Network resource, regional cluster, and technical position

Inter-firm social links are always helpful to establish mutual trust for further cooperation, and inter-firm knowledge exchange stresses the relative importance in a technological field. This study first examines the differences and relationships among the networks that are constructed by different exchanged resources, and further explores how a firm’s embedded local cluster resources and the brokerages’ roles in different inter-firm networks shape a firm’s leading position in the technical knowledge field. To construct inter-firm networks, we survey all members in the Taiwan Fastener Industry Association, collecting 87 valid samples for a 67% response rate. We use QAP (Quadratic Assignment Procedure) regressions to examine the relationships among networks, including social network (SN), information network (IN), and knowledge network (KN). We execute a negative binomial regression to investigate the importance of cluster resources and cross-regional brokering roles in SN and IN for gaining a higher position in technical KN. The results first show that the ties in SN and IN help establish cooperative partnerships in exchanging technical knowledge. Second, local cluster resources play a critical role in driving firms to gain a higher position in KN. Third, to have a leading role in KN, the brokerage roles in IN seem to be more important than the brokerages in SN. In particular, cross-regional brokerage roles (e.g., liaison) in IN strengthen their position in KN.