고려대학교

초록/요약

Most of the previous studies on clusters have a strong tendency to take a cluster just a regional or local entity due to their over-dependence on the theories developed in the western context. Those theories do not have their roots in political economic perspectives. However a cluster is a more complicated entity that embeds itself in political economic structure of a country in a specific period. Therefore this study sets out to argue a need for studying cluster from a comparative political economic view. In order to develop the argument, this study proposes a logic which sees the type(or pattern) of cluster development as a result of political economic systems including 'the state-private capital relations' and 'inter-firm relations'. These systems not only differ from country to country but also reveal diverse characteristics within a country according to different periods. In order to prove validity of the logic, this study inquires into a new theoretical framework on the basis of implications that varieties of capitalism approach and business system approach offer. However these approaches tend to regard political economic systems as static. Therefore, this study introduces a need to view the systems as dynamic entities through considering not only firms but also the state, and proposes 'initiator' and 'governance' as indicators of cluster typology. Under this theoretical framework, this study analyzes industrial clusters in the countries that show successful development in information communication technology(ICT) industry. The cases discussed in this study includes Kumi cluster, Paju and Asan-Tangjeong clusters in South Korea, Hsinchu park in Taiwan and Silicon valley in the U.S. Then this study identifies four types of industrial clusters as to initiator and governance, and specifies correlations between the dynamism of political economic systems and the type of clusters. In probing the correlations, this study focuses on close relations between different pattern of cluster development and the systems' continuity, change, and movement toward change on a national level. Lastly, this study confirms significance and usefulness of cluster research based on comparative political economic perspective through discussing both theoretical and policy implications. This study provides theoretical implications by minimizing several problems that the previous studies on cluster typology have and by proving dynamism of political economic structures. Also it provides empirical supports for related policies by examining both strength and weakness of each cluster type and by showing potentially usable insights into the role of the state in boosting clusters especially in the era of knowledge-based economy. Moreover it provides some implications for a related studies on new statism especially in the East Asian context. In-depth interviews both e-mail and on-site, site visits, and secondary data collection were adopted in order to enhance reliabilities of the data.