The Effect of Companies' Participation or Non-Participation in the Creation of Industrial Clusters on Their Innovation Performance with an Emphasis on the Mediatory Role of Knowledge Management

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Payame Noor University

Abstract

Industrial clustering approach is a way to increase cooperation and the use of knowledge and innovation among competing small and medium firms. The aim of this study is to investigate innovation performance of companies having formed industrial clusters in comparison with those not having formed industrial clusters, with an emphasis on the mediating role of knowledge management. The companies selected are rubber parts producers of Hamedan province, Iran. This study is practical in purpose and descriptive-survey of correlational type in methodology and nature. Data gathering tool used in this study is a standard questionnaire based on Likert scale. Its reliability is tested and confirmed by Cronbach's alpha, and its validity by confirmatory factor analysis. The statistical population includes the employees of Rosen rubber parts industrial cluster (430) and the employees of 16 rubber parts producers (287) not having formed industrial clusters. Based on Morgan table, the size of the sample is 205 individuals in the first group of companies and 165 in the second. Structural equations modeling, two-sample test and Levene's test are used for analyzing the findings. The results show that companies having formed clusters are in better positions in terms of innovation performance and knowledge management than those not having formed clusters.

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