Abstract
Based on the idea of the tourist destination as a cluster, this paper proposes a model to explain the relationships between exploration and exploitation capabilities – whether originating in the cluster or firm-specific – and a firm’s organizational innovation. This study turns to the resource-based view to provide a theory-based concept of shared capabilities accumulated in a tourist destination or cluster, together with valid measurement instruments to capture them. Our conceptual model highlights the theoretical and practical benefits for firms of being embedded in a cluster to develop both exploration and exploitation capabilities. The study also analyses the interaction between cluster-shared capabilities and firm-specific capabilities in exploration and exploitation to obtain two types of firm organizational innovation: radical and incremental. Some implications for managers and policy-makers are presented, highlighting the importance of tight integration in managing firm and cluster resources and capabilities.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Supplemental data and research materials
Supplemental data for this article can be accessed at doi:10.1080/13683500.2016.1177002.