Capturing the benefits that emerge from regional sustainability networks: The Castile–La Mancha network of sustainable cities and towns

Abstract

A great deal of regional research has focused on the innovation-competitivenessgrowth chain, which is implicit in territorial innovation models (TIMs). TIMs literature has neglected or subordinated social and ecological regional conditions. This research adopts a broader perspective by: (i) studying an interscalar intergovernmental network aimed at meeting tridimensional sustainable development (SD) goals; and (ii) showing why this arrangement is successful. The network members are the regional government and provincial councils, which act as network promoters, and the municipalities. We model the network as a platform for integrating both pre-existing idiosyncratic resources and emergent resources/benefits that come from rich and regular interactions (in the shape of learning, enjoyment, reputation, identification, and attitude towards citizen participation); resources integration leads to network member satisfaction. This view is supported by data concerning a network in a Spanish autonomous community (region), Castile-La Mancha. We see this study as a first step towards more systematic research on what might be termed 'territorial sustainability models'. JEL classification: R1, R3, R5

Value Creation and Sustainability: Lessons from Leading Sustainability Firms

“…These efforts all converge on the definition of a sustainable value co-creation process that should give viability and sustainable development to the firm. This is in line with previous studies (e.g., [59,61]) and is complemented by the combination of firms' various value orientations and by institutions favoring the combination of the other elements and the continuous update of actors' orientation, due to the pressure of societal challenges. These results provide an answer regarding which typologies of institutions are shaping a sustainable service ecosystem; indeed, the orientation toward sustainability is changing, as in the notion of arrangements; thus, actors are contributing to this change and to fine-tuning the orientation toward sustainable outcomes.…”

“…The purpose of service ecosystems incorporating sustainability is mirrored in their complexity; such service ecosystems address issues far larger for a single actor or a pair of actors in partnership, with ecological challenges being the obvious example [38]. One aspect of these more-inclusive service ecosystems is their inherently democratic nature [59] due to considerations expressed toward and between multiple actors, the service exchanges between them, and the value flows in such a service ecosystem incorporating sustainability. Indeed, actors share the purpose of viable value co-creation occurring in viable ecosystem-based resource integration [60]; this viability is achieved by dealing with complexity as an innate feature of service contexts shaped by multiple actors, intertwined actions, and enablers of actors' behaviors [61].…”

Addressing Grand Challenges Through Different Forms of Organizing: A Literature Review

“…The sixth organizational form -supranational organization (Ansari, Wijen, & Gray, 2013;Corbett & Mellouli, 2017) or interscalar network (Echebarria et al, 2014) -depicts the most digital and global approach to tackle SDGs. A supranational organization relies almost solely on sophisticated IS platforms to perform the most intertwined and complex interactions within new interorganizational architectures, fields, and coordination mechanisms (Bogers, Chesbrough, & Moedas, 2018;Grodal & O'Mahony, 2017;Picciotti, 2017;Pollitzer, 2018).…”

Composite Index to Measure the Performance of Today’s Creative Cities: A Holistic Perspective

“…Although the intelligence dimension of Portuguese towns still requires action to improve infrastructure and accessibility, urban networks (belonging to inter and intra networks) in those towns are a positive aspect, as a reflection of adopting open, participative governance aiming to improve urban performance. Urban networks as predictors of improved city performance were emphasized by Cohen et al (2016), Echebarria et al (2016), Ferraris et al (2018, in which creativity stimulates the creation of urban networks as a consequence of the adopted governance typology, as well as those networks increasing synergies between all urban agents, with an economic return in the present and future (Girard et al 2016). Nevertheless, the implementation of ICT in Portuguese towns may fall short of expectations, despite the significant progress being made in terms of e-government.…”