Sense of belonging to an industrial district and knowledge acquisition: The role of strong and trusting interorganizational relations

Abstract

This paper analyses the mediating role of interorganizational relations, specifically strength of ties and relational trust, in the relationship between the level of sense of belonging to the industrial district (ID) and firms' knowledge acquisition. Despite the significance of the sense of belonging in the field of IDs, there are hardly any studies that directly address the implications of this sense of belonging on key variables in the field of ID, such as knowledge acquisition. This is due to its subjective and complex nature, meaning it is difficult to measure (Molina-Morales & Vázquez, 2007). Furthermore, since IDs are configured as a network of interorganizational relationships (McEvily & Zaheer, 1999), and

Incidence of Interorganizational Relations in the Performance of New Products: Mediating Effect of the Innovation Capacity and Technological Dynamism

“…The reason for analyzing the quality of relationships that exist between network actors lies in the benefits that can be obtained based on the role and position that the company has in the network (Bourdieu, 1986 ), so it can happen that the organization develops positive aspects such as cooperation, exchange of information, identification of new opportunities, and, above all, the exchange of knowledge in a climate of trust (Córcoles-Muñoz et al, 2020 ). Affirming that the density and strength of networks framed in social norms limit informality and opportunism, facilitating the transfer of valuable information (Zaheer et al, 2010 ), on the contrary, this type of interaction can cause limitations in creativity practices necessary in dynamic markets (Håkansson & Ford, 2002 ); a condition of blindness or myopia can be created in the face of the changes demanded by customers or by the actions carried out by competitors (Inkpen & Tsang, 2005 ; María J. Ruiz-Ortega et al, 2018 ).…”

“…The study is aimed at determining the effect of interorganizational relationships, defining them based on the relationships that occur between the different actors (Burt, 1992 ), and generating links that can be strong if frequency or closeness is achieved in the interactions in the relationships configuring certain characteristics in the network (Nahapiet & Goshal, 1998 ); these relationships are a consequence of the interpersonal relationships that are built day by day; these ties are strengthened by the union of shared time, emotional intensity, intimacy, and reciprocity (Córcoles-Muñoz et al, 2020 ). These relationships facilitate the acquisition and transfer of knowledge with a climate of trust between the participants of the different companies (García-Muiña & González-Sánchez, 2017 ).…”