GROUPING AND/OR GROUNDING: A CLOSER LOOK AT CULTURAL QUARTERS AND CREATIVE CLUSTER MANAGEMENT IN NANTES (France)

This article deals with the genesis of a cultural and creative cluster (CCC) as a collective system of small, and even very small, companies. Drawing on a longitudinal case study of the trajectory of a CCC, we propose a reflection on the management mechanisms in CCCs based on an analysis of management tools and the way in which they operate to encourage Grounding and/or Grouping dynamics. Our six-year study of the French Quartier de la Creation in Nantes confirms the prevailing view of a CCC as a dynamic organization. It shows distinct stages, each with its own specific difficulties regarding governance issues and managerial practices. It reveals challenges in shaping the role of the support organization and in identifying the competencies to be developed. The governance mechanisms and the cluster practices of some localized groupings of very small, creative enterprises require a balance in Grouping/Grounding approaches, which have to hybridize to impact cluster dynamics.