Exploring the mechanisms of platform empowered cluster development: evidence from the case of Taobao villages in rural China
通过研究中国县域淘宝村的扩张现象，提出“平台赋能集群发展”概念，运用模糊集定性比较分析识别出四种发展模式，对理解平台经济下的区域发展有参考价值。
By studying a Chinese characteristic phenomenon, the expansion of Taobao villages at the county level, we coin the term ‘platform empowered cluster development’ (PECD). Based on cluster theory and empirical knowledge of Taobao villages, we analyse the pre-existing context, the process forces and outcome of Taobao village expansion in 50 counties with a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The following four patterns of PECD are finally identified: A: local government driven without pre-existing context; B: pre-existing advantages driven without process forces; C: first-mover advantage, grassroots driven with locational advantage and D: dual driven without pre-existing context.