Industrial districts and local governance in the Italian experience

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Mistri, Maurizio

Affiliations: Department of Economics, University of Padua, Italy

Abstract: This paper focuses on the problem of the governance of industrial districts in Italy. The analysis begins with an assessment of the dynamic processes that characterize the development of industrial districts, particularly as concerns the elements of a cultural nature. The relationship between local political attitudes and forms of local growth is considered, generally revealing how in the various practical examples there is a convergence between models of political behavior and the needs of the system of small enterprises. The paper ends with a brief discussion of the law 317/91, designed to establish the responsibilities and roles of the industrial districts.

Keywords: Industrial districts, small enterprises, entrepreneurship, governance

DOI: 10.3233/HSM-1999-18207

Journal: Human Systems Management, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 131-139, 1999