The Geography of Knowledge Sourcing, Personal Networks, and Innovation Effects: Evidence from the Biomedical Firms in Guangzhou, China
| Autor: | Fiona Fan Yang, Desheng Xue, Jili Xu |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
Geography
Planning and Development lcsh:TJ807-830 0211 other engineering and technologies 0507 social and economic geography lcsh:Renewable energy sources Context (language use) 02 engineering and technology Management Monitoring Policy and Law Politics Economic geography Personal knowledge base Guangzhou China Socioeconomic status lcsh:Environmental sciences lcsh:GE1-350 Labor mobility Renewable Energy Sustainability and the Environment lcsh:Environmental effects of industries and plants 05 social sciences 021107 urban & regional planning innovation lcsh:TD194-195 social capital knowledge sourcing 050703 geography Guanxi Social capital personal networks biotechnology |
| Zdroj: | Sustainability, Vol 11, Iss 12, p 3412 (2019) Sustainability Volume 11 Issue 12 |
| ISSN: | 2071-1050 |
| Popis: | Personal networks, in contrast to organizational relations, have recently increased their significance to firms by allowing them to acquire external knowledge and strengthen their innovation capacity. Hot debates on the geography and innovation effects of personal networks persist, but these discussions are mainly derived from research works on western economies. Since personal interactions are context-sensitive, this paper examines the geography and the innovation effects of personal networks on biomedical firms in Guangzhou, which has a unique political and socioeconomic context owing to the transitional nature of China. This case study indicates that the geographic nature of personal knowledge networks is largely locally-based, and the primary driver of such networks is experience-based practices, such as repeated face-to-face contacts, labor mobility, and shared life experience. Personal knowledge networks contribute to both problem-solving and radical innovation for firms as a result of the guanxi-based relations in China that transform personal networks into channels for mobilizing innovation-related resources. Moreover, by dividing personal networks into bonding, bridging, and linking networks, this paper also de-homogenizes personal networks and delineates specific and differentiated innovation effects of manifold social relationships. Based on the research findings, policy implications aiming at laying the social ground of innovation are addressed. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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