Title: Influence of culture and governance structure on leadership behaviour of cluster managers and implications for cluster management effectiveness

Authors: Carola Jungwirth; Susanne Ruckdäschel

Addresses: Chair of International Management, University of Passau, Innstr. 27, 94032 Passau, Germany ' Chair of International Management, University of Passau, Innstr. 27, 94032 Passau, Germany

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to investigate leadership behaviour, its effectiveness, and certain influence factors on leadership behaviour in regional clusters that are led by a specifically created cluster management. Using a sequential mixed methods design, i.e., the combination of qualitative and quantitative research with the same sample, we analyse leadership behaviour of 85 cluster managers from the USA, England, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Leadership behaviour is classified according to three categories, namely empowering, mobilising, and embracing. Generally, empowering seems to have the most important influence on the effectiveness of the cluster management due to an increase in the number of member companies and a higher member satisfaction. The influence of culture and governance structure on leadership behaviour is depicted. Results show that there are differences in leadership behaviours of cluster managers in the Anglo-American and the Germanic European culture but not according to different governance modes.

Keywords: leadership behaviour; cluster management; effectiveness; regional clusters; regional networks; mixed methods; culture; internationalisation; governance structure; cluster managers; USA; United States; UK; United Kingdom; Germany; Switzerland; Austria; empowering; mobilising; embracing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2013.053482

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2013 Vol.18 No.4, pp.470 - 492

Published online: 30 Sep 2013 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article