The article “From Free to Fee: A Behavioural Perspective on Why Companies Avoid Paying for Cluster Services”, authored by Annika Ludwig, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Change Management (Special Issue: "Managing Change in Industry Clusters: Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, Smart Specialisation & Regional Development").
Abstract:
Regional clusters and cluster policy are central to the design and establishment of smart specialization strategies across Europe. Smart specialization strategies can succeed only when the clusters they are based on survive in the long run and form a sound basis for new strategic efforts. Whether clusters manage to survive strongly depends on their ability to uncouple from initial public funding. Here is where the current problems of clusters and cluster policy lie, since companies are not willing to contribute to the clusters with an adequate level of payments. This article critically discusses the question of why member companies avoid paying for cluster services and offers possible explanations for companies’ behaviour as well as problem-solving strategies for cluster managers and politicians. Based on the classical net-value concept, this conceptual article discussesvarious behavioural and economic perspectives—zero-price effect, anchoring effect, reference prices, transaction costs—that help shed light on cluster members’ avoidance of paying for cluster membership and services.