SELECTION ENVIRONMENT, COMPETENCE AND THE EVOLUTION OF CULTURAL CHARACTERISTIC INDUSTRY CLUSTER IN AGRACULTURAL AREAS OF CHINA——A Case Study of Magic Industry Cluster in Zhaozhuang
LI Xue-xin1,2, TIAN Guang-zeng3
1. Department of Environment and Planning, Shangqiu Normal University, Shangqiu 476000, China;
2. Center for Yellow River Civilization and Sustainable Development, Henan University, Kaifeng 475001, China;
3. Department of Resources Environment and Tourism, Anyang Normal University, Anyang 455000, China
Abstract Through secondary data and semi-structured interview, taking Zhaozhuang magic cluster as an example, this paper studies the evolution process of the cultural characteristic industry cluster(CCIC) in agricultural areas of China by using the analysis framework of selection environment and competence interaction. The finding shows that the evolution process of the cultural characteristic industry cluster not only comprises a trial-and-error process, but also is the result of selection environment and competence interaction. Only the local environment can make the cluster "seed" of local history and cultural traditions take root. Changes in the agricultural economic system provide the market driving force of CCIC, and enhance its market competitive power. The interaction between the different actors forms the institution such as the succeeding to fathers social status, the apprenticeship system, training the students in the magic group and jargon system, and the social credit such as personal reputation and trust, which shape the local network in which knowledge spillovers and collective learning take place. In cluster development, the local government play an important role,and agricultural elites absorb knowledge from external and spread to the cluster, which greatly improve the cognitive competences, learning competence and innovative competence of cluster. By reputation, trust and other social credit in agricultural areas, CCIC can not only reduce transaction costs among actors, but also rapidly group through mobilization of social resources, and respond to market risk with the higher flexibility.
2011, Vol. 26 
