Structural embeddedness and innovation performance: Capitalizing on social brokerage in high-tech clusters

• Published in: Innovation (North Sydney) Vol. 14; no. 3; pp. 337 - 348
• Main Authors: Helena Chiu, Yen-Ting, Lee, Ting-Lin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Maleny Routledge 01.09.2012; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Absorptive capacity; Absorptivity; brokerage; Business networks; Clusters; Collaboration; Competitive advantage; Computer industry; Cooperation; Economics; Externalities; Focusing; Geography; High tech industries; Industrial clusters; innovation cluster; Innovations; interfirm relationships; Knowledge; Learning; Networks; R&D; Research & development; Social capital; social network analysis; Social networks; structural embeddedness; Studies; Suppliers; Supply chains
• ISSN: 1447-9338; 2204-0226
• DOI: 10.5172/impp.2012.14.3.337

Recent academic discourse on innovation clusters has emphasized the need to analyze cluster pelformance from a micro-level and meso-level perspective. Grounded in literature from economic geography, network theory, and organizational learning, this study discusses the structure of collaborative ties and its effect on the absorptive capacity and innovation perfirmance of cluster firms. Focusing on the concept of social brokerage, the findings show that bridging structural holes and connecting pairs of other actors are conducive to a firm's absorptive capacity and innovation pelformance. Overall, this study suggests that the locus of innovation lies in the structure of a firm's external collaboration network as well as internal capabilities to exploit the network externalities.