The Performance of Seaport Clusters - RePub - Erasmus Universiteit ...

4 VARIABLES OF CLUSTER PERFORMANCE
In this chapter a framework with variables of cluster performance is developed. First, four
different schools that have addressed this issue are reviewed. Second, a new framework for
analyzing cluster performance is presented.
4.1 Relevant theories
In this section we first discuss the issue of integrating insights from different schools. The
number of variables that influence, directly or indirectly, the performance of a cluster is huge
if not infinite. Most economic theories/schools concentrate on one or a few variables, thus
giving only a partial explanation. Given the multitude of variables, the performance of
clusters cannot be explained with insights from one economic school only.
An analytical framework that incorporates insights from different schools is required to
understand the performance of clusters. The development of such a framework does not
require an all-encompassing theory. Such an integrative theory cannot be made because
insights from different schools have been developed on the basis of different sets of
assumptions, that cannot be united 9 (see Groenewegen and Vromen, 1996). Rather, the
framework incorporates insights that are not contradicting themselves (such as effects of
internal competition or the presence of intermediaries). Combining those different insights
leads to a more complete analytical framework and a better understanding of the
performance of clusters. Porter (1990) develops a holistic analytical framework (discussed in
the following sections), but hardly incorporates research findings of others in his framework.
An alternative framework that is based on existing insights is developed in this study.
9 Different schools are not perfectly complementary, but make contradictory assumptions, for
instance about the behavior of firms. Combining insights from theories with contradictory
assumptions leads inevitably to some extent to an ‘ad-hoc framework’. It is difficult, if not
impossible to include all relevant insights, or to justify why certain insights are incorporated and
others are not. Therefore, in the cases cluster experts were asked to evaluate the framework
and suggest improvements.