To meet or to connect? Face-to-face contacts vs ICT in cluster organisations
oraz | 18 gru 2019
O artykule
Data publikacji: 18 gru 2019
Zakres stron: 103 - 117
Otrzymano: 30 lip 2019
Przyjęty: 15 lis 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/emj-2019-0037
© 2019 Anna Maria Lis, Adrian Lis, published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.
Main thematic blocks in the study
| THEMATIC BLOCKS | THEMATIC SCOPE |
|---|---|
| Forms of cooperation in COs | − Forms and level of advancement of cooperation in CO, |
| − The role of face-to-face contacts and direct communication in initiating and developing cooperation in CO, development of relationships and building trust in CO, | |
| − The role of ICT and distance communication in initiating and developing cooperation in CO | |
| Involvement of the coordinator and members in COs | − Involvement of cluster coordinator in cluster activity (common activities), |
| − Involvement of cluster members in cluster activity (common activities), | |
| − Roles of CO in particular areas, | |
| − The role of face-to-face contacts and direct communication in fulfilling the roles of CO, | |
| − The role of ICT and distance communication in fulfilling the roles of CO | |
| Creating opportunities and achieving benefits in COs | − Opportunities created in CO (with particular emphasis on face-to-face contacts and ICT), |
| − Benefits achieved as a result of participation in CO (with particular emphasis on face-to-face contacts and ICT) | |
| Flows of knowledge and information in CO | − Knowledge and information flows in CO: internal transfer, acquisition and transfer outside, creation (based on cooperation), codification, |
| − The role of face-to-face contacts and direct communication in knowledge and information flows in CO, | |
| − The role of ICT and distance communication in knowledge and information flows in CO |
Cluster organisation as an integrator – F2F vs ICT
| CAT. 1. LEVELS OF COOPERATION | CAT. 2. GENERAL ROLES | CAT. 3. SPECIFIC ROLES | CAT. 4. SYSTEMS | CAT. 5. F2F CONTACTS (COMMON ACTIVITIES) | CAT. 6. ICT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level I “Integration at the unit level” | Integrator | I.3. Social integrator | Social integration system | Meetings within CO | Support from the communication platform |
| Level II “Allocation and integration at the process level” | II.3. Process integrator | Process integration system | Meetings within task groups | Support from the communication platform | |
| Level III “Impact on the environment” | III.3. Lobbyist- visionary | System of impact on the environment | Meetings with people representing key external actors | Support from the communication platform | |
| Level IV “Creation and integration at the organisational level” | IV.3. Organisation integrator | Institutional integration system | Meetings within project groups | Platform for cooperation management |
Cluster organisation as a broker – F2F vs ICT
| CAT. 1. LEVELS OF COOPERATION | CAT. 2. GENERAL ROLES | CAT. 3. SPECIFIC ROLES | CAT. 4. SYSTEMS | CAT. 5. F2F CONTACTS (COMMON ACTIVITIES) | CAT. 6. ICT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level I “Integration at the unit level” | Broker | I.2. Information exchange platform | Two-way information flow system (inside CO) | Meetings within CO | Platform for communication |
| Level II “Allocation and integration at the process level” | II.2. Resource exchange platform | Information selection system | Meetings within task groups | Platform for collecting and selecting information | |
| Level III “Impact on the environment” | III.2. Link with the environment | Two-way information flow system (from outside CO) | Meetings with people representing key external actors | Platform for communication | |
| Level IV “Creation and integration at the organisational level” | IV.2. Common resource creation platform | Two-way knowledge flow system (inside CO) | Meetings within project groups | Platform for cooperation management |
Cluster organisation as a direct resource supplier – F2F vs ICT
| CAT. 1. LEVELS OF COOPERATION | CAT. 2. GENERAL ROLES | CAT. 3. SPECIFIC ROLES | CAT. 4. SYSTEMS | CAT. 5. F2F CONTACTS (COMMON ACTIVITIES) | CAT. 6. ICT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level I “Integration at the unit level” | Direct resource supplier | I.1. Informer | One-way information flow system (inside CO) | Meetings within CO | Platform for communication |
| Level II “Allocation and integration at the process level” | II.1. Donor | Information selection system | Trainings, workshops | Platform for collecting and selecting information | |
| Level III “Impact on the environment” | III.1. Information tube | Information selection system | Meetings with people representing key external actors | Platform for communication | |
| Level IV “Creation and integration at the organisational level” | IV.1. Mentor | One-way knowledge flow system (inside CO) | Specialist advice | - |
General and specific roles of cluster organisations
| CAT. 1. LEVELS OF COOPERATION | CAT. 2. GENERAL ROLES | CAT. 3. SPECIFIC ROLES |
|---|---|---|
| Level I “Integration at the unit level” | Direct resource supplier | I.1. Informer |
| Broker | I.2. Information exchange platform | |
| Integrator | I.3. Social integrator | |
| Level “Allocation and integration at the process II level” | Direct resource supplier | II.1. Donor |
| Broker | II.2. Resource exchange platform | |
| Integrator | II.3. Process integrator | |
| Level III “Impact on the environment” | Direct resource supplier | III.1. Information tube |
| Broker | III.2. Connector with the environment | |
| Integrator | III.3. Lobbyist-visionary | |
| Level IV “Creation and integration at the organisational level” | Direct resource supplier | IV.1. Mentor |
| Broker | IV.2. Common resource creation platform | |
| Integrator | IV.3. Organisation integrator |
Sample characteristics
| CLUSTER INITIATIVE NAME | VOIVODSHIP | CREATION DATE | NUMBER OF CLUSTER MEMBERS | NUMBER OF INSTITUTIONAL ENTITIES IN THE RESEARCH SAMPLE | NUMBER OF INTERVIEWS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal Cluster of Lubuskie Province | Lubusz | 2008 | 35 | 9 | 11 |
| Metal Working Eastern Cluster | Lublin | 2009 | 78 | 6 | 7 |
| Mazovia Cluster ICT | Masovian | 2007 | 200 | 6 | 6 |
| Interizon: Pomeranian Region ICT Cluster | Pomeranian | 2009 | 130 | 9 | 11 |
The axial coding
| NO. | CATEGORY | PECULIARITIES |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Levels of cooperation | • Level I “Integration at the unit level”, |
| • Level II “Allocation and integration at the process level”, | ||
| • Level III “Impact on the environment”, | ||
| • Level IV “Creation and integration at the organisational level” | ||
| 2 | General roles | • Direct resource supplier, |
| • Broker, | ||
| • Integrator | ||
| 3 | Specific roles | • I.1. Informer, |
| • I.2. Information exchange platform, | ||
| • I.3. Social integrator, | ||
| • II.1. Donor, | ||
| • II.2. Resource exchange platform, | ||
| • II.3. Process integrator, | ||
| • III.1. Information tube, | ||
| • III.2. Connector with the environment, | ||
| • III.3. Lobbyist-visionary, | ||
| • IV.1. Mentor, | ||
| • IV.2. Common resource creation platform, | ||
| • IV.3. Organisation integrator | ||
| 4 | Systems | • One-way information flow system (inside CO, from outside CO), |
| • Two-way information flow system (inside CO, from outside CO), | ||
| • Information selection system, | ||
| • One-way knowledge flow system (inside CO), | ||
| • Two-way knowledge flow system (inside CO), | ||
| • One-way resource flow system (inside CO), | ||
| • Two-way resource flow system (inside CO), | ||
| • Social integration system, | ||
| • Process integration system, | ||
| • Cooperation management system, | ||
| • Institutional integration system, | ||
| • Environment monitoring system, | ||
| • System of impact on the environment | ||
| 5 | Common activities based on F2F contacts | • Meetings within CO, |
| • Meetings with people representing key external actors, | ||
| • Events, | ||
| • Trainings, workshops, | ||
| • Internships, | ||
| • Specialist advice, | ||
| • Meetings within task groups, | ||
| • Meetings within project groups, | ||
| • Meetings within different forms of cooperation | ||
| 6 | ICT | • Platform for communication, |
| • Profile on social networks, | ||
| • Platform for collecting and selecting information, | ||
| • Platform for resource exchange, | ||
| • Educational portal, | ||
| • Platform for placing group orders, | ||
| • Joint online sale, | ||
| • Visual identification system, | ||
| • Specialised software, | ||
| • Platform for cooperation management |