Communication management in industrial clusters: an attempt to capture its contribution to the cluster’s success

Abstract

This study discusses internal communication within industrial clusters. The basic research question is whether there is a correspondence between the success of a cluster and the communication practices of its management. Our aim was to explore these practices both between the management organization of a cluster and the clustered firms and also among the cluster members themselves. After a thorough literature review of cluster communication, qualitative approach was applied using case studies and 28 interviews in three distinctive clusters in Southwest Hungary. Two of the three clusters consider themselves successful, whilst one cluster sees itself less effective. In the two successful ones, cluster managements are able to manage communication effectively and ensure that communication supports their goals and the implementation of their strategies. In these cases, communication management organization planned and established all dimensions of the communication consciously: channels, content, frequency, way and style of communication, all of which have an impact on trust. The research is linked to corporate communication theories, social identity theory, psychology and management. The paper fills a gap in the research of internal cluster communication. The findings also have useful implications regarding the practice of cluster management and communication.

The comparison of RBV-based competitiveness of Hungarian family-owned and non-family-owned SMEs

“…Hult et al , 2007). Due to the rapid growth of the internet and e-business and the steady decline in computing and communication costs, resources and capabilities related to information and communication technologies (ICTs) are becoming increasingly important (Fuchs and Kirchain, 2010; Chuang and Huang, 2015; Borgulya et al , 2022). According to Aral and Weill (2007), the development of ICT resources and capabilities enhances the positive impact of ICT investments on corporate performance (interpreted based on ROA and profit margin). Empirical studies also investigate resources and capabilities related to marketing (e.g.…”

Successful clusters through successful communication: why clusters should be managed by Place Leaders

“…Communication takes place internally and externally. Internal communication is understood as the strategic management of interactions and relationships between stakeholders at all levels within organizations (Borgulya et al, 2022). Internal corporate communication is defined as "communication between an organization's strategic managers and its internal stakeholders, designed to promote commitment to the organization, a sense of belonging to it, awareness of its changing environment and understanding of its evolving aims" (Welch and Jackson, 2007, p. 193).…”

“…Clusters affect a company's competitive advantage through synergistic effects by increasing the productivity of the company, guiding the direction and the pace of innovation, and stimulating the conformation of new business which also enlarges and reinforces the cluster itself (Porter, 1998;Borgulya et al, 2022). Being part of a cluster enables the company to work more productively, access more information, use technology, cooperate with related companies, and ultimately stimulate improvements to achieve better performance.…”

“…It focuses on mediating and facilitating the relationship between cluster members. Cluster management ensures that cluster members open up, are willing to cooperate, conflicts of interest are eliminated, the various agendas of cluster members are unified into common goals and collective actions, and that organizations see sufficient added value from their participation in cluster activities (Borgulya et al, 2022). In this regard, the coordination of communication within the cluster plays an important role, as the internal architecture of cluster organizations is based on naturally established, voluntary, and constructive interaction and collaboration among cluster members (Rosenfeld, 1996).…”

“…In this article, we aim to draw attention to the role of communication in successful cluster development, as we are convinced that internal communication of clusters is important for their success since clusters are based on networks. The primary need of networks is communication between their members (Borgulya et al, 2022). To do so, we conceptualize Effective internal Cluster Communication and Place Leadership (Ganske and Carbon, 2023) as determinant for successful cluster development.…”