The impact of the industrial Clusters on Regional Development Case Study: Stone Industrial Clusters of Isfahan Metropolitan Region

Despite the formation of the largest production and processing of stone in the Isfahan metropolitan region in recent decades (including: Mahmmoudabad, Najafabad, Dolatabad, and Khomeinishahr industrial clusters), less detailed studies have been done about clustering, especially in relation to their role in the regional development of industrial areas. This study attempts to cover this gap by cluster analysis of the stone industrial of Isfahan metropolitan region impact on regional development in term of its intensity and desirability. A Mixed research paradigm (involving the mixed case study in quantitative and qualitative research methods) has been used. In this way, at first, the literature about “industrial clusters” and “the role of industrial clusters on the regional development” were reviewed to determin indexes. The second stage, the questionnaire was provided based on selected measures and multi stage sampling method (stratified random sampling for determiantion of sampling population and systematic sampling methods for sampling frame). Then, 223 persons who work in the selected industrial were selected among 1115 workers base on the clustering sample in order to complete the questionnaire and collect data. The third stage, the obtained data were entered into the SPSS software in which confirmatory factor analysis and linear scaling transformation technique were used for measuring selected clusters in term of its intensity and desirability, respectively. The results show that despite the potential influence of Mahmmoudabad, Najafabad, Dolatabad, and Khomeinishahr stone industrial clusters on the Isfahan metropolitan development in term of its intensity, the selected industrial clusters have not still a very desirable economic, social and physical impacts. Also, clusters have more impact on social regional development, internal relation of firm improvement, preventing management migration and increasing physical capital in comparison with to economic regional development, external relation of firm improvement, preventing staff migration and increasing human capital. Thus, stone industrial clusters in the Isfahan metropolitan region are stil in the embryonic stage of development and they are far from the theoretical industrial clusters which have high-intensity and desirable impact for their regions.