The rise of the Chinese regional cluster specializing in fashion in Lombardy

Andrea Ganzaroli and Ivan De Noni

Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, 2017, vol. 11, issue 4, 491-513

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: Ethnic enclave; Chinese community; Institutional completeness; Migrant entrepreneurship; Regional cluster; R12; L26; J61 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:jecpps:jec-11-2015-0052

DOI: 10.1108/JEC-11-2015-0052

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