Performing in Dutch book publishing 1880-2008: the importance of entrepreneurial experience and the Amsterdam Cluster

Abstract

This article investigates the spatial clustering of the book publishing industry. By means of a hazard model, we examine the effect of agglomeration economies and pre-entry entrepreneurial experience on the survival chances of publishing firms. Although such survival analyses have been conducted for manufacturing industries, they are scarce for cultural and service industries. Based on a unique data set of all book publishers founded between 1880 and 2008 in the Netherlands, this article demonstrates that the clustering of book publishers in the Amsterdam region did not increase the survival of Amsterdam firms in general. Instead, prior experience in publishing and related industries had a positive effect on firm survival. Publishing firms with such prior experience, like spinoffs, did perform better in Amsterdam. Interestingly, the Amsterdam cluster did not function as an attractor for publishing firms from other regions, but rather acted as an incubator for firms that relocated to other regions.