PhD defence: Valeria Giacomin

Can clusters be global and local at the same time?

The thesis examines the relevance of business clusters for the integration of less developed countries in the global economy, through the case study of the palm oil cluster in Malaysia and Indonesia in the colonial and post-colonial period (1890-1970s).

I base my inquiry on the concept of cluster, a multidisciplinary notion that spans from International Business, Development Studies and Economic Geography, but has only seldom been investigated through historical methods.

The thesis includes three papers, each focusing on a specific phase of the palm oil cluster evolution and addressing an under-researched topic within cluster theory; (i) cluster emergence; (ii) cluster governance; and (iii) south-south cluster competition between Southeast Asia and West African cluster locations.

I argue that clusters are not self-contained products of the local economy as often suggested in the mainstream cluster literature. Rather, through the palm oil case, I provide empirical depth to the idea that clusters are actors of globalization. I show that by hosting multinationals and channeling knowledge and institutional upgrading, the cluster represents a long-lasting organizational space for the integration of local and foreign business. Finally, I suggest that competitiveness of a specific cluster not only depends on the local conditions but also on the political and business conditions of competing cluster locations.
 
Supervisor:
Associate Professor Christina Lubinski
Department of Management, Politics and Philosophy
Copenhagen Business School

Supervisor:
Associate Professor Martin Jes Iversen
Department of Management, Politics and Philosophy
Copenhagen Business School
 
Assessment Committee:
Associate Professor Benedikte Brincker (Chair)
Department of Management, Politics and Philosophy
Copenhagen Business School

Professor Andrea Colli
Department of Institutional Analysis and Public Management
Bocconi University

Associate Professor Pavida Pananond
Department of International Business, Logistics and Transport
Thammasat Business School
 
Thesis:
The thesis is available here
 
Reception:
The Doctoral School of Organisation and Management Studies will host a reception, which will take place immediately after the defence in the Gallery at Porcelænshaven.