Clustering Within the Economy of Rostov Region (Russia): The Factor of Large Business

Abstract

Economic clustering becomes the important factor of regional economic development. The practice of clusterisation in various countries demonstrates the leading role of large enterprises within this process. These are large enterprises to accumulate regional tacit and codified knowledge, as well as to become the centers of production, finance and regional business culture, which provide cluster strategy and are able to create both innovation and guaranty of stability. The role of large enterprises within the cluster can be various, but its character influences cluster informational, financial and resource metabolism, so that the unique structure and specifics of the cluster seems to be the result and consequence of the leading enterprises’ characteristics. Traditional classification of clusters into “Scottish” and “Italian” patterns with additional division into “Historical know-how”, “High-tech” and “Knowledge service” does not reflect the specifics of the differences in central enterprises’ role. Through the means of system analysis and classification we provide the classification aimed to uncover the mechanisms of the formation and development of the clusters according to the specifics of the leading firms. As is shown in the article with the example of Rostov region through the method of statistic observation, the South of Russia demonstrate the broad variety of existing and forming economic clusters, which belong to various categories of the given classification. So that the process of regional management aimed to support cluster development is to provide the permanent monitoring of the large enterprises activity and the characteristics, which are notable for the potential or existing cluster. The most universal (according to their role within clusters) large enterprises are located in the sphere of agriculture within the region and are potentially to become the strategy makers in the accordance with the regional administrative course of economic development.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6p267