Michael J. Enright

Regional Clusters: What we know and what we should know'

Interest in regional clusters and their role in economic development has grown substantially over the last several years among academics, economic development professionals, and firm managers. The main reasons have been the increased intensity of interregional and international competition in the world economy, the apparent shortcomings of traditional regional development models and policies, and the emergence of successful clusters of firms and industries in many nations around the world. One result has been a proliferation of cluster-based economic development policies. Another has been a veritable explosion of literature on regional clusters and regional clustering. In this paper, I will highlight some of the results of research on regional clusters, identify some of the gaps in our present knowledge of the clustering phenomenon, and suggest an agenda for further research. The particular set issues covered is idiosyncratic rather than exhaustive, reflecting my own research interests and drawing on results, preliminary results, and stylized facts that have emerged in my own research as well as the literature. The purpose is to summarize at least a portion of what we know about regional clusters and to suggest areas for future investigation.

Determinants of Tourism Destination Competitiveness in Asia Pacific: Comprehensiveness and Universality

Recent conceptual work on tourism destination competitiveness has proposed a comprehensive approach that adds industry-level competitiveness attributes to more conventional tourism destination attributes. This study builds on these ideas by generating sets of both attributes, developing a methodology for assessing their relative importance and examining the degree to which their relative importance varies across locations. Survey data were gathered from tourism industry practitioners in three closely competing destinations in Asia Pacific and were subjected to statistical testing. The results provide strong empirical support for the inclusion of both industry-level and destination attributes in studies of tourism competitiveness. The results also question approaches to competitiveness that assume that the relative importance of attributes is common across locations, suggesting, rather, that the importance of competitiveness attributes may vary across locations, depending on product mix and target market segments, especially in complex, multifaceted industries such as tourism.

The Globalization of Competition and the Localization of Competitive Advantage: Policies towards Regional Clustering

Two seemingly competing tendencies, the globalization of economic activity and the localization of industries, have captured the interest of scholars, economic development professionals, and policy-makers in recent years. While trends towards globalization of industries and companies appear to reduce the importance and distinctiveness of (subnational) regions, a tendency towards localization of certain industries and economic activities appears to do exactly the opposite. The simultaneous globalization and localization tendencies have created policy challenges for national and local governments. One response to these challenges has been a dramatic proliferation of regional development policies based on regional clusters of firms and industries.

Regional Clusters and Multinational Enterprises: Independence, Dependence, or Interdependence?

Abstract This article outlines a model of regional cluster development in which the clusters and foreign multinational enterprises (MNEs) are interdependent. Such clusters are characterized by a strong or dominant presence of foreign MNEs as well as a strong contribution by cluster-based subsidiaries to the overall strategy of the MNEs. The case of the Hong Kongfinancial-services cluster is used to demonstrate that interdependent clusters provide types of investment opportunities, particularly for “marketplace-seeking” and “information-seeking” investments, and benefits to foreign multinationals that go beyond those usually contemplated in the MNE literature, while the locations housing such clusters receive benefits that also go beyond those usually contemplated. The article concludes with implications for economic policy, firm strategy, and further research on the interaction between clusters and MNEs.

Industry clusters in Australia: recent trends and prospects

This article explores the phenomenon of industry clustering in Australia. It includes an overview of the factors that have shaped the historic and recent developments of clusters in Australia. Two philosophical approaches to clustering based on a whole of industry approach and regional facilitation are discussed. Four case studies are presented on the Australian wine industry, the Far North Queensland, North Adelaide and Hunter region clustering initiatives. The case studies represent different approaches to regional industry clustering in Australia. The conclusion to the article discusses future prospects for using clustering as a tool to foster regional economic development in Australia.

Trends in Multinational Strategies and Organizations in the Asia-Pacific'

Multinational companies face a variety of forces that are shaping their strategies and organizations. The globalization of competition, the localization of competitive advantage, and technological change, are affecting multinationals all over the world. For some traditional multinational companies, and for many new firms, modern developments will provide opportunities for them to develop and exploit competitive advantages across wider and wider markets. For others, the speed and scope of the challenge will be too much to handle. Today, rapid changes in the world economy present unprecedented challenges and opportunities. The interaction of product markets, service markets, financial markets, macroeconomics, public policy, and business strategy is reshaping firms, industries, cities, and entire economies.

The Long Emergence of a Modern Insurance Industry in China

Abstract From 1949 through 1979, China had no insurance industry, as the state self-insured. Government policy was cautious and growth slow for the next 15 years, but since the early 1990s the pace of policy change has accelerated and the industry has grown at more than twice the gross domestic product. Nevertheless, the industrys development and market penetration, particularly in general insurance, remains extremely low by international standards, and continues to be retarded by a mix of forces. This paper examines the drivers for and against the long emergence of Chinas insurance industry, followed by a projection of the future development of the industry in China.

Are MNCs Imperialists or Knowledge Networks? A Reality Check

Recent theory has emphasized the exchange of knowledge between subsidiaries as a feature of the modern multinational. We revisit the empirical validity of this characterization. Mapping knowledge s...