IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/cejnor/v20y2012i2p231-250.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Knowledge exchange processes in Industrial Districts and the emergence of networks

Author

Listed:
  • Luca Iandoli
  • Cristina Ponsiglione
  • Elio Marchione
  • Giuseppe Zollo

Abstract

This paper aims at exploring conditions under which the need for knowledge exchange within a small firms’ cluster generates a structure of links between firms. We focus in particular on small firms’ clusters called Industrial Districts (IDs). Specifically, we analyze IDs with flexible specialization, in which knowledge exchange is driven by the search for complementary knowledge assets. Previous works of the authors proposed an agent-based model of IDs to explore the properties of networks emerging from the interaction of firms prompted by the search and exchange of complementary specialized knowledge. This model showed that limited relational capability, due to the small size, and an exchange mechanism solely based on the barter of complementary knowledge are structural conditions that limit individual firms’ growth in IDs with flexible specialization. This paper presents a new version of this model to analyze the role of embeddedness of relationships among IDs firms in shaping the emergent network structures. The aim of the paper is to answer to the following research questions: Can knowledge complementariness explain the emergence of a stable network of firms within a small firms’ cluster? What are the structural properties of these networks? Which role does the embeddedness of relationships among firms play in shaping the structure of emerging networks? Copyright Springer-Verlag 2012

Suggested Citation

  • Luca Iandoli & Cristina Ponsiglione & Elio Marchione & Giuseppe Zollo, 2012. "Knowledge exchange processes in Industrial Districts and the emergence of networks," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 20(2), pages 231-250, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:cejnor:v:20:y:2012:i:2:p:231-250
    DOI: 10.1007/s10100-011-0211-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s10100-011-0211-x
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10100-011-0211-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ranjay Gulati, 1999. "Network location and learning: the influence of network resources and firm capabilities on alliance formation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(5), pages 397-420, May.
    2. Tim Rowley & Dean Behrens & David Krackhardt, 2000. "Redundant governance structures: an analysis of structural and relational embeddedness in the steel and semiconductor industries," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 369-386, March.
    3. Müge Özman, 2007. "Network Formation and Strategic Firm Behaviour to Explore and Exploit," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 11(1), pages 1-7.
    4. Susanna Slotte–Kock & Nicole Coviello, 2010. "Entrepreneurship Research on Network Processes: A Review and Ways Forward," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 34(1), pages 31-57, January.
    5. Cowan, Robin & Jonard, Nicolas, 2004. "Network structure and the diffusion of knowledge," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 28(8), pages 1557-1575, June.
    6. Guido Fioretti, 2001. "Structure and behaviour of a textile industrial district," ICER Working Papers 02-2001, ICER - International Centre for Economic Research.
    7. Brusco, Sebastiano, 1982. "The Emilian Model: Productive Decentralisation and Social Integration," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 6(2), pages 167-184, June.
    8. Robin Cowan & Nicolas Jonard & Jean-Benoit Zimmermann, 2007. "Bilateral Collaboration and the Emergence of Innovation Networks," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(7), pages 1051-1067, July.
    9. Ann Markusen, 1996. "Sticky Places in Slippery Space: A Typology of Industrial Districts," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 72(3), pages 293-313, July.
    10. Rakesh Basant, 2002. "Knowledge Flows and Industrial Clusters: An Analytical Review of Literature," Economics Study Area Working Papers 40, East-West Center, Economics Study Area.
    11. Albino, Vito & Carbonara, Nunzia & Giannoccaro, Ilaria, 2007. "Supply chain cooperation in industrial districts: A simulation analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 177(1), pages 261-280, February.
    12. Joshua M. Epstein & Robert L. Axtell, 1996. "Growing Artificial Societies: Social Science from the Bottom Up," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262550253, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Houxing Tang & Zhenzhong Ma & Jiuling Xiao & Lei Xiao, 2020. "Toward a more Efficient Knowledge Network in Innovation Ecosystems: A Simulated Study on Knowledge Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Esposito, Emilio & Evangelista, Pietro, 2014. "Investigating virtual enterprise models: literature review and empirical findings," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 145-157.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Luca Iandoli & Elio Marchione & Cristina Ponsiglione & Giuseppe Zollo, 2014. "Knowledge sharing and network emergence in small firm clusters: an agent-based model of industrial districts," Chapters, in: Charlie Karlsson & Börje Johansson & Roger R. Stough (ed.), Agglomeration, Clusters and Entrepreneurship, chapter 4, pages 66-84, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Jiang He & M. Hosein Fallah, 2014. "Dynamics of Inventor Networks and the Evolution of Technology Clusters," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(6), pages 2174-2200, November.
    3. Vasileios Kyriazis & Theodore Metaxas, 2023. "Markusen’s Typology with a “European” Twist, the Examples of the French Aerospace Valley Cluster and the Andalucia Aerospace Cluster," World, MDPI, vol. 4(1), pages 1-17, March.
    4. Savin, Ivan & Egbetokun, Abiodun, 2016. "Emergence of innovation networks from R&D cooperation with endogenous absorptive capacity," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 82-103.
    5. Luca Iandoli & Elio Marchione & Cristina Ponsiglione & Giuseppe Zollo, 2009. "Learning and Structural Properties in Small Firms’ Networks: A Computational Agent-Based Model," Research in Economics and Business: Central and Eastern Europe, Tallinn School of Economics and Business Administration, Tallinn University of Technology, vol. 1(1).
    6. Ranjay Gulati & Maxim Sytch & Adam Tatarynowicz, 2012. "The Rise and Fall of Small Worlds: Exploring the Dynamics of Social Structure," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(2), pages 449-471, April.
    7. Lorenzo Ciapetti, 2011. "Technological Change, Knowledge Integration and Adaptive Processes: The Mechatronic Evolution of the Reggio Emilia District," Chapters, in: Paul L. Robertson & David Jacobson (ed.), Knowledge Transfer and Technology Diffusion, chapter 5, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    8. Marta Gancarczyk, 2010. "Model schyłku i odrodzenia klastrów," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 3, pages 1-21.
    9. Rich, Karl M. & Ross, R. Brent & Baker, A. Derek & Negassa, Asfaw, 2011. "Quantifying value chain analysis in the context of livestock systems in developing countries," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 214-222, April.
    10. Müge Özman, 2007. "Network Formation and Strategic Firm Behaviour to Explore and Exploit," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 11(1), pages 1-7.
    11. Mario V. Tomasello & Mauro Napoletano & Antonios Garas & Frank Schweitzer, 2017. "The rise and fall of R&D networks," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 26(4), pages 617-646.
    12. Girish Mallapragada & Aditya Gupta & Brett Josephson, 2022. "The impact of social capital and transaction efficacy on salesperson performance," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 31(9), pages 3525-3542, September.
    13. Gupeng Zhang & Xiao Wang & Hongbo Duan, 2020. "Obscure but important: examining the indirect effects of alliance networks in exploratory and exploitative innovation paradigms," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(3), pages 1745-1764, September.
    14. Pier Patrucco, 2008. "The economics of collective knowledge and technological communication," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 33(6), pages 579-599, December.
    15. Michael D König & Stefano Battiston & Mauro Napoletano & Frank Schweitzer, 2008. "The Efficiency and Evolution of R&D Networks," Working Papers hal-00973077, HAL.
    16. Graf, Holger & Broekel, Tom, 2020. "A shot in the dark? Policy influence on cluster networks," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(3).
    17. Akbar Zaheer & Exequiel Hernandez & Sanjay Banerjee, 2010. "Prior Alliances with Targets and Acquisition Performance in Knowledge-Intensive Industries," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(5), pages 1072-1091, October.
    18. Boschma, Ron, 2000. "An Empirical Analysis Of The Industrial Rise Of The Third Italy," ERSA conference papers ersa00p114, European Regional Science Association.
    19. Giuliani, Elisa & Pietrobelli, Carlo, 2014. "Social Network Analysis Methodologies for the Evaluation of Cluster Development Programs," Papers in Innovation Studies 2014/11, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    20. John N H Britton, 2003. "Network Structure of an Industrial Cluster: Electronics in Toronto," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 35(6), pages 983-1006, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:cejnor:v:20:y:2012:i:2:p:231-250. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.