Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2000-09
The Development of Intelligent Local Clusters to Increase Global Competitiveness and Local Cohesion: The Case of Small Businesses in the Creative Industries
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) offer potential to enhance the global competitiveness and local cohesion of emergent creative industries using virtual networks. This paper draws on a case study based on a pilot project in Manchester's creative sector, the Northern Quarter. The aim was to introduce advanced ICTs to creative micro businesses and explore the relationship between physical and digital networking. ICTs were found to bring local businesses closer together in the development and training phases and to provide an impetus to the development of electronic trading. The lasting benefits of the project for local cohesion are less clear and the reasons for this are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Allard, G. (1999) Entrepreneurs, aesthetes and electronic markets: researching commodification in a symbolic space. Paper presented to the Critical Management Studies Conference, Cultural Industry Stream, University of Manchester, July.
2.
Bannock, G. (1992) Choking the spirit of enterprise, International Management, March, pp.30-33.
3.
Berranger P. De (1999) Creativity meets commercialism. MSc thesis, Manchester Metropolitan University.
4.
Bianchi, P. (1993) Industrial districts and industrial policy: the new european persepective, Journal of IndustrialStudies, 1, pp. 16-29.
5.
Brülhart, M. (1998) Economic geography, industry location and trade: the evidence, World Economy, 21, pp. 775-801.
6.
Clancy, M.J. (1998) Arts policies, structures and participation, in: M. Fitzgibbon and A. Kelly (Eds) Maestro to Manager: Critical Issues in Arts and Culture Management, pp. 223-244. Dublin: Oak Tree Press.
7.
Doukidis, G.I., Lybereas, P. and Galliers, R.D. (1996) Information systems planning in small businesses: a stage of growth analysis, Journal of Systems Software, 33, pp. 189-201.
8.
Dti (Department Of Trade And Industry) (1995 ) Small Firms in Britain Report. London : HMSO.
9.
Eckstein, J. (1993) Employment in the cultural sector, Cultural Trends, 20, pp. 1-33.
10.
European Commission (1998) Culture, the cultural industries and employment (available at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg10/avpolicy/forum/emploiculture_en.pdf).
11.
Fariselli, P., Oughton, C., Picory, C. and Sugden, R. (1999) Electronic commerce and the future for SMEs in the global market-place: networking and public policies, Small Business Economics, 12, pp. 261-275.
12.
Fleming, T. (1999) Case studies for the creative industries, Manchester Institute of Popular Culture (MIPC) and Forum on Creative Industries (FOCI) (available at: http://www.mmu.ac.uk/h-ss/mipc/foci/docu.htm ).
13.
Freeman, C. (1991) Networks of innovators: a synthesis of research issues, ResearchPolicy, 20, pp. 499-514.
14.
Hamill, J. and Gregory, K. (1997) Internet marketing in the internationalisation of UK SMEs, Journal of Marketing Management, 13, pp. 9-28.
15.
Harrer, B.J., Weijo, R.O. and Hattrup, M.P. (1988) The role of change agents in new product adoption , Industrial Marketing Management, 17(2), pp. 95-102.
16.
Hill, D. (1996) The history of the northern quarter and the northern quarter network: The Northern Quarter Network, Manchester Institute of Popular Culture, Manchester Metropolitan University (available at: http://www.mmu.ac.uk/h-ss/mipc/nqn/project.html ).
17.
Hoffman, D.L., Novak, T.P. and Chatterjee, P. (1995) Commercial scenarios for the Web: opportunities and challenges, Journal of Computer Mediated Communication , 1(3) (available at: http://jcmc.huji.ac.il/voll/issue3/hoffman.html).
18.
Jones, O. and Tang, N. (1996) Networks for technology transfer: linking HEIs and SMFs, International Journal of TechnologyManagement, 12, pp. 820-829.
19.
Jones, R. (1994) Digital's World Wide Web server: a case study, Computer Networks and ISDN Systems, 27, pp. 297-306.
20.
Lake, H. (1999) How divers turned on the profit stream, Better e-Business: special report on how the Internet can transform prospects for small businesses, The Sunday Times, 24 May (available at: http://www.sunday-times.co.uk:80/cgibin/Backlssue?999 ).
21.
Lebre La Rovere, R. (1998) Small and medium-sized enterprises and IT diffusion policies in Europe, Small Business Economics, 11, pp. 1-9.
22.
Leonard, M. and Strachan, R. (1999) Dublin, case study, Manchester Institute of Popular Culture (available at: http://www.mmu.ac.uk/h-ss/mipc/iciss/cas_dub.htm ).
23.
Levy, M. and Powell, P. (1998) SME flexibility and the role of information systems , Small Business Economics, 11, pp. 183-196.
24.
Malone, S.C. (1985) Computerizing small business information systems , Journal of Small Business Management, April, pp. 10-16.
25.
Marshall, A. (1920) Principles of Economics: An Introductory Volume , 8th edn. London: Macmillan.
26.
Marshall, J.N., Alderman, N., Wong, C. and Thwaites, A. (1993) The impact of government-assisted management training and development on small and medium-sized enterprises in Britain, Environment and PlanningC, 11, pp.331-348.
27.
Mathes, W. (1996) Culture and structural policies: a contribution to employment. Wulf Mathies, Minister of the European Commission responsible for regional policy and cohesion. Paper presented to the Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Regional Policy and Special Planning , Venice, May.
28.
Meldrum, M. and Berranger, P. de (1999) Can HE match the IS learning needs of SMEs?, Journal of European Industrial Training, 23(8), pp. 375-402.
29.
Miciialsky, J. (1995) People are the killer app, Forbes ASAP, 5 June, pp. 120-122.
30.
Montazemi, A.R. (1988) Factors affecting information satisfaction in the context of small business environment, MIS Quarterly, 12, pp. 239-256.
31.
O'Brien, J. and Feist, A. (1995) Employment in the arts and cultural industries: an analysis of the 91 Census. Research Report No. 2, Art Council of England, London.
32.
Oecd (Organisation For Economic Development And Co-Operation) (1995) Information technology (IT), diffusion policies for small and medium-sized enterprises. OCDE/GD(95)76 (available at: http://www.oecd.org/dsti/sti/it/infosoc/prod/online.htm ).
33.
Oecd (Organisation For Economic Development And Co-Operation) (1998) Key Employment Policy Challenges Faced by OECD Countries. Labour Market and Social Policy, Occasional Papers No. 31. OECD Submission to the G8 Growth, Employability and Inclusion Conference, London, February.
34.
Quelch, J.A. and Klein, L.R. (1996) The Internet and international marketing, Sloan Management Review, 37(3), pp. 60-75.
35.
Sciimitz, H. and Musyck, B. (1994) Industrial districts in Europe: policy lessons for developing countries?, World Development, 22, pp. 889-910.
36.
Storey, D.J. (1994) Understanding the Small Business Sector. London: Routledge.
37.
Storey, D.J. and Cressy, R. (1995) Small business risk: a firm and bank perspective . Working Paper, Warwick Business School SME Centre.
38.
Swartz, E. and Boaden, R. (1997) A methodology for researching the process of information management in small firms, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research. 3, pp. 53-65.
39.
Webb, B. and Sayer, R. (1998) Benchmarking small companies on the Internet, Long Range Planning, 31, pp. 815-827.
40.
Yap, C.-S., Thong, J.Y.L. and Raman, K.S. (1994) The effect of government incentives on computerisation in small business, European Journal of Information Systems , 3, pp. 191-206.
