COMPETITIVE SUCCESS OF INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS: AN EXPLORATIVE STUDY IN ITALY

The paper conducts an explorative research on the competitive success of the Industrial Districts IDs (GCs), due to their capacity to adapt and evolve to the environment. Our aim is to identify the ID structural features supporting adaptation by using the complexity theory. We consider the IDs as complex adaptive systems (CASs) and identify the ID features on the basis of the main CAS properties that foster adaptation, i.e. interconnectivity, heterogeneity, and control. To formulate the theory linking the values of the ID structural features with the ID competitive success, a multiple case study is carried out. In particular, it is aimed at comparing IDs with different competitive performances in terms of their CAS properties using network theories and measures. Three theoretical propositions are finally derived.