Title: Benchmarking knowledge potentials of clusters: a comparative study in the tourism industry

Authors: Murat Akpinar; Melike Mermercioglu

Addresses: JAMK University of Applied Sciences, Rajakatu 35, 40200, Jyväskylä, Finland ' Koc University Graduate School of Management, Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, 34450 İstanbul, Turkey

Abstract: Clusters have been identified as influential mechanisms to drive knowledge-based innovations. Despite this acknowledgement, there have not been many attempts to evaluate their knowledge potentials. This is a pioneering study that benchmarks the knowledge potential of two tourism clusters from Finland and Turkey using the emerald model. The study benchmarks the clusters in terms of their educational attractiveness, talent attractiveness, R&D and innovation attractiveness, ownership attractiveness, environmental attractiveness, cluster attractiveness and knowledge dynamics. As a result, the underlying strengths and weaknesses of the two clusters are evaluated and concrete action plans and policy recommendations are generated for the managers of both clusters.

Keywords: tourism clusters; emerald model; tourism industry; benchmarking; Finland; Turkey; knowledge potential; educational resources; talent; skills; R&D; research and development; innovation; ownership; environmental issues; knowledge dynamics; cluster attractiveness.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKBD.2014.068047

International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development, 2014 Vol.5 No.4, pp.344 - 366

Received: 12 Nov 2013
Accepted: 07 Aug 2014
Published online: 21 Mar 2015 *

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