Diedre Giblin

Degree: PhD

Title: The effects of dislocation of a dominant player on functioning within a fine arts cluster

Overview: Business relationships and activities will be mapped to establish the functional characteristics of the fine arts industry cluster of which the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) has long been the dominant figure.  Many of the core activities of the NGV have been severely disrupted over a period of four years (1999 to 2003) due to refurbishment.  This circumstance has made it possible to examine, over time, the effects of dislocation of the dominant member on the way a cluster functions.  The research will provide information on how fine art businesses, including some that are competitors, inter-relate, and how and to what extent a previously dominant player can reinstate its position after a period of dislocation.
   
For the purpose of this research a cluster is defined as a complex system capable of initiating a synergetic process where inter-related organisations and associations are linked by commonalities, complementaries and rivalry.  Inter-relations between cluster members can be explicit and implicit, that is, as informal social systems or as formal structures.  A second aspect of a cluster is that of proximity which may be geographic or functional.

This investigation will compare cluster functioning and inter-relations between members during three phases of transition, that is, before, during, and after disruption of the NGV's core activities.  By employing a longitudinal design, this circumstance provides a unique opportunity to compare and analyse inter-relationships during the process of change within the fine art cluster and determine the effect of dislocation of its key player, on how the cluster operates. 

Essentially this investigation is concerned with the manner in which the inter-relationships between cluster members respond to change in cluster dynamics during dislocation of its key player.

Principal Supervisor: Professor Julian Lowe

Associate Supervisor: Dr Patrice Braun

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