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The main purpose of this study was to investigate social network insights among key actors in creative and cultural cluster in Georgetown, Malaysia as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Chain-referral method was used to identify and select the sample. In the end, 115 key actors representing various organizations were interviewed. In the interviews, respondents reported their collaborations with other organizations and rated their satisfaction with these collaborations. More specifically, they were requested to report up to 5 key collaborators by describing the nature of collaborations, their satisfaction with the collaborations and their willingness to work again with the partner in the future. Most organizations reported less than 5 collaborators. Analysing qualitative responses to these questions revealed that organizations were mainly satisfied with their collaborators and were willing to work again with them in the future. Further analysis indicated elements of support, common goals, mutual benefits, connection, similarity, growth and cooperation were important in these collaborations. This is somewhat consistent with elements of positive relationships which include support, understanding, interaction and companionships, reliable alliance, trust, mutual respect, optimism, motivation, and positive emotions (Webster-Stratton, 1999; Crohn, 2006; Pendergast, 2006; Fallah, 2010 & Roffey, 2012). This is also consistent with previous studies on succesful collaborations which indicated by positive shared history, trust, leadership, interpersonal relationships and shared goals (Dahlander & McFarland, 2013; Bunger, 2013; Proulx, Hager & Klein, 2014). However, positive collaboration in business as reported by respondents in this study appeared to emphasise more on the mutual elements and similarities but less on the intimacy, closeness, emotions and caring aspects. This highlights the uniqueness of positive collaborations in comparison to positive relationships. This paper supports the potential to expand positive psychology and positive relationships paradigm to the context of business relationships.

This research examines the role of an art organisation, which operates largely as a social enterprise, in responding to the issues of gentrification and the resulting displacement of communities embodying the local culture in Georgetown, Malaysia. The case study art hub has developed into an internationally acclaimed space for innovative ventures including an art gallery and units for arts, craft and food entrepreneurs. The research method includes first stage questionnaire and in-depth interviews to understand the managing strategies and innovation practices. With their innovative business strategies, the art organisation forms an extended network with the local art community and is positioned as the focal point in a mini entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through the case study in Georgetown, Malaysia, the research contributes to the understanding of the strength and challenges of innovative social entrepreneurship for cultural and creative organisations.

Executive Summary \ud \ud Recommendations for the development of the innovator’s toolkit. \ud \ud The report summarises the key difficulties small businesses face regarding innovation. Small businesses face some pertinent problems such as lack of strategic thinking time and limited access to resources. On the other hand, increased flexibility and responsiveness to market are usually defined as the advantages of innovating small businesses (Keizer et al., 2002; Boldrini et al., 2011). The development of the toolkit should build on these identified strengths and weaknesses. In particular, the suggested tools should take into account the limited time small businesses managers have to engage in strategic thinking about innovation: tools should be packaged in forms needing minimal support and preparation. \ud \ud Most NDI project partners are organisations engaged in business support that will be active in the delivery of the toolkit. There is some evidence that relations between business support organisations and small businesses are complex and difficult for many firms to navigate. One implication for the toolkit design is that the method of delivery and the role of the support agencies may be equally important to the tools themselves. A suggestion may be that businesses are provided with a sole point of contact to ensure continuity in the business-support agency relationship. The survey will test whether particular tools suit different modes of delivery. \ud \ud The literature review conducted for this report has helped define the themes that should be further explored in the survey. There are sufficient data regarding the type of innovation small businesses engage in and the obstacles they face but less regarding the “black-boxed” innovation process. A particular challenge for NDI is that the project focuses on sectors that are not traditionally considered innovative: the “artisanal” sectors have attracted less interest than high-technology firms. The survey will aim to cover this gap by collecting data on innovation processes in small businesses (origins and realisation of innovative ideas). \ud \ud Collaborative or more broadly open innovation was a further theme emerging in the literature. Collaboration allows small businesses to draw on resources that are not available and cannot be developed in-house. One of the roles of support agencies is to promote inter-firm linkages. The questionnaire survey will consider the role of collaborative relations and experience with support programmes in fostering innovation. The aim of the NDI project is to develop a toolkit that small businesses can use in developing their innovation projects. The research for this report has resulted in the following implications for the design of the toolkit: \ud 1. Need to develop diagnostic tools / “innovation audits” to evaluate the needs and potential of SMEs. Widely used innovation indicators such as investment in R&D are not as suitable for measuring innovation in small businesses. Alternative indicators such as investment in skills and staff development may be more suited to small businesses. \ud 2. How to aid small businesses develop the “absorptive capacity” to benefit from collaboration while at the same time building on the benefits of existing small business expertise. \ud 3. Consider the potential of mentoring schemes and SME-university collaboration in achieving knowledge transfer to small businesses. \ud 4. Consider how businesses can build beneficial contacts with potential partners (other small firms or larger firms, business support organisations and research/training institutes). Some evidence in support of these programmes is already available from the partners. Firms can benefit from a wider variety of links with diverse organisations. \ud 5. Identify what role the partner organisations will have in the delivery of the tools: in particular, distinguish between the roles of general business support organisations and sector specific agencies. Alignment between tools and delivery methods should be considered.

George Town World Heritage Site in Penang, Malaysia is well-endowed with creative and cultural resources, and has recently witnessed a rise in relevant activities. This study examines how 'innovation culture' is inculcated and embedded within two local organisations with distinct approaches to innovation. We adapted the measurements of entrepreneurship orientation constructs (innovativeness, risk-taking, pro-activeness), and conducted semi-structured interviews and archival study on the organisations and their networks. We documented the linkages in their value chains to understand the resulting social networks and whether such network fosters the incubation of an innovation cluster for the local creative and cultural sectors.

Gentrification, a global phenomenon in many World Heritage Sites, induces displacement of long-term residents and causes erosion of local culture and heritage. Georgetown, a post-British colonial town in Malaysia, shares the same experience, especially on the growth of tourism and influx of external capital investment after its have been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.\ud \ud In order to address the issue of gentrification in Georgetown that threatens to displace communities embodying the local culture, this research examines the role of Hin Bus Depot as a leading creative hub in Georgetown. The research starts from examining the development of Hin Bus Depot and its achievements and challenges through a combination of network analysis and qualitative methods. The research methods include semi-structured questionnaire and in-depth interviews with the management team regarding their entrepreneurial orientation and strategy, engagement with innovative practices and the relationships formed between the organisation and actors from the creative sector, the arts and local communities.\ud \ud Hin Bus Depot has developed into an internationally acclaimed space for innovative works including an art gallery and units for arts, craft and food entrepreneurs after the success of the first solo exhibition by artist Ernest Zacharevic in 2013. With the innovative business strategies, Hin Bus Depot forms a ‘Hin’ family with the local art community and is positioned as the focal point in a mini entrepreneurial ecosystem in which innovative developments gave the space the opportunity to provide a hub for young artists, creative start-ups, local residents and external visitors.\ud \ud Through the case of Hin Bus Depot in the Georgetown, Malaysia, the research contributes to the wider debate on understanding the strength and challenges of innovative social entrepreneurship for organisations in the cultural and creative sector, and how their network formation can develop a sustainable ecosystem.