In Concert at The Interior Cluster : A qualitative analysis of Interaction and the space between Conventions

Sammanfattning: Purpose: A central ambition and purpose of the the thesis is to shed light on the social capital within the cluster and how it contributes to the creation of networks, in what turned out to be intertwined relationships between micro-foundations and social structures. Methodology/approach: This research paper used qualitative research methods, more specifically 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted and one mini focus group. The thesis had an abductive approach. Findings: Consistent throughout the process of the thesis, there has been a clear connection between social capital and how this affects and contributes to the creation of networks. The micro-foundations such as trust, network, communication, collaboration, and cooperation are thus intertwined with the social structures of the cluster and its development. Thus, the findings of this paper can be of interest for creating a common understanding and providing key insights to several other clusters. Research Delimitations / limitations: Regarding Delimitations, the researchers did choose to limit the study to ICS. The Narrative review was however not been delimited, as the authors studied other cases in clustering. Regarding limitations, there was a certain level of limited access to the respondents, as the researchers tried to reach out to plenty of members, however, there was a low level of response at first. This did however not affect the outcome. Practical implications: Reviewing the literature has led to the conclusion that there is room for improvement regarding social capital in clusters and its effect on networking. Thus, this paper provides implications for clusters all over the world that struggle with the social capital. Originality: The originality of this paper is that it researched an aspect of clustering that is well under-researched in order to shed light on and provide a comprehensive understanding of the social capital and its effect on networking. Thus, the outcome of this paper provides cluster guidance as to the unique value proposition.