The rise of the Chinese regional cluster specializing in fashion in Lombardy : An evolutionary analysis
Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy
ISSN: 1750-6204
Article publication date: 14 August 2017
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the rise of a Chinese fashion cluster in Lombardy.
Design/methodology/approach
Three approaches and descending levels of analysis are integrated: a quantitative analysis based on demographic data to highlight the evolution of the regional distribution of the Chinese community and Chinese entrepreneurship in Lombardy; a literature review to reconstruct the historical development of Chinatown in Milan; and few in-depth interviews and a survey to represent how the Chinese living in Chinatown perceive the changing role of the enclave.
Findings
The Chinese in Lombardy are rising as a regional ethnic fashion cluster. This cluster is rising out of three major drivers: ethnic social capital as a source of community-based entrepreneurship; the crisis of traditional industrial districts in the 1990s as a trigger opportunity; and the trans-regionalization of the fashion industry as a main driver of its current development. The rise of this cluster is bottom-up.
Research limitations/implications
The findings are based on a single case study. There are evidences showing that the Chinese are rising as regional and/or inter-regional clusters in other institutional settings. However, this study may benefit from comparisons with other institutional and national contexts.
Practical implications
Chinese entrepreneurship may foster regional growth as a complementary source of cultural variety, internationalization and multi-regional co-specialization.
Social implications
Entrepreneurship may foster social cohesion and collaboration.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to existing literature by proposing a would-be theory of the evolution of regional ethnic clusters.
Keywords
Citation
Ganzaroli, A. and De Noni, I. (2017), "The rise of the Chinese regional cluster specializing in fashion in Lombardy : An evolutionary analysis", Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 491-513. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEC-11-2015-0052
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited