The Concept of Mapping the Benchmarking Partnerships of Cluster Enterprises – Theoretical Approach

Abstract

Benchmarking is a response to the needs of contemporary enterprises participating in clusters, that search for solutions to increase efficiency and effectiveness of processes and to improve their competitive advantage. At the same time, the ability to build and develop partnership relations by cluster members is currently one of the key conditions of their external growth. The valid and important field of scientific research is intra-cluster benchmarking partnership. So far, none of the researchers has performed theoretical analyses in terms of the possibility of benchmarking adjustment to the needs of cluster members. The purpose of the paper is to present the essence of benchmarking partnership of cluster enterprises and the concept of mapping of data and information exchange in intra-cluster benchmarking based on partnership. The main research methods are as follows: the analysis of literature sources and deductive reasoning. The selection of the specific field of theoretical considerations and conceptual works has been motivated by the identified knowledge gap within the scope of the indicated elements of the concept of benchmarking partnership of cluster enterprises. In view of the presented definitions of basic conceptual categories closely related to the analysed form of partnership, it has been assumed that the essence of benchmarking partnership of cluster enterprises is a mutually beneficial exchange of information between cluster members, concerning their performance and best practices, according to partnership rules, that leads to improvement of performance of the parties involved in the benchmarking process.