Cluster ambidexterity towards exploration and exploitation: strategies and cluster management

Abstract

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in AbstractCluster studies have shown that innovation can be understood as the result of an interorganizational process, where a division of labor with regard to exploration and exploitation exists among the actors inside the cluster. A cluster is ambidextrous if it manages to balance innovative activities that exploit existing competencies and is open to novel technological approaches by means of exploration. In this context we are interested in the supportive role of cluster management, assuming that a cluster organization can only persist sustainably if exploitation and exploration are pursued in an appropriate balance. Our analysis is based on surveys that have been conducted between 2011 and 2012 with 10 cluster managements and their respective cluster firms of the first two rounds of the German Leading Edge Cluster Competition. Our results indicate that the demand for services offered by the cluster management depends on companies' strategies with respect to exploration, exploitation and ambidexterity. In turn, the priorities set by the cluster management can be explained by the firm' needs. Accordingly, we argue that the cluster management acts as a service provider helping the cluster companies to become ambidextrous which in turn makes the cluster as a whole ambidextrous.

Cluster role in industry 4.0 – a pilot study from Germany

“…I4.0 as specific disruptive innovation builds among others on the firm's ambidexterity, i. e. the skills to balance the knowledge exploitation and exploration. As the study by Wolf et al (2019) revealed that cluster management could help cluster companies to become more ambidextrous. Hence, it might be expected, that this assistance translates into improved conditions for digital transformation.…”

“…The literature on geographical aspects of digital transformation seems to be still in its infancy (Alcácer et al, 2016;Montresor and Antonietti, 2019). While recent research on clusters seeking to map the future trajectories takes into account new aspects of related problems of innovativeness or knowledge networks (Lazzeretti et al, 2019;Wolf et al, 2019).…”

Kairos in Innovation Policy

“…While minor incremental improvements of an existing technological solution are calculable and can be integrated in the planning processes of firms, abrupt changes of technology present them with major challenges that are beyond the predictability of any established planning framework. The research literature has coined the term "ambidexterity" to describe the capability to meet these challenges without disrupting routine activities (see, for instance, Wolf et al, 2019). This concept originally addressed the behavioural patterns of firms, but it is obvious that it also applies to Triple Helices and the research organisations and government authorities involved.…”

“…"Clustering" of the Economy vs. kairos Clusters in German Cluster Policies In this section, we look at the role of kairos constellations in the practical application of cluster policy in Germany. The discussion is based on three types of sources: interviews conducted by the authors as a part of various research projects with government officials responsible for cluster promotion programmes and stakeholder of these programmes, an analysis of government publications on cluster policy, and several academic studies (Beck 2014;Dohse 2000Dohse , 2007Dohse and Staehler 2008;Fornahl et al 2010;Fornahl et al 2012, Fornahl et al 2015Frommhold-Eisebith 2014;Kiese 2012Kiese , 2014Kiese , 2017Uyarra and Ramlogan 2016;Wolf et al 2019).…”

Why are there so few hard facts about the impact of cluster policies in Germany? A critical review of evaluation studies

“…(3) Studies dealing with selected aspects of cluster policy impact using methods of econometric causal analysis (e.g., Engel et al 2017;Nestle 2011). (4) Econometric analyses of specific aspects of the impacts of promoted clusters, such as the development of ensuing innovation networks (e.g., Graf and Broekel 2020;Cantner et al 2013;Wolf et al 2017), or studies that use qualitative methods to analyse special dimensions of cluster development, for instance, the importance of cluster initiatives for regional economic development (Kiese and Hundt 2014).…”