Skip to main content

Cognitive models, efficiency, and discontinuities in the evolution of Industrial Districts and Local Production Systems

  • Chapter
The Technological Evolution of Industrial Districts

Part of the book series: Economics of Science, Technology and Innovation ((ESTI,volume 29))

Abstract

In this study, a research hypothesis on Local Production Systems (LPS) is developed on the basis of theoretical statements introduced in Lombardi (2000a). Starting from the results of empirical inquiries carried out recently by many scholars, we continue the objective of delineating a long-term trajectory of their development (Sections 6.1-6.4) on the one hand, and on the other, investigate potential future trajectories by analysing emerging properties during the ongoing transition process (Section 6.5).

Article FootNote

In this paper, we shall use the concept of local production systems, which is a more general term than industrial districts basing ourselves on the properties present in various typologies of local productive micro-universes. Our choice is based on the concept of Local Systems (LS),composed of sub-systems (LPS, institutional infrastructures, cultural and political shared values, etc.), and on different mixes of links between sub-systems and differences in the composition of each sub-system foster varied forms of LS.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Allen P.M. and Lesser M. (1991), Evolution Human Systems: Learning, Ignorance and Subjectivity, in Metcalfe J.S. and Saviotti P. (eds.)Evolutionary Theories of Economic and Technological ChangeHarwood Academic Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Ancori B., Bureth A. and Cohendet P (2000), The Economics of Knowledge: The Debate about Codification and Tacit KnowledgeIndustrial and Corporate Changevol. 2, p. 255–287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arrow K. J. (1974)The Limits of OrganizationNorton & Company, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becattini G. and Rullani E. (1993), Sistema locale e mercato globaleEconomia e Politica Industrialevol. 80, in G. Becattini, II Distretto IndustrialeRosenberg Sellier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bellandi M. (1994), Le logiche del cambiamento economico locale, in Bellandi M. and Russo M.(eds.)Distretti Industriali e cambiamento economico localeRosenberg & Sellier, Turin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bellandi M. (1996), Innovation and Change in the Marshallian Industrial DistrictEuropeanPlanning Studiesvol. 4, no. 3, p. 357–368.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bellandi M. (2000), The Experience of Italian Industrial Districts: An Industrial Economics ReadingEconomic Analysisforthcoming.

    Google Scholar 

  • Belussi F. and Gottardi G. (2000), (eds.)Evolutionary Patterns of Local Industrial SystemsAldershot, Ashgate.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burroni L. (1999a), Mutamenti nell’organizzazione produttiva della Terza Italia. Una comparazione tra Veneto e ToscanaSviluppo Localevol. 11, p. 33–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burroni L. (1999b), Regolazione locale nelle regioni della Terza Italia. Una comparazione tra Veneto e ToscanaSviluppo Localevol. 12, p. 5–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandler A. D. (1992), Organisational Capabilities and the Economic History of the Industrial EnterpriseJournal of Economic Perspectivesvol. 3, p. 79–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ciappei C. and Mazzetti G. (1996)Lo sviluppo a rete delle imprese tessili del distretto prateseRegione Toscana, Iris.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark N. (1991), Organisation and Information in the Evolution of Economic Systems, in Metcalfe J.S. and Saviotti P. (eds.)Evolutionary Theories of Economic and Technological ChangeHarwood Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark A. (1997), Economic Reason: The Interplay of Individual Learning and External Structure, in Drobak J. N. and Nye J. V. C. (eds.)The Frontiers of the New Institutional EconomicsAcademic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Corn G. and Rullani E. (1998), (eds.)Percorsi di internazionalizzazione. Competenze e autoorganizzazione nei distretti industriali del Nord-EstFranco Angeli, Milan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cosmides L. and Tooby J. (1992), The Psychological Foundations of Culture, in, Barkow J.H.,Cosmides L. and Tooby J. (eds.)The Adapted MindOxford University Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cyert R. M. (1988),The Economic Theory of Organisation and the FirmHarvester-Wheatsheaf,London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cyert R. M. and Kumar P. (1996), Economising by firms through learning and adaptationJournal of Economic Behaviour and Organisationvol. 29, p. 211–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dei Ottati G. (1996), Economic Changes in the District of Prato in the 1980s: Towards a more Conscious and Organised Industrial DistrictEuropean Planning Studiesvol. 4, no. 1, p. 35–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Denzau A. T. and North D.C. (1994), Shared Mental Models: Ideologies and InstitutionsKyklosvol. 1, p. 3–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dosi G. and Egidi M. (1991), Substantive and procedural uncertaintyJournal of Evolutionary Economicsvol. 1, no.1, p. 145–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dosi G. and Nelson R.R. (1994), An Introduction to evolutionary theories in economicsJournal of Evolutionary Economicsno. 4, p. 153–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eliasson G. (1989), The Dynamics of Supply and Economic Growth, in, CarlssonB.(ed.),Industrial DynamicsKluwer Academic Publisher, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eliasson G. (1990), The firm as a competent teamJournal of Economic Behaviour and Organisationvol. 3, p. 275–298.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayek F. A. (1952)The sensory orderRoutledge, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson R. M. and Clark K. B. (1990), Architectural Innovation: The Reconfiguration of Existing Product Technologies and the Failure of Established FirmsAdministrative Science Quarterlyvol. 35, p. 9–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hodgson G. M. (1997), The ubiquity of habits and rulesCambridge Journal of Economicsvol. 21, p. 663–684.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hodgson G. M. (1998), The Approach of Institutional EconomicsJournal of Economic LiteratureMarch, p. 166–192

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofstadter D. (1995)Fluid Concepts and Creative AnalogiesHarperCollins Publisher.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson-Laird P.N. (1983),Mental Models. Towards a Cognitive Science of Language Inference and ConsciousnessCambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langlois R. N. (1983), Systems Theory, Knowledge and the Social Sciences, in Matchlup F. and Mansfield U. (eds.)The Study of InformationNew York, John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langlois R.N. (1984), Internal Organisation in a Dynamic Context: Some Theoretical Considerations, in Jussawalla M. and Ebenfield H. (eds.)Communication and Information EconomicsAmsterdam, North Holland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langlois R. N. and Robertson P.L. (1995), Innovation, Networks, and Vertical IntegrationResearch Policyvol. 24, p. 543–562.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lawson C. (1999), Towards a competence Theory of the regionCambridge Journal of Economicsvol. 23, no. 2, March, p. 151–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loasby B.J. (1976),Choice Complexity and Ignorance Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Loasby B. J. (1991),Equilibrium and Evolution Manchester University Press,Manchester.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lombardi M. (1990), Problems in representing knowledge within the theory of Innovations, in,Egidi M., Lombardi M. and Tamborini R. (eds.)Knowledge Uncertainty and Economic Decisions Franco Angeli, Milan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lombardi M. (1991), Technological Evolution and Economic Processes: the Firm as a visibleMindinAnnali di studi e storia dell’impresaIl Mulino, Bologna.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lombardi M. (2000a), The cognitive approach to the study of local production systems, in Belussi F. and Gottardi G., (eds.), cit.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lombardi M. (2000b), The Evolution of Local Production Systems: the emergence of the “invisible mind” and the evolutionary pressures towards more visible “minds”, Paper presented at the REN Conference (Regional Enterprise Networks), Prague, 22–23 October 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  • March J.G. and Simon H. A. (1993)OrganisationsBlackwell Publisher, Cambridge Mass., [First Edition 1958].

    Google Scholar 

  • Margolis H. (1987),Patterns Thinking and Cognition The Chicago University Press, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maskell P. and Malmberg A. (1999), Localised Learning and Industrial competitivenessCambridge Journal of Economicsvol. 23, no. 2, March, p. 167–185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Max-Planck-Institut, (1999)Proceedings of the Symposium Assessing the Potential of the Evolutionary Approach to Economics“Jena.

    Google Scholar 

  • Messina P., Riccamboni G. and Solari S. (1999), Sviluppo economico e regolazione politica nelle regioni di piccola e media impresa: un’analisi comparata tra Veneto e Emilia RomagnaSviluppo Localevol. 12, p. 44–78

    Google Scholar 

  • Minsky M. (1974), A Framework for Representing Knowledge, in Brachman R.J. and Levesques H.J.Reading in Knowledge RepresentationKaufman, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson R. (1995), Recent Evolutionary Theorising About Economic ChangeJournal of Economic Literaturevol. 1, p. 48–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nightingale P. (2000), Economies of Scale in Experimentation: Knowledge and Technology in Pharmaceutical R&DIndustrial and Corporate Changevol. 9, no.2, p. 315–355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nonaka I. and Takeuchi H. (1995)The Knowledge Creating CompanyOxford University Press,Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nooteboom B. (1999), Innovation, learning and industrial organisationCambridge Journal of Economicsvol. 23, 2, p. 127–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pilotti L. (1999)Leadershipallargatemeta-organizere apprendimento localizzato nei distretti industriali italianiPiccola Impresa Small Business, vol. 2, p. 3–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pilotti L. (2000), Evolutionary and adaptive local systems in Northeast Italy: strategies of learning, leadership, and co-operation, in Belussi F., Gottardi G. (eds.), cit.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pratofutura (1996)I servizi per le imprese nel distretto tessile pratese.Unione Industriali Pratese.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmitz H. (1999), Collective efficiency and increasing returnsCambridge Journal of Economicsvol. 23, p. 465–483.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Searle J.R. (1995)The Construction of RealityAllen Lane, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simon H.A. (1962), The Architecture of ComplexityProceedings of the American Philosophical Societyvol. 196, no. 6, p. 467–482.

    Google Scholar 

  • Witt U. (1991), Reflections on the Present State of Evolutionary Economic Theory, in Hodgson G. M. and Screpanti E. (eds.)Rethinking EconomicsEdward Elgar, Cheltenham.

    Google Scholar 

  • Witt U. (1998), Imagination and Leadership -The Neglected Dimension of an Evolutionary Theory of the FirmJournal of Economic Behaviour and Organisationvol. 35, p. 161–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Witt U. (2000), Changing Cognitive Frames - Changing Organisational Forms: An Entrepreneurial Theory of Organisational DevelopmentIndustrial and Corporate Changevol.4, p. 733–755.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Fiorenza Belussi Giorgio Gottardi Enzo Rullani

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2003 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Lombardi, M. (2003). Cognitive models, efficiency, and discontinuities in the evolution of Industrial Districts and Local Production Systems. In: Belussi, F., Gottardi, G., Rullani, E. (eds) The Technological Evolution of Industrial Districts. Economics of Science, Technology and Innovation, vol 29. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0393-4_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0393-4_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-5054-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-0393-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics