“…The existing literature on clusters’ facilitating role for internationalization has pointed out the different shapes that such support and facilitation can assume, including networking activities, collaboration, cooperation and projects (Ingstrup, 2013; Ferasso and Grenier, 2021). When implementing internationalization projects, the cluster works for the development of enablers to share and access knowledge and works with internal and external actors, resources and activities (Ingstrup, 2013).…”
Purpose
This study aims to explore the role played by a formal cluster initiative in supporting small firms' internationalization processes. Taking a public–private interaction perspective, this study aims to understand interaction mechanisms within an internationalization project implemented by a formal cluster initiative.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a qualitative approach based on a case study of a Swedish formal cluster initiative involved in an internationalization project. The case is analyzed through the industrial marketing and purchasing approach, relying on the Actors–Resources–Activities (ARA) framework.
Findings
The analysis highlights the role of formal clusters as supporters and “accelerators” of internationalization processes. Based on the ARA framework, the roles of the public and private actors emerge: the cluster plays the role of orchestrator, supporter and financer, while on the businesses' side, participants assumed the role of customers, displaying various degrees of interest and commitment and giving rise to a leader–follower pattern. Activities occurred at multiple levels, interorganizational, intraproject, interprojects, through different timings and typologies. The main resources at stake were the combination of knowledge, complementary capabilities and financial incentives.
Originality/value
This empirical study provides novel empirical evidence and theoretical development over the phenomenon of formal clusters. This study contributes to the current debate on public–private interaction mechanisms and to the upgrading and circulation of international business knowledge.
“…The existing literature on clusters’ facilitating role for internationalization has pointed out the different shapes that such support and facilitation can assume, including networking activities, collaboration, cooperation and projects (Ingstrup, 2013; Ferasso and Grenier, 2021). When implementing internationalization projects, the cluster works for the development of enablers to share and access knowledge and works with internal and external actors, resources and activities (Ingstrup, 2013).…”
Purpose
This study aims to explore the role played by a formal cluster initiative in supporting small firms' internationalization processes. Taking a public–private interaction perspective, this study aims to understand interaction mechanisms within an internationalization project implemented by a formal cluster initiative.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a qualitative approach based on a case study of a Swedish formal cluster initiative involved in an internationalization project. The case is analyzed through the industrial marketing and purchasing approach, relying on the Actors–Resources–Activities (ARA) framework.
Findings
The analysis highlights the role of formal clusters as supporters and “accelerators” of internationalization processes. Based on the ARA framework, the roles of the public and private actors emerge: the cluster plays the role of orchestrator, supporter and financer, while on the businesses' side, participants assumed the role of customers, displaying various degrees of interest and commitment and giving rise to a leader–follower pattern. Activities occurred at multiple levels, interorganizational, intraproject, interprojects, through different timings and typologies. The main resources at stake were the combination of knowledge, complementary capabilities and financial incentives.
Originality/value
This empirical study provides novel empirical evidence and theoretical development over the phenomenon of formal clusters. This study contributes to the current debate on public–private interaction mechanisms and to the upgrading and circulation of international business knowledge.
“…One of the key ways in which SMEs can thrive in the midst of fierce competition, is how adept they are at creating new knowledge (Coyte et al , 2012; Durst and Wilhelm, 2012). Owing to the liability of smallness and resource constraints, SMEs must establish and maintain cooperative relations with other firms to overcome the limitations pertaining to information access (Spraggon and Bodolica, 2008) and thus gain novel knowledge (Ferasso and Grenier, 2021). Accordingly, interorganizational knowledge collaboration is critical and requires detail co-creation processes for firms (Ruiz-Alba et al , 2020).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Accordingly, interorganizational knowledge collaboration is critical and requires detail co-creation processes for firms (Ruiz-Alba et al , 2020). Therefore, it is beneficial for SMEs to engage various stakeholders in the knowledge creation process (Ferasso and Grenier, 2021).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Previous research focuses on identifying a number of institutional enablers for knowledge co-creation, such as ownership structure (Su et al , 2015), organizational culture as well as individual factors (Mariano and Awazu, 2017), partners’ compatibility and complementarity (Chang et al , 2019) and online settings (Zhang et al , 2019; Abbate et al , 2019). Interorganizational collaboration has been found to be pivotal for organizations to gain access to knowledge, social interactions and physical resources (Mariano and Awazu, 2017; Abbate et al , 2019; Ferasso and Grenier, 2021).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…However, SMEs are excluded from the mainstream discussion on knowledge co-creation, even though scholars agree that external knowledge integration and co-development play an increasingly significant role for SMEs in fulfilling innovation needs (Van de Vrande et al , 2009; Brunswicker and Vanhaverbeke, 2015; Ferasso and Grenier, 2021). Furthermore, previous research suggests that knowledge creation of SMEs is often strongly embedded in social and personal ties.…”
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China leverage their strengths to engage stakeholders in knowledge co-creation processes and get mutual benefit via knowledge-based view (KBV).
Design/methodology/approach
Based on KBV, the authors conduct a multiple-case study of five SMEs in China to embrace the knowledge co-creation practice using semi-structured interview, organizational documents and onsite observation.
Findings
This study highlights how SMEs leverage their strengths to engage stakeholder to co-create knowledge and practice for the better capturing and utilization of external and internal knowledge. The authors identify three processes of knowledge co-creation for SMEs based on knowledge sharing, knowledge integration and knowledge application in the B2B context. This study finds that SMEs engage their stakeholders in knowledge sharing by building and maintaining trust. The knowledge integration process was driven by the owner’s openness. Mutual learning facilitates the knowledge application process of SMEs.
Research limitations/implications
This study relies on a limited number of case studies and considers only firms’ perspective to analyze the SMEs co-create knowledge with their stakeholders. Further studies could examine the challenge of knowledge co-creation in multiple stakeholders’ relationships in B2B contexts, i.e. in relation to product and service innovation with complexity and uncertainly.
Practical implications
Managers need to make choices when designing knowledge co-creation process in collaborative product development activities. The use of online and offline approaches can help balance requirements in terms of joint problem-solving across firms, the efficiency of knowledge co-creation and effective of knowledge leakage.
Originality/value
The conceptualization of knowledge co-creation as knowledge sharing and knowledge integration and knowledge application extends existing perspective on knowledge co-creation as either a transfer of knowledge or as revealing the novel situation of pertinent knowledge with entirely assimilate it. The findings point to the complexity of knowledge co-creation as a process influenced by stakeholder engagement, perspectives on knowledge, trust of multiple stakeholders, openness of firm boundaries and mutual learning of SMEs with their stakeholders.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.