Social Capital and Effective Innovation in Industrial Districts: Dual Effect of Absorptive Capacity

Purpose -This paper aims at investigating the multifaceted nature of innovation networks by focusing on two research questions: Do cluster actors exchange only one type of innovation-related knowledge? Do cluster actors play different roles in innovation-related knowledge exchange? Design/methodology/approach -This paper builds on data collected at the firm level in an Italian aerospace cluster, that is a technology-intensive industry where innovation is at the base of local competitiveness. A questionnaire was used to collect both attribute data and relational data concerning collaboration and the flows of knowledge in innovation networks. The authors distinguished among three types of knowledge (technological, managerial and market knowledge) and five types of brokerage roles (coordinator, gatekeeper, liaison, representative and consultant). Data analysis relied on social network analysis techniques and software. Findings -Concerning the first research question, the findings show that different types of knowledge flow in different ways in innovation networks. The different types of knowledge are unevenly exchanged. The exchange of technological knowledge is open to everyone in the cluster. The exchange of market and managerial knowledge is selective. Concerning the second research question, the authors suggest that different types of cluster actors (large firms, small-and medium-sized enterprises, research centers and universities and institutions for collaboration) do play different roles in innovation networks, especially with reference to the three types of knowledge considered in this study. Research limitations/implications -The present paper has some limitations. First of all, the analysis focuses on just one cluster (one industry in one specific location), cross-and comparative analyses with other clusters may illuminate the findings better, eliminating industry and geographical biases. Second, the paper focuses only on innovation-related knowledge exchanges within the cluster and not across it. Practical implications -The results have practical implications both for policy makers and for managers. First, this research stresses how innovation often originates from a combination of different knowledge types acquired through the collaboration with heterogeneous cluster actors. Further, the analysis of brokerage roles in innovation-driven collaborations may help policy makers in designing programs for knowledge-transfer partnerships among the various actors of a cluster. Social implications -The paper suggests a clear need of developing professional figures capable of operating at the interface of different knowledge domains.Originality/value -The data illuminate several aspects of how innovation takes place in a cluster opening up intriguing aspects that have been overlooked by extant literature. The authors believe that this may trigger several lines of further research on the topic.

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“…• Parra- Requena et al (2013) and Giuliani and Bell (2005) found an association between AC and external openness.…”

Section: Theoretical Background Innovation and Knowledge Exchanges Inmentioning

confidence: 95%

Knowledge exchanges in innovation networks: evidences from an Italian aerospace cluster

Alberti

Pizzurno

2015

Competitiveness Review

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“…Social capital is important for university-industry collaboration because it facilitates interaction and trust between collaborative partners (Inkpen and Tsang, 2005) and knowledge acquisition (Parra-Requena et al, 2013). Social capital can be regarded from a bridging perspective or a bonding perspective.…”

Section: Social Capitalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Collaboration for Innovation: A Case Study on How Social Capital Mitigates Collaborative Challenges in University–Industry Research Alliances

Steinmo

2015

Industry and Innovation

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Universities and public research organizations (PROs) are valuable sources of knowledge on innovation development for firms. Differences in goals and approaches between firms and PROs often create tension and lead to challenges that prevent achieving fruitful collaboration. This paper explores how the development of cognitive and relational social capital can mitigate such challenges and encourage fruitful collaboration between firms and PROs in research alliances over time and further lead to the development of innovations. By comparing three firms participating in a well-established research alliance with three firms participating in an emerging one, the development of both cognitive and relational social capital at the individual, organizational and alliance level is shown to be crucial for effective collaboration in research alliances over time. Common goals and understandings regarding the collaboration and the creation of personal relationships between the employees of firms and PROs contribute to mitigating collaborative challenges, to cohesion and to the achievement of goals to create innovation. Moreover, the presence of at least one of the dimensions of social capital appears to be necessary when entering a research alliance for the first time because cognitive and relational social capital are found to be mutually reinforced over time.

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“…(), which includes a total of five items listed in the . This scale has been widely used in previous literature to analyze the mutual trust existing between actors in a network (Parra‐Requena et al ., ; among others) the structure of which fits perfectly into the conceptualization of the variable we have used in our work. This scale refers to the relationship with strategic alliance partners, so we proceeded to adapt it in a more general way for all business contacts.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 54%

The Mediating Role of Knowledge Acquisition on the Relationship Between External Social Capital and Innovativeness

Parra‐Requena

Ruiz‐Ortega

Villaverde

et al. 2015

European Management Review

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In this paper we analyse how external social capital affects innovativeness through knowledge acquisition. Specifically, we test the effect of density, trust and cognitive proximity on the innovativeness of firms and the mediating role of external knowledge acquisition to explain these relationships. We focus our empirical study upon the footwear industry in Spain, using partial least squares to test the proposed hypotheses. The main contribution of this study is to demonstrate how knowledge acquisition leads the firm's external social capital to innovativeness.

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Social Capital and Effective Innovation in Industrial Districts: Dual Effect of Absorptive Capacity

Cited by 44 publications

References 56 publications

Knowledge exchanges in innovation networks: evidences from an Italian aerospace cluster

Knowledge exchanges in innovation networks: evidences from an Italian aerospace cluster

Collaboration for Innovation: A Case Study on How Social Capital Mitigates Collaborative Challenges in University–Industry Research Alliances

The Mediating Role of Knowledge Acquisition on the Relationship Between External Social Capital and Innovativeness

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