within this context, the exact role of spatial proximity has been empirically underexplored. This paper addresses these issues by, first, examining the dynamic mechanisms of the formation, maintenance, and knowledge interaction of important knowledge relationships of R&D workers in the Cambridge information technology cluster in the UK. It is demonstrated that personal relations tended to transform from an initially professional context into privately governed relationships. Furthermore, it is argued that a sophisticated understanding of the role of spatial proximity requires an investigation of the spatiality of several stages of the network mechanisms. The results show that permanent spatial proximity and face-to-face interaction are more important for the formation of relationships than for the maintenance stage and, in particular, for work-related knowledge interactions. Finally, it is argued that, in contrast to the emphasis in much of the literature on communities of practice and epistemic communities, the knowledge relationships do not tend to be anchored in collective groups. Instead, the paper highlights the usefulness of the concept of individualised networks.

Developing a Human‐centred and Science‐based Approach to Design: The Knowledge Management Platform Project

The gap between theory and practice is a persistent problem in management and organization research. In this respect, several scholars have suggested that ‘design’ is an ideal‐typical form of mode 2 knowledge production. Design research develops knowledge in the service of action and problem solving in organizational settings. In this paper, we connect two perspectives on design that can be considered to be largely complementary but have hardly been combined and integrated in practice: science‐based design drawing on design propositions grounded in research and human‐centred design emphasizing an active and systematic participation by users and other stakeholders. An integrated approach that builds on both perspectives is developed and subsequently applied to designing and developing a portal for mapping competencies in an information technology cluster. This project involves creating problem awareness and articulating design propositions as well as developing scenarios of use, experimenting with prototypes, and organizational transformation. As such, this methodology addresses the dual challenge of rigour and relevance by producing both scientific and practical knowledge.

A Process Model of Government Intervention and Capability Development: Lessons from the Technology Cluster Formation in Hyderabad, India

This study examines the path taken by the government of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh that recently established an information technology (IT) cluster in Hyderabad, the capital city. The city went from virtually no presence in IT to developing one of the world's most vibrant IT clusters in the world. A retrospective case study research was conducted guided by two research questions: (1) how institutional actions influenced the capability development that shaped the IT cluster formation in Hyderabad and (2) why did it succeed despite the poor fit with its initial context? The findings allow proposing a process model of institutional interventions (including mobilization, subsidies, knowledge building, guideline setting, knowledge deployment, and innovation directives) and capability development (comprising capabilities to identify industry attractiveness, to create conditions and flexibility, and to encourage entrepreneurial activity). This model serves as the central contribution of this research, and its implications for both research and practice are discussed.

On the Role and Interrelationship of Spatial, Social and Cognitive Proximity: Personal Knowledge Relationships of R&D Workers in the Cambridge Information Technology Cluster

Huber F. On the role and interrelationship of spatial, social and cognitive proximity: personal knowledge relationships of R&D workers in the Cambridge information technology cluster, Regional Studies. Although the importance of proximity has been highlighted, it remains an open question which types and levels of proximity are critical for knowledge networks. This paper addresses this issue by examining the role of spatial, social and cognitive proximity of personal knowledge relationships in the Cambridge information technology cluster. It is shown that distinguishing between sub-dimensions of cognitive proximity can clarify the ‘proximity paradox’. Moreover, the results highlight that local relationships enable access to cognitively more diverse knowledge than non-local ones. Finally, the paper provides empirical evidence of a compensation mechanism: distance in one dimension is compensated by proximity in at least one other dimension. However, similarity in terms of technical language cannot be easily substituted. Huber F. 空间、社会及认知毗邻性的相互关系与作用：剑桥IT产业集群研发部门中从业人员间的个体知识关系，区域研究。尽管目前在大量研究中已经强调了毗邻性的重要性，如下问题依旧值得探讨：什么类型及层次的毗邻性对于知识网络构建而言是至关重要的？本文通过考察剑桥IT产业集群创新及发展部门中从业人员间的个体知识关系讨论了这一问题。研究发现，对毗邻性概念进行的细分有助于明确‘毗邻性悖论’。研究同时表明可以将更多样化的知识整合入地方关系中。最终，文章为补偿机制提供了经验证据：某一层面的差距可以由其他层面的毗邻性进行补充。然而，技术语言的相似性不可轻易被取代。 毗邻性 认知毗邻性 社会毗邻性 个人网络 知识网络 毗邻悖论 Huber F. Sur le rôle et la corrélation de la proximité spatiale, sociale et cognitive: les rapports de connaisance personnels des travailleurs de R et D dans le cluster de la technologie de l'information situé à Cambridge, Regional Studies. Bien que l'on ait souligné l'importance de la proximité, on doute quels types et quels niveaux de proximité soient essentiels pour les réseaux de connaissance. Cet article aborde la question en examinant le rôle de la proximité spatiale, sociale et cognitive des rapports de connaissance personnels dans le cluster de la technologie de l'information situé à Cambridge. On montre que distinguer entre les subdivisions de la proximité cognitive peut éclaircir le ‘paradoxe de la proximité’. Qui plus est, les résultats laissent voir que les rapports locaux permettent un accès à la connaissance qui est plus divers du point de vue cognitif que ne le sont les rapports non-locaux. Pour terminer, l'article fournit des preuves empiriques d'un mécanisme de compensation: la distance dans un sens se voit compenser par la proximité dans au moins un autre sens. Cependant, on ne peut pas compenser facilement le langage technique. Proximité Proximité cognitive Proximité sociale Réseaux personnels Réseaux de connaissance Paradoxe de proximité Huber F. Die Rolle und wechselseitigen Beziehungen von räumlicher, sozialer und kognitiver Nähe: persönliche Wissensbeziehungen von F&E-Kräften im IT-Cluster Cambridge, Regional Studies. Die Wichtigkeit von Nähe wurde zwar bereits hervorgehoben, doch es bleibt ungeklärt, welche Arten und Stufen von Nähe für Wissensnetzwerke entscheidend sind. In diesem Beitrag wird dieses Thema aufgegriffen und untersucht, welche Rolle die räumliche, soziale und kognitive Nähe von persönlichen Wissensbeziehungen im Informationstechnologie-Cluster von Cambridge spielt. Es wird gezeigt, dass sich das ‘Paradoxon der Nähe’ durch eine Differenzierung der Subdimensionen der kognitiven Nähe klären lässt. Darüber machen die Ergebnisse deutlich, dass lokale Beziehungen einen Zugriff auf ein kognitiv breiteres Wissensspektrum ermöglichen als nicht-lokale Beziehungen. Ebenso liefert dieser Beitrag empirische Belege für einen Kompensationsmechanismus: Die Entfernung in einer Dimension wird durch Nähe in mindestens einer anderen Dimension kompensiert. Allerdings lässt sich eine Ähnlichkeit in puncto Fachsprache nicht einfach substituieren. Nähe Kognitive Nähe Soziale Nähe Persönliche Netzwerke Wissensnetzwerke Paradoxon der Nähe Huber F. El papel y la interrelación de la proximidad espacial, social y cognitiva: relaciones del conocimiento personal entre trabajadores de I + D en la aglomeración de la TI de Cambridge, Regional Studies. Aunque se ha puesto de relieve la importancia de la proximidad, sigue abierta la cuestión sobre qué tipos y niveles de proximidad son fundamentales para las redes de conocimiento. En este artículo abordamos esta cuestión al examinar el papel de la proximidad espacial, social y cognitiva de las relaciones del conocimiento personal en la aglomeración de la tecnología de la información de Cambridge. Mostramos que distinguir entre subdimensiones de proximidad cognitiva puede aclarar la ‘paradoja de la proximidad’. Además, los resultados destacan que las relaciones locales permiten un acceso a conocimiento cognitivamente más diverso. Para terminar, en este artículo ofrecemos evidencias empíricas de un mecanismo de compensación: la distancia en una dimensión está compensada por la proximidad en como mínimo una dimensión diferente. Sin embargo, no puede sustituirse fácilmente la similitud del lenguaje técnico. Proximidad Proximidad cognitiva Proximidad social Redes personales Redes de conocimiento Paradoja de la proximidad