Business Clusters: Partnering for Strategic Advantage

The book contains a selection of papers on business clusters in its multiple perspectives. It has evolved from the research symposium organized by the The Society for Global Business and Economic Development (SGBED), an international group of academicians, at Dubai during January 2009. It begins with an introduction to the concept of clusters, and then examines their link to a host of strategic issues, such as their nexus to competitive advantage, their performance vis-à-vis their competitors who are not similarly agglomerated, and the challenges in measuring the performance of clusters. Regional economic clusters have serious policy implications. Governments, local as well as national, have used clusters as the unit for investment and infrastructure upgrading policies. It focuses on the normative aspects as well as practices and provides pointers on how public policies can help the development and growth of regional economic clusters. With numerous examples and cases from a host countries such as Dubai, Mexico, Spain and Karnataka (India), the book is a must read for all students of business strategy.

C. Jayachandran, Center for International Business (CIB) and International Trade Counseling Center (ITCC), Montclair State University

Michael Thorpe, University of Wollongong, Dubai (UOWD)

Ram Subramanian, School of Business, Montclair State University

Vishnuprasad Nagadevara, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore