An Analysis of Regional Creativity and Competitiveness in Iran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Instructor, Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Qazvin Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Urban Planning, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

Abstract

One of the pillars of spatial planning is determining the role and function of regions based on their competitive advantages. By developing innovative infrastructure that supports production, regional competitiveness improves regional efficiency and forms a network of complementary and reciprocal relations between regions, which ultimately leads to the capital attraction, value creation, and integrated regional development. In this regard, the present study aims at identifying the creative regions of Iran and determining the competitive advantages of those regions. This study is explanatory applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of methodology. Derived from the document analysis of secondary sources, quantitative data was used to analyze both creativity and competitiveness. The data used to identify creative regions included the number of scientific and research centers and companies, consulting engineers, the industries with high and medium technology, employees in the manufacturing sectors, and the university students of the provinces of Iran. Moreover, the number of employees in major activity groups was used to determine competitiveness. Factor analysis and cluster analysis were performed to identify creative regions, while correspondence analysis was performed to determine competitive advantages in SPSS software. The results show that the provinces of Tehran, East Azerbaijan, Isfahan, Khuzestan, Fars, Kerman, and Mazandaran have the knowledge infrastructure capacity required for creative regions. Isfahan’s share of construction is 11.1 percent, while Tehran’s share of information is 41.2 percent. The interpretation of angles smaller than 0.2 between correspondence analysis vectors reveals that Tehran and Isfahan provinces have competitive advantage in information and communication and manufacturing, respectively. It was also found that most regions of the Iran do not have a specialized role and the competitive advantages of the provinces are not supported by the knowledge infrastructure of the regions.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Aghazadeh, H. (2015). “Strategic Marketing Management: Achieving Superior Business Performance through Intelligent Marketing Strategy”, Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 207. 125-134. 10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.10.161.
Bafandeh imandoust, S. & Mofidi, A. (2017). “Measuring the Impact of Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) on Economic Growth in Selected Developed and Developing Countries”, Journal of Economy and Regional Development, 23(12), pp. 65-95. https://doi.org/10.22067/erd.v23i12.57262. (in Persian)
Barney, J. (1986) “Types of Competition and the Theory of Strategy: Toward an Integrative Framework”, Academy of Management Review, 11, pp. 791-800.
Barney, J.B. (1995). “Looking inside for competitive advantage”, The Academy of Management Perspectives (AMP). 9(4), pp. 49-61. 10.5465/ame.1995.9512032192.
Batabyal, A. & Yoo, S. (2016). “On Research and Development in a Model of Schumpeterian Economic Growth in a Creative Region”, SSRN Electronic Journal, 10.2139/ssrn.2840990.
(2018). “Schumpeterian Creative Class Competition, Innovation Policy, and Regional Economic Growth”, International Review of Economics & Finance, 55. 10.1016/j.iref.2018.01.016
Batey, P. & Friedrich, P. (2000). Regional competition in the European Union. In Regional competition: Advances in spatial science (pp. 247-259). Springer; Berlin. 10.1007/978-3-662-04234-2_12.
Borsekova, K. & Anna, V., & Vitálišová, K. (2017). “Smart Specialization for Smart Spatial Development: Innovative Strategies for Building Competitive Advantages in Tourism in Slovakia”, Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 58, pp. 39-50. 10.1016/j.seps.2016.10.004.
Chapain, C. & Stryjakiewicz, T. (2017). Creative Industries in Europe: Drivers of New Sectorial and Spatial Dynamics. Cham: Springer.
Chrzanowski, M. & Pająk, K. (2017). "DETERMINANTS OF REGIONAL POLICY – CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVE", EUROPEAN COOPERATION, 5(24). pp. 9-20.
Clifton, N. (2008). The “creative class” in the uk: an initial analysis. Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography, 90(1), pp. 63–82. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0467.2008.00276.x
Dadashpoor, H. & Dadejani, M. (2015). “Identifying and Prioritizing the Radical Factors Influencing Regional Competitiveness (Case study: Kurdistan Province)”, Regional Planning, 5(19), pp. 27-42. (in Persian)
Dadashpour, H. & Ahmadi, F. (2010). “Regional Competitiveness as a New Approach to Regional Development”, Journal of Strategy, 22, pp. 51-80. (in Persian)
De Voldere I., Janssens E., Onkelinx J & Sleuwaegen L. (2006). The creative economy; challenges and opportunities for the DC regions. Flanders District of Creativity.
Florida, R. (2002). "Bohemia and Economic Geography". Journal of Economic Geography. 2. 55-71. 10.1093/jeg/2.1.55.
Florida, R. (2003). “Cities and the Creative Class”, City and Community, 2(1), pp. 3–19.
Ganji, T., Jahanshahloo, L.,  &Moshfeghi, V. (1397). “Assessing the Impacts of Academic Expansion on Metropolitan Areas (Case Study: Northeast Tehran District)”, Journal of Geography (Regional Planning), Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 490- 477. (in Persian)
Garshasbi, A., Esmailipoor Masouleh, E., & Miandoabchi, E. (2016). “Key components of industrial policy with a new approach to improving regional competitiveness”, Business Reviews, 14(79), pp. 1-14. (in Persian)
Greenacre, M. (2007). Correspondence analysis in practice, chapman and hall/crc; 2 edition.
Harpa, E. (2017). “Macroeconomic Analysis of the Competitive Factors which Influence Innovation in Rural Entrepreneurship”, Procedia Engineering, Vol. 181, pp. 965-968.
Hong, W. (2009). “Global competitiveness measurement for the tourism sector”, Journal Current Issues in Tourism, Vol. 12, pp. 105-132.
Huovari, J., Kangasharju, A., & Alanen, A. 29th August - 1st September (2000). Regional Competitiveness in Finland, ERSA 40th European Congress.
Johansson, B. & Karlsson, C. (2008). “Knowledge, Creativity and Regional Development (CESIS Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation)”, CESIS, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Retrieved from http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-72327
Karlsson, C. & Johansson, B. (2012). Knowledge, Creativity and Regional Development.
Khanifar, H. (2010). “The concept of land preparation and its usages in Iran”, Town and Country Planning, 2(2), pp. 5-26. (in Persian)
Khosravaninezhad, S., Alizadeh, A., Noghsan Mohamadi, M., & Akbari, R. (2020). “Science and Technology Special Regions; New Approach in Sustainable Development (Case: Science and Technology Special Region of Yazd)”, Town and Country Planning, 12(1), pp. 225-252. doi: 10.22059/jtcp.2020.296848.670066. (in Persian)
Kitson, M., Martin, R., & Tyler, P. (2004). “Regional Competitiveness: An Elusive Yet Key Concept?”, Regional Studies. 38. 991-999. 10.1080/0034340042000320816.
Korsgaard, S., Müller, S., & Tanvig, H. W. (2015). “Rural entrepreneurship or entrepreneurship in the rural–between place and space”, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 21(1), pp. 5-26.
Lengyel, I. (2007). Economic growth and competitiveness of Hungarian regions. 2nd Central European Conference in Regional Science (CERS), pp. 587-608.
Limtanakool, N., Schwanen, T., & Dijst, M. (2007). “Ranking Functional Urban Regions: A Comparison of Interaction and Node Attribute Data”, Cities, 24(1), pp. 26-42.
Mohammadi, H., Mashfaghi, V., Ahmadpour Kalhoroodi, N., & Yousefian, S. (2017). “Identifying the hierarchy of Functional relationships of urban network: The case of Fars province”, 7(25), pp. 91-100. (in Persian)
Molestina, J. (2019). Regional Competition Law Enforcement in Developing Countries, Springer.
Moshfeghi, V.  &Rafieian, M. (2016). “Measurement of Multi-Centric Performance Index of Urban Network (Case Study: Urban Network of Mazandaran Province)”, Space Planning and Preparation, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 234-207. (in Persian)
Moshfeghi, V., Jafari, Y., & Alizadeh, H. (2019). “Analyzing the Urban Network Morphology through Balancing of Space Approach: A Case Study of the Urban Network of Hormozgan Province”, Town and Country Planning, 11(2), pp. 311-336. doi: 10.22059/jtcp.2019.293400.670042. (in Persian)
Nabipour, I., Mosleh, A., & Assadi, M. (2015). “Role of the future creative universities in the triple helix of science and technology corridors”, Iran South Med J., 17(6), pp. 1068-1089. (in Persian)
Oksa, J. (1992). “Regional and Local Responses to Restructuring in Peripheral Rural Areas in Finland”, Urban Studies, 29(6), pp. 991-1002.
Olariaga, LMJ., Hernández, LL., Análisis de. Correspondencias, 1999.
Petronela, N.A. & Cojanu, V. (2013). “Supporting regional competitiveness through innovation. Case study: Sud Muntenia”, Journal of International Studies, 6,1,2013, pp. 51-58.
Pirasteh, H. & Islamic lineage, E. (2010). “Assessing the relative and competitive advantage of the detergent powder industry in Iran”, Economic Research and Policies, 18(53), pp. 77-107. (in Persian)
Porter, M.E. (1990). The competitive advantage of nations, New York: Free Press.
--------------. (1985). The Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. NY: Free Press.
Poursafavi, S. & Jafari, S. (2017). “Assessment of Regional Competitiveness in Functional Urban Regions by Cluster Analysis, Mazandaran, Iran”, Human Geography Research, 49(4), pp. 807-820. doi: 10.22059/jhgr.2016.58400. (in Persian)
Rahmani, K. & Mameli, S. (2010). “Determining the Comparative Advantage of Food Industry in East Azerbaijan Province (Based on indirect productive advantage and commercial advantage)”, 4(1(12)), pp. 97-134. (in Persian)
Raskhi, S. & Zabihi Lohrami, E. (2008). “Competitive advantage at the level Enterprise: Concept and Theory”, Journal of Macroeconomics, 8.1(28), pp. 31-54. (in Persian)
Refah Kahriz, A., Mohammadzadeh, Y., Mohseni Zonouzi, S., Hashemi Berenjabadi, N., & Ghasemzadeh, N. (2019). “The Effect of Competitiveness on Economic Performance in Selected Developing and Developed Countries”, 7(25), pp. 86-107. doi: 10.32598/JMSP.7.1.86. (in Persian)
Saadat, R. (2014). “Criticisms of the advantages of international trade theories”, Evolution in the Humanities, 2(2), pp. 85-98. (in Persian)
Sabbagh Kermani, M. (2001). Regional economics (Theories and Models), Tehran, SAMT. (in Persian)
Sasani, M. & Dadashpoor, H. (2019). “Assessing the Relationship between the Spatial Concentration, Specialization, and Diversity of Industries, and Competition between Industries (Case study: Counties of Iran from 1996 to 2011)”, Town and Country Planning, 11(1), pp. 1-28. doi: 10.22059/jtcp.2019.271002.669926. (in Persian)
Saxenian, A. (2005). Regional Advantage: Culture and Competition in Silicon Valley and Route 128. New York: ACLS History E-Book Project.
Scott, A. J. (1999). “The US Recorded Music Industry: On the Relations between Organization, Location, and Creativity in the Cultural Economy”, Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 31(11), pp. 1965–1984. 10.1068/a311965.
Shahtahmasbi, E., Khodadad Hoseini, S., Kordna’eej, A., & Azad Armaki, M. (2014). “Investigating the Impact of Business Networks on Competitive Advantage by Explaining the Role of Capability of Building Capabilities Case Study: Construction Industry”, Journal of Business Management, 6(1), pp. 107-124. doi: 10.22059/jibm.2014.51607. (in Persian)
Sharifzadegan, M. & Nedae Tousi, S. (2015). “Iran's Regional Competitiveness Spatial Development Framework Case Study: 30 Provinces of Iran”, Honar-Ha-Ye-Ziba: Memary Va Shahrsazi, 20(3), pp. 5-20. doi: 10.22059/jfaup.2015.56874. (in Persian)
------------------------------------------------. (2016). “Suitability Assessment of Success Factors of Regional Development Competitiveness in Iran”, Human Geography Research, 48(1), pp. 105-123. doi: 10.22059/jhgr.2016.51802. (in Persian)
Sridhar, K. (2005). Incentives for Regional Development. Competition Among Sub-National Governments. Palgrave Macmillan UK. 10.1057/9780230513808.
Svetlicinii, A. (2017). “Building regional competition policy in ASEAN: lessons from the European Competition Network”, Asia Europe Journal, 15, pp. 1-17. 10.1007/s10308-017-0479-0.
Turok, I. (2004). “Cities, Regions and Competitiveness”, Regional Studies, 38, pp. 1069-1083. 10.1080/0034340042000292647.
Veselá, D. & Klimová, K. (2014). “Knowledge-based Economy vs. Creative Economy”, Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 141. 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.05.072.
Zukauskaite, E. (2010). “Innovation in Cultural Industries: The role of university links, Innovation: Management”, Policy & Practice, 14. 10.5172/impp.2012.14.3.404.
Town and Country Planning
Volume 12, Issue 2
Autumn @ Winter
October 2020
Pages 595-620

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 09 May 2020
  • Revise Date: 07 September 2020
  • Accept Date: 07 September 2020

Share

How to cite

Statistics