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Cooperation and competition are often viewed as incompatible, antagonistic forces, thus are operationalized as two extremes on a continuum. However, they can coexist and even enable each other, thus may be operationalized as orthogonal constructs. We address this contradictory phenomenon by developing a more granular view of the cooperation–competition paradox. Building on interdisciplinary research, we develop a three-dimensional model of relational space (fairness–opportunism, sharing–control, and engagement–rivalry), providing a novel tool with which to investigate the paradoxical interplay between cooperation and competition through eight operationalizable configurations. Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), we test our model by assessing how different configurations of interfirm relationships influence the short- and long-term success of a sample of 217 firms. Our findings show that only two of the eight possible relational configurations are associated with firm success, one in both the long and short term, and the other in the short term only.

Creativity is an important concept discussed in different managerial disciplines. It has mainly been dealt with at the individual level. Scholarly interest in team creativity or organizational creativity, is fairly recent in the literature, and the literature provides scarcely any guidance on creativity in inter-organizational processes. Yet, inter-organizational creativity is increasingly important for companies on B2B markets that transform into network or ecosystem structures. This conceptual paper aims to answer the following two research questions: (1) How can the phenomenon of inter-organizational creativity be characterized from a multi-level perspective outside the classical boundaries of organizations? (2) What is the relationship between network creativity and other forms of creativity? Building on both the literature on creativity as well as on business markets, we first assess various perspectives of creativity. We then define and discuss the term “network creativity” as a multilevel and boundary-spanning framing process. Finally, we propose a model that summarizes our thinking.

Fostering productive networking relationships with organizations inside and outside the value chain increases the enterprise's competitiveness. Today, the ongoing digital platforms revolution is facilitating these networked relationships. Nevertheless, despite recent technological advancements facilitating business interactions, there is a considerable lack of clarity about how and why offline B2B networks implement digital platforms solutions. In addition, the antecedents and determinants that drive their engagement are poorly understood in the literature. To address these challenges, this article examines the antecedents and determinants influencing the decisions of 1,704 offline networks (business associations, chambers of commerce, and employer's unions) to implement a new multisided digital market platform (MDMP). Mixed methods research, including semi-structured interviews and a large-scale survey were conducted. Overall, findings unveil that the knowledge on digital platforms’ potentials and acceptance levels remain limited. Shared and unique antecedents and determinants for MDMP implementation by business associations, chambers of commerce, and employer's unions emerged. The article also proposed a novel conceptual framework representing the mechanisms influencing the implementation of MDMPs. Grounded in the large-scale survey, we develop substantive theories on the factors influencing the decision of business associations, chambers of commerce, and employer's unions to implement MDMPs. These theories identify and describe the interrelated paradoxes that these three categories of B2B networks need to address when moving towards the digital platforms revolution. The new managerial, theoretical, and policy insights originating from this study advance the general knowledge in the field.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this work is to make interest among SMEs practitioners and to deliver useful data to scientists conducting research on agility and opportunity recognition and the relationship between these topics by conducting a concise bibliometric analysis of the literature addressing these issues., DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A systematic review of the literature bases for all pairs of keywords agility, opportunity recognition, and SMEs was conducted. Briefly reviewed publications from 2017-2021., FINDINGS: There is an extensive literature on each individual keyword. This was pointed out in the introduction. The literature for the combined words is more modest. Works linking agility and opportunity recognition with SMEs published between 2017 and 2021 have been selected and briefly discussed., PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The selected and succinctly discussed publications from 2017-2021 provide SME practitioners with useful information that can initiate or develop their interest in agility and opportunity recognition issues and researchers with bibliometric data useful for their further work., ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The originality of this work lies in the fact that it discusses the literature dealing with the issues relatively rarely presented in publications, namely the conjunction of agility and opportunities recognition in SMEs. It is valuable for practitioners who want to learn about these issues and for scientists who conduct research in this field., peer-reviewed

The processes of globalization and internationalization impose the need to change the traditional thinking and reorganize the strategic corporate governance. An important prerequisite for the strategic development of the modern organizations is the construction of flexible business network structures for intercompany interaction. In this regard, the purpose of the paper is to study the specifics of the business networks and on this basis to justify their role in the process of strategic corporate governance. In connection with the goal realization, the following tasks are solved in the article: presentation of the theoretical bases of the business network organizations; consideration of the development of the theory; identification of their main features; presentation of the network business structure as a system; argumentation of the importance of the business networks for the strategic company development.

PURPOSE: Organizational network analysis is usually a long and complex process, consisting of many steps and generally using many analytical tools., DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Numerous papers have been written about the analysis itself, especially about network measures, concepts, and visualizations used in research. This is unfortunately not the case for the data collection process., FINDINGS: The practice of conducting research shows that effective data collection is often a barrier to network analysis in organizations. The current situation related to COVID-19 has become an additional difficulty in assessing the occurrence of relationships between employees based on observations., PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS: An analysis of the literature and especially years of conducted studies in different organizations show that researchers still lack deeper insights into that kind of issue, such as identifying the main challenges and potential ways to improve the data collection process. This is a research gap we strive to address within this paper., ORIGINALITY/VALUE: In the addition to the effort made towards structuring the entire process of data collection in the organizational network analysis research contribution of this paper include our proposals of potential improvements that could be made to the data collection process in analyzing organizational networks., The project is financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in Poland under the program "Regional Initiative of Excellence" 2019 - 2022 project number 015/RID/2018/19 total funding amount 10 721 040,00 PLN., peer-reviewed

PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the performance of global value chains (GVCs) due to lockdowns, restricted labor mobility, and consumers’ access to retail markets. Authors verify the research hypothesis as follows: recent disruptions in GVCs will induce reshoring and permanent reconfiguration of economic activity whereas enhancing deglobalization., DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Authors conducted a critical analysis of economic papers registered in the Web of Science and Scopus databases and ratio analysis based on the World Bank’s World Development Indicators and Reports., FINDINGS: Authors argued that the reshoring of GVCs seems to lack solid, far-reaching economic premises, whereas policy recommendations in favor of enhancing GVCs’ stability and resilience proved to be significant., PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Authors provided a set of policy recommendations regarding enhancing the stability and resilience of GVCs when facing shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic to minimize negative impacts related to reshoring and reconfiguring economic activity, e.g., discouraging productivity and competitiveness across regions, industries, and enterprises., ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The paper discusses current and vital issues associated with implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for GVCs activities, providing valuable policy recommendations for mitigating deglobalization trends., The project is financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in Poland under the programme "Regional Initiative of Excellence" 2019 - 2022 project number 015/RID/2018/19 total funding amount 10 721 040,00 PLN"., peer-reviewed

Purpose This paper aims to discuss business incubation to enter foreign markets in Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) countries through the lens of an “international business incubator” (IBI). International market expansion offers huge opportunities for companies to increase their revenue, but there are also challenging tasks such as the establishment of a business company and the occupation of a strategic position abroad. Practitioners consider this process as the act of incubation, but the theoretical discussion lags behind the practice-led debate. Design/methodology/approach An illustrative, and theory-led, case study is presented that describes market expansion to BRIC countries through a network-based IBI. The empirical case is an illustrative Danish company with international operations in BRIC countries both with and without an IBI. Findings International business incubation represents a process, which can be influenced through an IBI, and business networking during foreign market entry is shaped by IBI brokerage (bridging, bonding and protecting) in different phases. IBI activities that are embedded in business networking support a company’s endeavours in getting a foothold and acquiring a strategic position in BRIC markets and facilitates the market penetration. Research limitations/implications The IBI’s activities to enter foreign markets should be thoroughly managed. Further studies should be conducted with cross-case comparisons and larger samples to reflect on the propositions established. Originality/value By linking the business networking theory with the practice-led understanding of business incubation, the study explores an under-conceptualised topic for international business and entrepreneurship scholars. The paper offers an initial understanding of how brokerage interacts with incubation during the entry of new markets.

Este artigo examina as oportunidades proporcionadas pelo estanco do tabaco português aos negociantes estrangeiros estabelecidos em Lisboa. No quadro dos constrangimentos políticos e económicos que impendiam sobre o comércio entre os dois reinos peninsulares, toma como caso de estudo a casa Gómez, para demonstrar que a contratação da cobrança fiscal podia ser uma importante fonte de acumulação de riqueza e uma via de acesso ao topo da hierarquia mercantil.

This positioning paper is informed by our judgment that the mainstream research on business marketing and marketing in general is losing its relevance and vigor because it views business environments as narrow “markets” and focuses primarily on dyadic business relationships and their management. Sticking to this limited, economics-driven market view has detached the discipline from major real-world phenomena, leaving it with scant understanding of the contemporary environmental context of marketing and business strategy. Based on a focused reading of literature on business fields, business networks, business ecosystems, and market systems, we venture our own comprehensive theoretical framing of complex business environments summarized in two frameworks. In the pursuit of relevance our integration is avowedly simplifying as we strive for parsimony. Key points explicate the nested, multi-layered, multimodal, transitional and conditioned character of the business environment, and the dynamics, phases and processes of the evolution of that nested environment. We use the frameworks constructed, which form an initial theory of complex business environments, to supply a research agenda for business marketing and offer brief managerial conclusions., Highlights • Business marketing must move from relationship management to ecosystems orchestration • Business environment is nested, layered, multimodal, transitional and conditioned • Need to understand dynamics, phases and processes of business environment evolution • Need to understand constricting and enabling forces • Focus on collaborative strategizing, involving a larger set of actors outside firm

Editorial, SI on Knowledge Sharing for Business Cluster and Business Network Contexts: While the causality between knowledge sharing and the development of business networks and clusters concerning the preconditions, processesand outcomes of knowledge sharing are far from clear, knowledgesharing undoubtedly represents an essential element that deservescloser attention even if the state-of-the-art in academic researchon business networks and business clusters seems to have reacheda level of saturation. With this consideration in mind, this specialissue aims to enhance the contemporary scholarly understandingof this missing link between knowledge sharing and business clusters and business networks from various empirical perspectives andthrough different contexts, as the papers collected in this specialissue will demonstrate.

Purpose – This paper examines the specifics of born global firms from a post-transitional European country with regard to the role of social and business networks in the internationalization process. Design/Methodology/Approach – Given that born global firms are an emerging phenomenon in South-Eastern Europe, the research method was a case study. Four cases were judgmentally chosen for the analysis. Literal and theoretical replication was applied. Findings and implications – Regarding the role which social and business networks play in starting and stimulating the internationalization in post-transitional countries, the results indicate similar patterns of this contemporary phenomenon to those in developed countries. The main implications for entrepreneurs and policy makers may be found in the area of fostering cooperation between small firms and enhancing their personal and business interactions through the development of industrial/technology parks, industrial clusters, and business incubators. Limitations – The results have to be taken with some reservations due to a small number of firms examined and the fact that a half of them are from the information technology industry. Originality – The study contributes to the research of the born global phenomenon by addressing the issue in the South-Eastern European region, where it has not been widely investigated, especially in the context of a country with a socialist heritage., Svrha – Tema rada su specifičnosti poduzeća koja se rano globaliziraju (engl. born global) iz posttranzicijske europske zemlje, u pogledu uloge društvenih i poslovnih mreža u procesu internacionalizacije. Metodološki pristup – S obzirom da su poduzeća koja se rano globaliziraju (engl. born global) pojava u nastajanju u jugoistočnoj Europi, odabrana je metoda studije slučaja. Za analizu su odabrana četiri slučaja, i to oni za koje se predviđaju slični rezultati (engl. Literal replication) kao i slučajevi za koje se pretpostavlja da će pružiti kontradiktorne rezultate (engl. Theoretical replication). Rezultati i implikacije – Što se tiče uloge društvenih i poslovnih mreža u pokretanju i poticanju internacionalizacije u posttranzicijskim zemljama, rezultati pokazuju obrasce ovog suvremenog fenomena slične onima u razvijenim zemljama. Glavne implikacije za poduzetnike i kreatore politika u području su poticanje suradnje između malih poduzeća i jačanju njihovih osobnih i poslovnih interakcija kroz razvoj industrijskih/tehnoloških parkova, industrijskih klastera i poslovnih inkubatora. Ograničenja – Rezultati se moraju razmatrati uz određena ograničenja zbog malog broja ispitanih poduzeća i činjenice da ih je polovica iz IT industrije. Doprinos – Rad doprinosi istraživanju fenomena poduzeća koja se rano globaliziraju (engl. born global) zahvaljujući činjenici da temu razmatra u jugoistočnoj Europi gdje ne postoji puno istraživanja, posebno u kontekstu zemlje sa socijalističkim naslijeđem.

While the literature emphasizes the importance of knowledge and foreign market knowledge for international performance, it is unclear about the intervening/mediating relationships. From a knowledge-based view and network approach, we posit that previous foreign market entry (FME) knowledge can be used in the selection of international markets and to enhance network capabilities and international performance. We test the relationships between these constructs in a sample of 140 Australian SMEs. We contribute to the international SME literature by explaining important mechanisms through which FME knowledge affects SMEs’ international performance. International market selection and network capability mediate its relationship with international performance. We acknowledge financial support from the Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Research Grant (13-UOO-065 ) and the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (PID2019-105198GB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 ). Wensong Bai acknowledges financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (72032008；71772165), and the Major Research Project of Philosophy & Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, P.R.China（17JZD018).

Purpose – This paper aims to explore innovation in geographic business networks and to propose a model of innovation capability of cluster. The premise is that innovation is a necessity for firms and relations inter firms is an alternative for it to occur. Among these relationships, clusters stand out, with studies showing that firms in clusters tend to be more innovative. Design/methodology/approach–This, we conducted an exploratory research with two clusters: emerging cluster of Alto do Camaquã, in Brazil and growing cluster of Sisteron, in France.The cases were analyzed from elements previously established in the literature: context, collective strategy, public policy, commercialization, pro-activity, external relations, transmission collaboration, assimilation, transformation and application of knowledge, governance, infrastructure, financial resources and human resources. Findings– We arrived to a model of cluster innovation capability, composed by the strategic management, relationships and learning, technological and marketing development and operational management. Originality/value–The proposed model is a dinamic model as capabilities vary in their intensities according to the development stage of the cluster and its maturity time. Objetivo – O presente artigo tem como objetivo explorar a inovação em redes geográficas de negócios e propor um modelo de capacidade de inovação dos clusters. A premissa é que a inovação é uma necessidade para as empresas e as relações entre elas são uma alternativa para que ela ocorra. Entre essas relações, destacam-se os clusters, com estudos mostrando que as empresas em clusters tendem a ser mais inovadoras. Metodologia – Dessa forma, realizamos uma pesquisa exploratória com dois clusters: cluster emergente do Alto Camaquã, no Brasil, e cluster em crescimento de Sisteron, na França. Os casos foram analisados a partir de elementos previamente estabelecidos na literatura: contexto, estratégia coletiva, políticas públicas, comercialização, proatividade, relações externas, colaboração de transmissão, assimilação, transformação e aplicação de conhecimento, governança, infraestrutura, recursos financeiros e recursos humanos. Resultados – Chegamos a um modelo de capacidade de inovação do cluster, composto pela gestão estratégica, relacionamento e aprendizado, desenvolvimento tecnológico e mercadológico e gestão operacional. Contribuições – O modelo proposto é dinâmico, pois as capacidades variam em intensidade de acordo com o estágio de desenvolvimento do cluster e seu tempo de maturação. Objetivo – O presente artigo tem como objetivo explorar a inovação em redes geográficas de negócios e propor um modelo de capacidade de inovação dos clusters. A premissa é que a inovação é uma necessidade para as empresas e as relações entre elas são uma alternativa para que ela ocorra. Entre essas relações, destacam-se os clusters, com estudos mostrando que as empresas em clusters tendem a ser mais inovadoras. Metodologia – Dessa forma, realizamos uma pesquisa exploratória com dois clusters: cluster emergente do Alto Camaquã, no Brasil, e cluster em crescimento de Sisteron, na França. Os casos foram analisados a partir de elementos previamente estabelecidos na literatura: contexto, estratégia coletiva, políticas públicas, comercialização, proatividade, relações externas, colaboração de transmissão, assimilação, transformação e aplicação de conhecimento, governança, infraestrutura, recursos financeiros e recursos humanos. Resultados – Chegamos a um modelo de capacidade de inovação do cluster, composto pela gestão estratégica, relacionamento e aprendizado, desenvolvimento tecnológico e mercadológico e gestão operacional. Contribuições – O modelo proposto é dinâmico, pois as capacidades variam em intensidade de acordo com o estágio de desenvolvimento do cluster e seu tempo de maturação.

Purpose The study discusses alternative ways to bridge the gap between global value chain literature and literature focused on management and strategy in business networks. Design/methodology/approach The study builds on an article co-citation analysis using bibliographic data from 762 papers retrieved from selected journals. Findings The results highlight influential constructs and frameworks originating in the business network literature that could leverage the research on Global Value Chains. Originality/value By better connecting with business network research, global value chain theory may improve its capacity to cope with modern empirical challenges, overcome criticisms, and communicate better with mainstream disciplines. Resumo Objetivo O estudo discute maneiras alternativas para conectar a literatura da de cadeias globais de valor àquela voltada para redes de negócios em gestão e estratégia. Metodologia O estudo baseia-se em uma análise de cocitação de artigos, usando dados bibliográficos de 762 artigos disponíveis em periódicos selecionados. Resultados Os resultados destacam construtos e estruturas influentes originárias da literatura sobre rede de negócios que poderiam alavancar a pesquisa sobre cadeias globais de valor. Contribuições Ao se conectar melhor à pesquisa sobre redes de negócios, a teoria da cadeia global de valor pode melhorar sua capacidade de lidar com os desafios empíricos modernos, superar críticas e se comunicar melhor com as principais disciplinas.

Network contracts (NCs) have been recently introduced as industrial policy in Italy to promote competitiveness and innovation among small companies. This paper investigates the structure and the characteristics of NCs operating in the Italian agri-food system. For this purpose, a conceptual framework has been first drawn up to consider sectorial affinity and spatial proximity as factors influencing the development of networks of companies. Subsequently, data from Italian Business Register have been extracted and analysed using appropriate statistical tools, in particular local Moran spatial autocorrelation indexes. Results highlight the significant role played by agri-food companies in the NCs aknowkedged in Italy, expecially the ones established among a reduced numbers of companies. NCs involving agri-food companies are mostly characterised by local spatial correlation patterns and by horizontal aggregation among agricultural holdings, rather than by vertical structures along the food value chain. Results, however, show that several other networks involving agri-food companies can instead express more complex processes of re-organization and innovation of the food value chain. In short, the spread of agri-food NCs seems to be congruent with the Italian agrifood model in which territorial links play a significant role to face small scale limits.

The increasingly efficient use of scarce resources is a central theme in the gradual transition towards a circular economy. Hazardous materials represent a category of resources that is often difficult—and potentially risky—to transport, store, or neutralize. As a result, hazardous materials are rarely included in closed material loops. The present paper analyzes HorsePower, a business concept centered around an innovative way of utilizing horse manure. Horse manure is generated in millions of tons in horse-rich countries such as the UK, Germany, and France. It is a hazardous resource, as it may spread diseases, and cannot be disposed of or landfilled economically. The content analysis of 21 semi-structured interviews carried out with different business actors participating in the HorsePower business network reveals that the success of HorsePower stems from its ability to combine the complementary capabilities and material needs of a relatively complex network of business actors including stables, sawmills, logistical service providers, and heat and power plants. Each actor receives added value; the benefits from participation are greater than the sacrifices of participation. Furthermore, the findings show that certain types of hazardous resources, when combined with resources produced by another actor, may be burned efficiently and safely in specific power plants, reducing the need for other types of fuel. The observations imply that novel approaches for effectively sharing ideas and resource needs across organizational boundaries are needed to facilitate the development of additional innovative CE business concepts, leveraging both actor-specific capabilities and intra-actor resource dependencies. acceptedVersion

Les réseaux jouent un rôle clé dans l’internationalisation des PME dans les marchés émergents comme la Chine. Ils permettent de contourner les barrières inhérentes à la taille et accéder à de nouvelles opportunités. Peu de travaux se sont attachés à étudier les difficultés émanant de ces réseaux. L’étude de cas longitudinale conduite auprès d’une PME implantée en Chine montre que la mobilisation des réseaux entraine un risque de dépendance, des tensions internes et des coûts élevés. La réussite en Chine dépend de la capacité de la PME à diversifier ses réseaux et à sélectionner le bon middle man chinois., Business networks play a key role in SMEs’ internationalization, notably in emerging countries like China. They allow them to bypass the barriers faced due to their limited size and to access to new business opportunities. Few studies have been conducted on the difficulties faced by SMEs due to their networks. The longitudinal study conducted on a SME having a subsidiary in China shows that using networks can lead to dependency, internal tensions and high costs. Being suc-cessful in China depends upon the SME’s capability to diversify its networks and select the right Chinese middleman., Las redes desempeñan un papel clave en la internacionalización de las PYME en los países emergentes como la China. De hecho, permiten rodear las barreras inherentes a la talla y acceder a nuevas oportunidades. Pocas estudias se han atado a comprender las dificultades encontradas debido a esas redes. Las estudia longitudinal realizada con una PYME implantada en China muestra que utilizar las redes puede conducir a una situación de dependencia, conflictos internos y altos costes. El suceso en China depende de la capacidad de la PYME a diversificar sus redes y seleccionar el bueno middleman chínese.

In this article, we view business models as complex deal-making activity systems organized to create, deliver, and capture value. Unlike some other viewpoints, we emphasize both system components and their interconnection. Business activities are carried out by a network of actors drawing on a network of resources, and individual firms seek to configure these intersecting networks to enhance their competitive positioning. The business model literature refers to the significance of antecedent activities in providing context – opportunities the firm decides to pursue, the strategy adopted, and requisite capabilities. Drawing on this literature, we propose an approach to framing business model context. Drawing on the information systems literature, we identify a toolkit facilitating activity system architecture design. We suggest how this both draws out the underlying complexity of a business model and shows how a multiplicity of views makes sense.

Purpose The paper explores the links between network structures and internationalization, conceptualized as a process of value innovation. The exploration sets off from the concept of an entry node, i.e. whether network entrance is facilitated by a direct dyadic or an indirect triadic relationship. Design/methodology/approach The paper is mainly conceptual, but also presents an empirical cross-border actor constellation which highlights the implications of the study. Findings Bi-directionality implies that value innovation is contingent on the fit between the actors involved in the entry node, not on the fulfilment of the needs of a focal actor. Further, the attractiveness of an entry node depends on network structures, the network positions of the actors in the entry node, the desired outcomes of entry (immersion or reach), and the actual behavior of the actors. The dynamics of transitivity can influence triadic entry nodes. However, transitivity operates differently in business networks than in social networks constituted by inter-personal ties. Therefore, closure of open triadic entry nodes is neither an automatic outcome of strong ties, nor a normatively better outcome. Research limitations/implications The theorizing offered by this paper must be further explored in different empirical contexts to assess its practical adequacy. Still, the presented empirical case indicates that the expected attractiveness of entry nodes is closely linked to (in)transitivity. Originality/value The paper supports the relevance of expanding from a dyadic to a network perspective in order to capture the dynamics of value innovation in an international setting.

Orientador: Leda Maria Caira Gitahy Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociências Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho é discutir os conceitos de "peer production" e "crowdsourcing", que surgem associados à emergência da chamada Web 2.0, caracterizá-los e compará-los com exemplos práticos para termos uma visualização mais concreta desses fenômenos e observar se há diferenças entre os termos ou se são apenas sinônimos. A Web 2.0, com a sua orientação à interatividade, permitiu alterar a dinâmica da relação entre os consumidores (que já não eram vistos como meros atores passivos) e produtores, abrindo espaço para a expansão da cooperação entre ambos. A massificação da internet permitiu unir vários desses "novos consumidores" trazendo à tona a colaboração em massa, onde diversas pessoas, em diferentes localidades, trabalham juntas para um mesmo fim. Peer production e crowdsourcing são alguns dos nomes que podem ser encontrados na literatura para descrever casos desse fenômeno. Alguns autores consideram esses nomes como sinônimos, outros consideram que um nome se refere a um tipo de outro (i.e: crowdsourcing é um tipo de peer production), outros consideram que cada nome se refere a fenômenos diferentes. Sendo uma área de pesquisa relativamente recente, essa multiplicidade de nomes e interpretações não é surpreendente. Este trabalho conclui que ambos os termos, apesar de apresentar similaridades, são diferentes o suficiente para serem tratados como fenômenos distintos Abstract: The objective of this dissertation is to discuss and characterize the concepts and examples of "peer production" and "crowdsourcing" in order to have a better understanding of what these phenomena entail and whether they can be considered distinct or synonymous terms. These terms are associated with the emergence of the Web 2.0. The Web 2.0, being interactive oriented, allowed to alter the dynamics of the relationship between consumers (which were not seen as mere passive actors) and producers, creating a space for the expansion of a cooperative work between them. The massification of the internet allowed to coalesce many of these "new consumers", bringing forth the mass collaboration, where people from various places work together towards a common goal. Peer production and crowdsourcing are some of the names found in the literature to describe such occurrence. Some authors consider both names are synonym, others consider that one is a type of another (i.e: crowdsourcing is a type of peer production), while others consider both to be referring to different things. Being a relatively new area of research, this multiplicity of names and interpretations is not surprising. This work concludes that, despite presenting similarities, both have enough differences to be treated as distinct phenomena Mestrado Política Científica e Tecnologica Mestre em Política Científica e Tecnológica CNPQ 132374/2014-5

Orientadores: José Maria Ferreira Jardim da Silveira, Antonio Marcio Buainain Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Economia Resumo: Esta dissertação possui dois blocos teóricos. O primeiro apresenta a Teoria da Inovação, a qual permite compreender a inovação tecnológica e a dinâmica da inovação sobre suas possibilidades, entre elas, o papel da transferência de tecnologia, da propriedade intelectual e das redes de colaboração internacional. A partir disso, no bloco seguinte, compreende-se o que vem a ser o paradigma tecnológico dos biocombustíveis. A teoria contribui para o entendimento do desenvolvimento dessas tecnologias na dinâmica internacional entre os países que tentam se aproximar dessa fronteira tecnológica. Nesse movimento, o objetivo geral é investigar a base de conhecimento no setor de bioetanol de cana-de-açúcar e, especificamente o caso brasileiro. Esta pesquisa estuda nove áreas tecnológicas: hidrólise enzimática, marcadores moleculares, deslignificação, genótipos, conversão enzimática, expressão genética, nitrogênio, genômica da fotossíntese e controle de pragas e doenças. Essas áreas são investigadas a partir dos atributos da teoria da inovação de Malerba e Orsenigo (1995), Breschi, Malerba e Orsenigo (2000), e Dosi (1982; 1988). Segundo os autores, a base de conhecimento está relacionada ao regime tecnológico que define os padrões inovativos segundo as condições de oportunidade, apropriabilidade, cumulatividade e as propriedades ligadas à natureza e transmissão do conhecimento. A metodologia é de análise de redes de colaboração (Collaborative Networks - CNs) e do método scientometrics. Foi utilizada a base de dados de artigos da ISI Web of Science para investigar a rede de colaboração e a cumulatividade do conhecimento. Para investigar a apropriabilidade são utilizadas patentes das bases de dados da USPTO e INPI. A base da Derwent Innovation é utilizada para estudar a rede de tecnologia das patentes (IPCs). No caso brasileiro, os resultados sugerem uma desarticulação na base de conhecimento, uma vez que o país é líder no ranking de artigos, mas não tem o mesmo efeito para patentes. O mesmo não se verifica com os principais agentes em colaboração com o Brasil, como os Estados Unidos e a Índia. Discute que os ativos intangíveis ligados ao conhecimento, como redes de colaboração internacional, são viés de proxi da inovação radical que está em curso. Conclui que fortes ligações estratégicas que caracterizam a cumulatividade da ciência e os vínculos de colaboração entre os países revelam os mecanismos de oportunidade e natureza da inovação Abstract: This thesis has two theoretical blocks. The first presents the theory of innovation, which allows us to understand technological innovation and dynamic innovation in terms of the possibilities of the theory, which include the role of technology transfer, intellectual property and international collaboration networks. In the next block, the technological paradigm of biofuels is understood via a previous understanding of the theory. The theory contributes to understanding the development of these technologies on the international scenario, among the countries that try to reach this technological frontier. Regarding this movement, the general objective is to investigate the knowledge base in the sugarcane bioethanol sector, with a specific focus on the Brazilian case. This research studies nine areas of technology: enzymatic hydrolysis, molecular markers, delignification, genotypes, enzymatic conversion, gene expression, nitrogen, genomics of photosynthesis and control of pests and diseases. These areas are investigated based on the attributes of innovation theory by Malerba and Orsenigo (1995), Breschi, Malerba and Orsenigo (2000) and Dosi (1982; 1988). According to the authors, the knowledge base is related to the technological regime that sets innovative standards according to opportunity, appropriability, cumulativeness and properties related to the nature and transmission of knowledge. The methodology used is an analysis of collaborative networks (Collaborative Networks - NCs) and the Scientometrics method. Articles from the ISI Web of Science database are used to investigate the collaborative network and the accumulation of knowledge. Patent databases of the USPTO and INPI are utilized to investigate the appropriateness. The Derwent Innovation base is used to study the network technology of the patents (IPCs). In Brazil, the results suggest a mismatch in the knowledge base, since the country is leading in the ranking of articles and has few patents. This is not the case for the United States and India, on the basis of articulated knowledge. The study argues that the intangible assets related to knowledge, such as international collaboration networks, are proximal bias of ongoing radical innovation. It concludes that strong strategic links that characterize the accumulation of science and collaboration links between countries reveal the opportunity mechanisms and nature of innovation Mestrado Desenvolvimento Economico, Espaço e Meio Ambiente Mestra em Desenvolvimento Econômico CAPES CNPQ

The effects of companies on society and the practices of Corporate Social Responsibility have been the source of interest for many research studies. Questions concerning the traditional model resulted in Porter and Kramer developing the concept of Creating Shared Value, an approach where companies consider the value of society and the environment in their business models, creating value for all stakeholders. We take the issue of shared value creation in an entrepreneurial ecosystem to determine how clustered companies understand and create shared value, identifying its antecedents and consequences. Using a single case study, we were able to identify that the entrepreneurial ecosystem becomes a favourable scenario for creating shared value, because participants benefit from resources and skills that allow them to grow their businesses, boost competitiveness and innovation and contribute to the economic, social, and environmental growth of their stakeholders.

Network airlines have been increasingly focusing their operations on hub airports through the exploitation of connecting traffic, allowing them to take advantage of economies of traffic density, which are unequivocal in the airline industry. Less attention has been devoted to airlines? decisions on point-to-point thin routes, which could be served using different aircraft technologies and different business models. This paper examines, both theoretically and empirically, the impact on airlines ?networks of the two major innovations in the airline industry in the last two decades: the regional jet technology and the low-cost business model. We show that, under certain circumstances, direct services on point-to-point thin routes can be viable and thus airlines may be interested in deviating passengers out of the hub.

This paper examines the impact that social media has on the development of entrepreneurial firms' new, and maintenance of existing, B2B relationships and networks through resource mobilisation. Using the craft brewing and artisan food sectors, the empirical research entailed content analysis of the entrepreneurs' social media platforms complemented by in-depth interviews. Findings demonstrate that Facebook and Twitter impact the entrepreneurial firms' dyadic and network actor engagement, information search and share, collaboration, and operational processes co-ordination and reconfiguration processes. Our research suggests that the impact of social media extends that of a virtual communication platform to a resource layer in the creation and maintenance of activity structures in business-to-business relationships and networks.

This paper aims at providing some conceptual references to academics and practi-tioners useful for guiding the strategic planning process in alliance formation. Research on strategic networking is a multidisciplinary field drawing from different theoretical perspectives. It emphasizes the strategic value of alliances in its various forms but rarely attempts to model the strategic planning process and to test its validity empirically. Most of the contributions are focused on specific aspects of strategy, rarely providing a holistic view able to address the strategic process and contents by explicitly recognizing the existence of different kinds of alliances. Drawing from three different but interconnected theoretical roots (strategic net-work, strategic analysis, and value chain management) and adopting a deductive approach, this conceptual paper proposes a comprehensive framework for strategic planning in alliance formation and four theoretical propositions. These propositions shed light on the relationships between strategic planning process and three different kinds of business collaboration, and focus on the implications of the integrating process for network value creation. The different goals and complexity of such typologies, although not mutually exclusive, specifically influence the strategic analysis contents, the process of negotiation, and the construction of strategic consensus between partners.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to compare the development dynamics of two business networks initially created to promote the internationalization of its members. Wines of Brasil – a Brazilian wineries network – was established in 2002 and remains active, while Vitrocristal (VtC) – a Portuguese network of glass producers – was established in 1994 and is already closed.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 14 interviews, with network managers and representatives of companies with different sizes and participation times. Information obtained was compared with the life cycle model of Wegner et al. (2015) and enabled the authors to understand the dynamic development of each network and its current stage in the life cycle.FindingsThe results allowed the authors to describe the development pattern of both business networks, showing that the Brazilian network is in the consolidation stage while the Portuguese one finished its activities in 2007 after a period of financial constraints due to the end of governmental support.Practical implicationsThe comparison of the two cases shows that the experience of the Portuguese business network may be useful for networks in emerging markets, as it displays several difficulties that the management of such networks may face during their life cycle.Originality/valueThis study provides a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the dynamics of change in business networks. The cases confirm the life cycle stages proposed by Wegner et al. (2015) and shed more light on the development process of business networks, by describing how exogenous variables such as public support may affect cooperation.

Although social network analysis (SNA) offers an increasingly insightful perspective on the relational and structural properties of organizational activity, discourse on how to manage and coordinate its application is relatively scarce. Aimed largely at an applied network analyst, this paper presents a greater understanding of how SNA has been previously discussed in management studies, what the main points are and where these issues can be addressed prior to and during the research process to ensure network data are efficiently managed, analyzed and interpreted. Engaging with several practical concerns associated with SNA – including network boundary specification, data reliability, context of inquiry and network visualizations – a viable framework is developed that is accessible to managers, consultants or researchers in facilitating the structuring, collection, handling and analysis of network data. The discussion illustrates the relevance of this perspective for both a practitioner and a theoretical audience.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the issue of “formalization” in business networks as an instrument of industrial policy. Formalization in business networks is not a debated topic but it can affect organizational and inter-organizational dynamics considerably. The aim of the paper is to understand if the introduction of a normative tool that enhances formalized networks can be effective to promote network aggregations among SMEs. Second, the aim is to understand if this formalization supports good-working networks, i.e., capable to introduce new products or to enter new markets/customers. Design/methodology/approach The paper refers to a review of the literature and mainly to an empirical research on formalized network contracts (NCs) that have been conducted in the latest two years. This research has used both secondary data, collected accessing to databases and reports given by institutions and the government, and primary data, collected in specific direct interviews. These interviews have been concerned both institutions such as Chamber of Commerce, Confindustria and the Ministry of Economic Development and the Small Business Association, and 15 cases of NCs in Italy. Findings The formalization has consequences both internally and externally to the NC. Internally it can act as an element to reduce ambiguity and building elements of “fragile trust,” in the absence of basic elements of “resilient trust” and in the presence of changes in the competitive environment. Externally, the formalization through the NC allows the policy maker to identify more clearly companies’ aggregations in order to let them being destination of specific industrial policies. However even if the formalization has in some cases enhanced new networks’ creation, in many cases formalization has generated positive results when companies had already experienced networking outside the frame of the NC. Research limitations/implications Further research on formalization in networks should be developed following the “history” of formalized networks over time in order to understand how much formalization should be used as a long-term tool for industrial policy. Practical implications The paper can be useful both for companies that want to sign a NC and for the institutions developing industrial policies devoted to support companies’ aggregations in the form of NC. Originality/value The paper presents a new legal tool – the “NC” – introduced in 2009 by the Italian Government to enhance firms’ aggregation; second, the paper debates the topic of formalization in networks that is not much debated in literature; and finally, the paper also adopts an industrial economic approach and is among the few attempts to integrate industrial policies and industrial marketing and purchasing thinking.

Refereed/Peer-reviewed This study uses a financial lens to investigate and discuss how symbiotic relationships can enhance business performance, particularly in terms of risk and return for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). A mixed-method approach, using both Partial Least Square Structure Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and thematic analysis, is employed to analyse the information from 200 MSMEs. The findings indicate that symbiotic relationships among businesses help MSMEs to reduce risks and increase returns. The study provides a model that is potentially applicable to other settings and pertinent for policymakers, trade associations and MSMEs.

Interactive processes constitute a core notion in business exchange, leading to the concepts of relationships and networks. The constitution of process, comprising unfolding events, activities, and connected structures, relies on difference in space and time. While research has been devoted to time, the concept of space has thus far remained largely unexplored within business network research. This conceptual paper focuses on spatial dimensions for conducting research according to the IMP business network approach. Business actors create connected relationships and networks that exist and change as continuous emerging spatial structures and as mental maps in the managerial mindset. These relational network processes and structures are located, distributed and experienced in and across space. Drawing on economic geography and conceptual frameworks from the business network approach, we propose new dimensions and conceptualizations of space for the study of these networks. The paper delivers proposals to extend our current understanding of business networks as emerging and changing spatio-temporal entities with implications for theory development, research and practice.

Social networks are a key contributor to the economic and social fabric of life. There is evidence that the social cohesion that social networks provide is critical for societies to prosper economically and for development to be sustainable. These social networks and the functions they perform co-exist with, influence and are influenced by the business networks of connected firms and other economic organisations that surround them. This is increasingly so in our ever-more-complex, internationalized and connected world. This paper explores the potential consequences of this influence via a case study that considers the changes to a community's social network and the associated norms emerging from the growing influence of a microfinance providers' network. A case study reports the impact of microfinance on a particular Bangladesh rural community. We show there is a breakdown in traditional social networks in this and other poor rural villages brought about by the taking of micro loans when the families have no means of paying them back. This increased indebtedness to NGOs is perpetuating their poverty and diminishing the community's quality of life including their traditions of bounded solidarity, where families support each other as best they can through common adversities. The case concludes by considering the mechanisms underpinning these processes. This includes competitive structure, i.e. the highly saturated and interconnected structure of the micro finance industry, the dominance of this business network in the economic structure of rural Bangladesh and changing norms, in particular the changes to traditional forms of financial exchange and associated support and risk management. We conclude that public policy and a different business model that is more accountable and altruistic are needed to guide this and other networks whose goals are economic development of the poor. © 2016 Elsevier Inc.

Bioeconomy development will create new opportunities for firms operating in the international wood products markets, and identifying and exploiting these opportunities is emphasized as a key concept to achieving business success. Our study will attempt to address a gap in the literature on sawmill industry business development from the viewpoint of international opportunity recognition. The aim of our study is to provide a holistic description on how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the wood products industry recognize and exploit international business opportunities, and how they utilize network perspectives in this context. The subject was examined through Finnish wood product industry SMEs by interviewing 11 managers and industry representatives. The results suggest that SMEs recognize international opportunities reactively per se. Social networks formed in professional forums were an important information channel for identifying international opportunities. Through vertical business networks, such as sales agents, firms have been able to increase their international market presence and free their own resources for other important activities. Horizontal dyadic business networks were seen to facilitate new international opportunities through cooperation, while excessive reliance on vertical networks raised concerns and seemed not to be effective in international opportunity recognition. Institutional networks formed a systematic way of recognizing international opportunities, but more so at the initial market entry stage. Biocconomy development will create new opportunities for firms operating in the international wood products markets, and identifying and exploiting these opportunities is emphasized as a key concept to achieving business success. Our study will attempt to address a gap in the literature on sawmill industry business development from the viewpoint of international opportunity recognition. The aim of our study is to provide a holistic description on how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the wood products industry recognize and exploit international business opportunities, and how they utilize network perspectives in this context. The subject was examined through Finnish wood product industry SMEs by interviewing 11 managers and industry representatives. The results suggest that SMEs recognize international opportunities reactively per se. Social networks formed in professional forums were an important information channel for identifying international opportunities. Through vertical business networks, such as sales agents, firms have been able to increase their international market presence and free their own resources for other important activities. Horizontal dyadic business networks were seen to facilitate new international opportunities through cooperation, while excessive reliance on vertical networks raised concerns and seemed not to be effective in international opportunity recognition. Institutional networks formed a systematic way of recognizing international opportunities, but more so at the initial market entry stage.

Business markets are characterized by interdependences between business actors. How these actors make sense of such interdependencies is a matter of both theoretical and practical importance. Research on cognitive foundations for competition in business markets, based on organization and strategic management, has evolved considerably since the 1980s. Also, researchers on business markets that are based on marketing and adopt a network perspective, have become increasingly interested in cognition and sense-making over the last two decades. The concepts network pictures and network understanding have been in focus for this research, which has resulted in a demand for improved clarity of the interplay between cognition, action and outcome, as well as for a stronger integration between parallel research developments from related disciplines and research approaches. A better understanding of how individual and collective views are developed is also required. This Special Issue, originated in the network perspective of business markets, is aimed to address these issues.

Purpose– This paper aims to investigate how the relationships among the different actors within the business networks affect the evolution of innovation along the different steps of technology life cycle.Design/methodology/approach– The study is supported by a longitudinal case study referred to a mechanical company operating in the knitting machineries industry. A triangulation method integrating multiple data sources in a multiple method design was used to gather data.Findings– The longitudinal study supports the idea that interactions among the actors within the business networks heavily influence the technology evolution.Research limitations/implications– Although the longitudinal case study reported in this paper refers to a period of time of about 10 years, our findings refer only to a single case study in a specific sector and so they cannot be generalized.Practical implications– This paper provides important guidelines on how to manage the relationships emerging within a business network to influence the new technologies development.Originality/value– The paper contributes to business networks literature, filling the gaps about how the relationships among the actors involved in a network can evolve over time and influence the evolution of technology in itself.

Decisions about expanding an existing product portfolio and capturing new markets are of critical importance to a firm's financial performance and growth. Yet, important questions remain in regard to the extent to which product and brand extensions contribute to a firm's profit in B2B and B2C markets, respectively, and how firms with corporate brands in these markets should pursue an extension strategy that provides maximum impact on firm profit. The authors theorize and empirically address these questions based on a study of firms listed in the U.S. Fortune 500 published ranking. Findings of this research have important prescriptive implications for the management of B2B and B2C firms' growth-based extension strategy and contribute to B2B theory.

This chapter addresses the topic of ‘localisation policies’ (measures and incentives for attracting and developing companies) in relation to the actual subjects of such policies, their aims and targets. The existence of business relationships and networks, and the ubiquity of interaction processes make contemporary policy measures problematic in all these three aspects. Conceiving the business landscape as interactive and heterogeneous business networks leads the authors to argue that policy measures become ineffective when these neglect the networked nature of the business landscape. It is argued that localisation policies consist of multiple initiatives and involve ‘a network of policy actors’, rather than only one institution. Acknowledging the plurality of policy actors and means leads to focus on the need to orchestrate multifaceted localisation policies. Incentives, regulatory frameworks and public investments are some of the elements of the toolbox of localisation policy. The authors also argue that the business network perspective translates into the need to tailor policy measures differentiated for specific companies.

We explore how the outward FDI strategies of Chinese auto component multinational corporations (MNCs) are shaped by sub-contracting supply relationships established with developed market MNCs. We argue the strong presence of foreign MNC business networks developed through prior inward FDI constitutes an important home country effect influencing the outward FDI strategies of emerging market MNCs. Using the updated internationalization process model, we show how commitment to business networks is a critical mechanism driving the internationalization trajectories of Chinese auto component MNCs. This includes geographic location choices to psychically distant developed markets, strategic asset seeking orientation, pace of internationalization, and entry mode decisions.

The objective of this work is to perform a temporal comparative analysis in a network of companies in the furniture sector, in Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, presenting drivers through circular economy modeling. The study was performed applying the model proposed by Saraceni et al. (2017) in a network of Furniture companies in Concórdia, Brazil. The model diagnoses the presence of industrial symbiosis practices in five domains variables involving Technical, Economic, Political, Information and Organizational Factors, influencing three spheres: by-product exchange, service sharing, and managerial cooperation. The study addressed the positive relationship aspects of the circular economy as guidelines for improving the industrial symbiosis of the network. The results of data collection in 2019 were compared with the results of the application made in 2014. The comparison revealed a significant advance from 2014 to 2019 towards Industrial Symbiosis, highlighting that corrective actions and circular economy strategies may lead this business network to be the first Industrial Symbiosis case in Brazil in the next few years, meanwhile fostering the ecological network’s process to the country. View Full-TextKeywords: industrial symbiosis; ecological networks; business networks; circular economy; industrial ecology; cooperation in management

Few studies have looked at the innovation process in the early stages of new business ventures in the context of business networks. Reporting on eight years of development of a new venture, we examine how the development of initial business relationships in an ever-changing business network affects technological innovation. We conclude that technological innovation is contingent on the development of business relationships that are a critical mechanism permitting a new venture not only to access but also to produce knowledge essential for innovating. For management this implies the need to strike a judicious balance between internal focus and closure to produce novel solutions and external focus and openness to experiment in business relationships.

The idea that the economic growth of an area strongly depends on the development of innovative, high-technology businesses is more and more dominant in literature. Nevertheless, these businesses, given their special nature, i.e. their high level of innovation, face, since the early years, some difficulties, especially related to funding research. In other words, the element of «uncertainty» characterizing the investments made by high-tech businesses, both in terms of profitability and payback, makes the raising of capital to finance the development of business ideas particularly difficult. Historically, venture capital, made available by institutional investors, has been one of the most suitable financial instruments for start-ups with innovative projects. The only use of venture capital, however, is insufficient to create the conditions to support the birth and development of new high-tech activities, mainly due to a strong risk aversion by investors, information asymmetries about the project between entrepreneurs and financiers, without guarantees and rather high business monitoring costs, as well. For this reason, it is thought that institutional investors in venture capital can play a stronger role when placed within a network that involves different actors, such as universities, research centres, local authorities, finance experts, with the com mon aim of supporting, each with their own skills, small businesses with high innovative potential. It is what we are going to demonstrate by means of a model, known in literature as «old-boy network».

Entre as diversas tendências que impactam atualmente o mundo dos negócios duas se destacam: a alta taxa de inovação e o fato de a sociedade se organizar cada vez mais em redes. Em complementação, alguns autores ressaltam que, em uma sociedade como essa os aspectos relacionados à marca tendem a ser mais relevantes para a diferenciação competitiva da oferta das empresas do que aqueles ligados à qualidade do produto. Nesse contexto, o objetivo deste artigo é analisar como aspectos de inovação e de redes afetam a imagem de duas marcas globais de uma mesma empresa no Brasil. Trata-se de uma das primeiras investigações empíricas das contribuições de um ensaio teórico e por isso o trabalho envolveu a realização de uma pesquisa exploratório-descritiva que empregou a estratégia de pesquisa estudo de casos. Foram analisadas as marcas Harley-Davidson e Buell, de motocicletas fabricadas pela empresa Harley-Davidson Motor Company em função de elas atenderem aos requisitos implícitos no objetivo. As análises realizadas permitiram verificar uma grande convergência e aderência de resultados entre a parte conceitual, as informações secundárias e as informações primárias coletadas, reforçando as conclusões e permitindo a formulação de sugestões para pesquisas futuras.

This paper analyses the role played by business networks in the evolution of foreign direct investment in Spain. For this purpose it is studied the case of one of the most important US investments in the country during the 20th century, Telefónica, whose foundation in 1924 responded to the joint action of the International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) and some Spanish business groups, particularly the banks Urquijo and Hispano Americano. The research shows how the network developed by the US multinational and its Spanish partners, which included contacts even within the American and the Spanish governments, facilitated the entry and survival of the foreign company, as well as the continuity of the American management after the nationalization of Telefónica in 1945. Este trabajo analiza el papel de las redes empresariales en la evolución de la inversión directa extranjera en España. Para ello se estudia en profundidad el caso de una de las inversiones estadounidenses más relevantes en las primeras décadas del siglo XX, Telefónica, empresa cuya creación fue fruto de la acción conjunta de la multinacional International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) y de algunos grupos financieros españoles, especialmente los bancos Urquijo e Hispano Americano. La investigación muestra cómo la red tejida por la empresa americana y sus socios, cuyos tentáculos llegaron hasta las administraciones de ambos países, facilitó su entrada y devenir en España, así como la continuidad de su gestión en la empresa telefónica hasta fechas posteriores a la nacionalización.

The aim of this article is to analyse the potential role that social capital played in the industrialization of the Basque Country. The province of Gipuzkoa, together with the neighbouring Bizkaia (Biscay), was one of the most dynamic provinces in Spain in terms of the creation of companies. Using information obtained from the registration of new companies in the Mercantile Register, and through social network analysis, we try to measure the importance that social capital may have had in this process. The methodology is tested with the case study of the arms industry in Eibar, one of the most important sectors in the region.

O que pretendemos com a nossa proposta de trabalho é abordar o posicionamento dos portos em redes de articulação global através da análise da ação de uma companhia de negócios, que operou na segunda metade do século XVI. Sediada em Medina del Campo, e em articulação com uma outra sede familiar em Nantes, a Companhia de Simón Ruiz desenvolveu uma intensa atividade mercantil e financeira que abrangeu os três grandes espaços económicos da Época Moderna : o Mediterrânico, o Atlântico e o Índico. A visualização dos lugares nos quais a Companhia exerceu a sua ação constitui um “espaço-movimento”, sobre o qual foram aferidas hierarquias, funções e relações. Uma das relações de maior complementaridade inter-nodal no espaço europeu foi a estabelecida entre os espaços financeiros e os espaços mercantis, na qual os portos se constituíram como epicentros destas dinâmicas económicas. A pluralidade e abrangência das atividades da Companhia, quer em termos de negócios (trato de mercadorias, créditos, especulação), quer em termos geográficos (desde as grandes praças europeias aos espaços coloniais, conectados através de uma rede de portos), permitiu-nos ter uma visão global da interconetividade entre os vários espaços económicos, e da função dos portos enquanto principal suporte destas dinâmicas inter-nodais. The following paper aims the understanding of seaports’ position within global networks, through the observation of a mercantile company business in the second half of the 16th century. Settled in Medina del Campo, and with a family branch in Nantes, Simón Ruiz’s company developed an outstanding trade and finance activity within the three main economic spaces in the Early Modern Age : the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the Indic.The analysis and visualization of the places where the company developed its business composes a “space-movement”, on which we assessed hierarchies, functions and relations. One of the most relevant relations, that presented most internodal complementarity within Europe, was the one linking the financial spaces and the mercantile spaces, in which seaports performed as the epicenter.The variety and extent of the company activities’, whether concerning a business (trade, credit, speculation) or geographic scope (including the main European centers and the colonial areas connected through a seaport network), enhanced a global insight about the economical spaces connection, and how seaports performed as the sustaining base of these network dynamics.

Cette recherche examine la relation entre le fonctionnement d’un réseau et sa performance à partir des cas de deux réseaux d’entreprises brésiliens : les réseaux de Campina Grande et de João Pessoa. L’analyse des résultats montre que contrairement au réseau de João Pessoa où les membres sont motivés par des objectifs individuels de court terme, le fonctionnement du réseau de Campina Grande peut être expliqué par quatre variables qui ont une influence sur sa performance : le rôle des institutions, les attentes des membres et une vision collective à long terme, la sélection de partenaires basée sur un ensemble de critères, et le transfert de connaissances à plusieurs niveaux., This research analyzes the performance of two Brazilian business networks, Campina Grande and João Pessoa. The results reveal significant differences according to the operation mode in these networks. The network of Campina Grande has a dynamic operation that brings positive results to the group in contrast to that of João Pessoa. Its functioning can be explained by four variables that affected their performance : the role of institutions, the expectation of members and their collective and long term vision, the selection of partners based on a set of criteria, and the transfer of knowledge at several levels of the network. The network of João Pessoa remained an emerging and informal network. The members are rather motivated by individual and short-term goals., Esta investigación examina la relación entre el funcionamiento de una red y su rendimiento a partir del análisis de dos redes de empresas brasileñas : la red de Campina Grande y la de João Pessoa. El análisis de los resultado muestra que a diferencia de la red de João Pessoa, donde los miembros son motivados por metas individuales a corto plazo, el funcionamiento de la red de Campina Grande puede explicarse en cuatro variables que influyen en su rendimiento : el papel de las instituciones, las expectativas de los miembros y su visión colectiva a largo plazo, la selección de los socios basada en un conjunto de criterios y la transferencia de conocimientos en diversos niveles.