The Culture of Economic Development in Ohio: A Case Study in Defiance County

Abstract

Economic developers in Northwest Ohio have faced enormous challenges since the economic restructuring of the 1970s. Local factors also impact on local economic development efforts. This is a case study of rural economic development in a postindustrial economy in terms of the culture of economic development. A qualitative approach was utilized and data were gathered from interviews with five key economic decision-makers in Defiance County, OH, to gather a better understanding of the cultural influences on economic development there. The results revealed that the culture of economic development in this rural county could be described in four major themes: the widely embraced economic strategy of improvement of the business climate, a lack of "state vision" in economic development, perception of the need for collaboration between state government and private enterprise, and the process of globalization as a force that had dramatically affected the social and economic fabric of their community. These results imply that there is a great need for state facilitation of interpersonal networks across government agencies and private enterprises. However, in light of the state government's perceived unwillingness or inability to collaborate, continuing to embrace the current economic development framework may be detrimental to progress in local economic development.