Delivered at:: Department of Public Administration (Faculty of Management (Nizhny Novgorod))

Course type:: Elective course

When:: 3 year, 4 module

Instructor

Ivanova, Ekaterina

Full Syllabus

Abstract

If we think of businesses and organizations as stars in the sky, the brightest among them, from which constellations are formed, are clusters. The word "cluster" has many meanings and is used as a term in various sciences, such as astronomy or mathematics. In economic terms, a cluster is a geographic concentration of firms, universities, and other organizations that interact with each other - cooperate and compete - in related industries. The classic example of a creative industries cluster is Hollywood. According to the Harvard Business School and the European Cluster Observatory, economies that develop clusters are more sustainable due to the high employment, productivity, and innovation activity of their participants. The recognized effectiveness of the cluster approach makes the task of training specialists capable of creating the conditions for the formation and productive operation of clusters relevant. Since the 2000s, the world cluster manager is a full-fledged profession that requires training and the formation of special knowledge, skills, and abilities. Today in Russia there are more than 115 cluster organizations, and in European countries - over 1000. In the course "Cluster Management" students: - learn about the cluster approach to economic development and the latest scientific and practical trends in this area; - get acquainted with professional standards and best practices of cluster management; - get skills in cluster organization design, strategic development of cluster initiative, and cluster project development. Specialists familiar with the basics of cluster management will be in demand in cluster organizations and cluster development centers, as well as government and local authorities involved in economic and innovation policy. The author and teacher of the course has been doing research and consulting work on cluster development in the team of the "Russian Cluster Observatory" center of ISIEZ NRU HSE since 2015.

Learning Objectives

To learn about the cluster approach to economic development and the latest scientific and practical trends in this area; - get acquainted with professional standards and best practices of cluster management; - get skills in cluster organization design, strategic development of cluster initiative, and cluster project development.

Expected Learning Outcomes

Students interpret the key cluster-related theories: agglomeration economies, urbanization economies, economic complexity, transaction costs theory, cluster theory, cluster initiatives theory.
• Students reproduce and exemplify key success factors of cluster management.
• Students analyze the KPIs of cluster managers
• Students apply the global practices of cluster management, KPIs of cluster managers and cluster-based theories to designing a cluster project.

Course Contents

1. Basics of cluster management
2. Success factors of cluster initiatives
3. Cluster management: a profession
4. Cluster project design

Assessment Elements

Success factors of cluster initiatives (best practices)
Cluster initiative project
“An ideal cluster manager”
Test
The test has 30 questions (multiple choice and open-end). The students are given 80 minutes to write it at class (in zoom) during the final lesson

Interim Assessment

2023/2024 4th module
0.25 * Cluster initiative project + 0.25 * Success factors of cluster initiatives (best practices) + 0.25 * Test + 0.25 * “An ideal cluster manager”

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Beaudry, C., & Breschi, S. (2003). Are firms in clusters really more innovative? Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.D6FA4E7A
Izushi, H., & Huggins, R. (2011). Competition, Competitive Advantage, and Clusters : The Ideas of Michael Porter. Oxford: OUP Oxford. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=438463
Mercedes Delgado, Michael E. Porter, & Scott Stern. (2016). Defining clusters of related industries. Journal of Economic Geography, (1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbv017
Piperopoulos Panos G. Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Business Clusters [Book]. - Abingdon : Routledge, 2016.

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Besley, T., & Persson, T. (2011). Pillars of Prosperity : The Political Economics of Development Clusters. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=380271
Engel Jerome S. Global Clusters of Innovation: Entrepreneurial Engines of Economic Growth around the World [Book]. - Cheltenham : Edward Elgar Publishing, 2014.
Gary Gereffi, & Joonkoo Lee. (2016). Economic and Social Upgrading in Global Value Chains and Industrial Clusters: Why Governance Matters. Journal of Business Ethics, 1, 25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2373-7
Pronestì, Giuseppe. (2018). Life Cycle of Clusters in Designing Smart Specialization Policies. 10.1007/978-3-030-03780-2

Authors

IVANOVA EKATERINA ALEKSEEVNA
IVANOVA EKATERINA ALEKSEEVNA
Белохлебова Наталья Александровна

Bachelor’s Programme 'Business Administration'

Contacts

Cluster management