Governance in business clusters: proposal for an application of an analytical model

A wide body of literature on business cluster governance has been accumulated, presenting several models of this phenomenon. Yet each of these models focuses on particular aspects of cluster governance and there is no model with an effectively broad and integrative perspective that offers description, evaluation and management features. Thus, the aim of this paper is to propose a comprehensive model for business cluster governance. The model was developed based on the business cluster and business networks literature, from which five constitutive and characteristic elements inherent to governance in business clusters were inferred and are referred to here as dimensions: structure, function, mechanisms, objectives and agents. A multi-case study was employed to evaluate the model’s internal validity and analytically address the clusters studied. The multi-case study results showed adherence of the proposed model to the empirical findings, thus revealing its internal and operational validity. Three relevant contributions can be pointed out: for researchers, an operational model is indicated that can be used for empirical studies; for managers, a tool is provided for a comprehensive clusters governance analysis; and for literature the paper advances the knowledge on cluster governance.