Call for Papers – Competitiveness Review
A Special Issue on "Regional Clusters and Global Competitiveness"
While globalization and the continuing technological revolution provide a number of challenges to firms today, they also provide many opportunities. This is particularly true for companies in smaller countries that may lack the domestic market necessary for growth, and for companies in developing countries with weaker infrastructures and limited supporting industries. Recognizing these insufficiencies and potential weaknesses, many countries have promoted the development of regional clusters where firms can develop their competences and competitive advantages against the world's best competitors by sharing resources, innovative capabilities, and knowledge.
A number of researchers (e.g., Brusco, 1990; Nadvi, 1996; Porter, 1990, 1998; Piore & Sabel, 1984; Schmitz, 1996) have acknowledged the value of clusters in high technology industries pointing to the advantages they provide for the development, transfer, and application of knowledge necessary for continued innovation. The initial success of areas such as Silicon Valley and Route 128 in Boston has led to efforts on the part of both firms and governments to promote similar clusters in many different locations. By clustering together, firms are able to pull from a common and accessible pool of resources, information, and demand for innovation to enhance competences and create competitive advantages to compete globally.
Successful development of such clusters, however, may prove problematic in many countries. To improve understanding of the developments and impacts of regional clusters on global competitiveness, we are calling for contributions to a special issue of Competitiveness Review that will focus scholarly attention on the issue and, in the process, provide necessary guidance for policy makers as well as for academic researchers.
The submitted papers will centre primarily on the following issues :
§ Cluster classifications: the need to establish and validate taxonomies of clusters and their contributions to the global competitiveness of regional firms
§ Firm strategies and processes: the need for better understanding of the processes of interaction between firm strategies and local environment (e.g., factor conditions, demand, supporting industries, and competition)
§ Cluster evolution: the use of single or multiple cases to study the growth, and possibly, the decline of clusters due to global competition and other factors
§ Network and relationship building: how clusters facilitate the establishment of strategic alliances and networks among firms, and how they manage the relationships
§ Firm performance: corporate experience in increasing productivity, developing innovation capacity, enhancing globalization, and creating new business ventures within clusters
§ Policy implications: discussions of possible roles of policy makers in developing regional clusters and enhancing the global competitiveness of cluster firms
§ Other emerging issues on regional cluster and global competitiveness.
Guest Editors:
Dr Chung-Shing Lee, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Washington, USA
Dr Lan Xue, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Dr Jonathan C. Ho, Yuan Ze University, Chungli, Taiwan
Dr Jeff K.H. Niu, California State University, Sacramento, California, USA
Submission:
Authors are requested to submit manuscripts by e-mail to Dr Chung-Shing Lee at clee@plu.edu
For manuscript guidelines go to http://www.emeraldinsight.com/cr.htm
Deadline for Submission: 31 March 2009
About the journal:
Competitiveness Review: an International Business Journal is concerned with competitiveness issues around the globe. It is devoted to the understanding and improvement of theory and its application to issues pertaining to competitiveness. Published by Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, Competitiveness Review incorporates the Journal of Global Competitiveness and is edited by Abbas J. Ali.
-apologies for cross-posting-
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