Sustainability-Oriented Transition in Clusters: A Multilevel Framework from Induction

Abstract

The aim of this paper is based on understanding how sustainability-oriented transition occurs in clusters. This study focuses on both drivers and actors of that transition. Empirical results based on induction, using mixed-methods on the Serra Gaucha wine cluster in the South of Brazil, suggest that, at the micro-level, the mobility and adoption of knowledge about sustainability and individual awareness will support sustainability-oriented strategies as a new source of competitive advantage. Then, at the meso-level, collective actors’ efforts towards sustainability in the cluster legitimize, disseminate and facilitate the adoption of new sustainable-oriented practices, creating a new cluster sub-identity (sustainability) compatible with the existing one. These actors utilize leading local firms in order to disseminate new practices and signal change in the territory. Lastly, macro-level governmental regulations, market pressures, and other environmental changes facilitate that clusters develop a collective-minded strategy towards sustainability.