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Innovation in symbolic industries: the geography and organisation of knowledge sourcing

Martin, Roman LU and Moodysson, Jerker LU (2010) In CIRCLE Electronic Working Papers
Abstract
This paper deals with geographical and organisational patterns of knowledge flows in the media industry of southern Sweden, an industry that is characterised by a strong ‘symbolic’ knowledge base. Aim is to address the question of the local versus the non-local as the prime arena for knowledge exchange, and to examine the organisational patterns of knowledge sourcing with specific attention paid to the nature of the knowledge sourced. Symbolic industries draw heavily on creative production and a cultural awareness that is strongly embedded in the local context; thus knowledge flows and networks are expected to be most of all locally configured, and firms to rely on informal knowledge sources rather than scientific knowledge or principles.... (More)
This paper deals with geographical and organisational patterns of knowledge flows in the media industry of southern Sweden, an industry that is characterised by a strong ‘symbolic’ knowledge base. Aim is to address the question of the local versus the non-local as the prime arena for knowledge exchange, and to examine the organisational patterns of knowledge sourcing with specific attention paid to the nature of the knowledge sourced. Symbolic industries draw heavily on creative production and a cultural awareness that is strongly embedded in the local context; thus knowledge flows and networks are expected to be most of all locally configured, and firms to rely on informal knowledge sources rather than scientific knowledge or principles. Based on structured and semi-structured interviews with firm representatives, these assumptions are empirically assessed through social network analysis and descriptive statistics. Our findings show that firms rely above all on knowledge that is generated in project work through learning-by-doing and by interaction with other firms in localised networks. The analysis contributes to transcending the binary arguments on the role of geography for knowledge exchange which tend to dominate the innovation studies literature. (Less)
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publication status
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in
CIRCLE Electronic Working Papers
publisher
Lund University, CIRCLE - Center for Innovation, Research and Competences in the Learning Economy
report number
2010-07
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b3c1c615-80af-4e14-87f8-95b433f49e6e (old id 2203834)
alternative location
http://ideas.repec.org/p/hhs/lucirc/2010_007.html
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 11:03:46
date last changed
2018-11-22 14:27:02
@techreport{b3c1c615-80af-4e14-87f8-95b433f49e6e,
  abstract     = {{This paper deals with geographical and organisational patterns of knowledge flows in the media industry of southern Sweden, an industry that is characterised by a strong ‘symbolic’ knowledge base. Aim is to address the question of the local versus the non-local as the prime arena for knowledge exchange, and to examine the organisational patterns of knowledge sourcing with specific attention paid to the nature of the knowledge sourced. Symbolic industries draw heavily on creative production and a cultural awareness that is strongly embedded in the local context; thus knowledge flows and networks are expected to be most of all locally configured, and firms to rely on informal knowledge sources rather than scientific knowledge or principles. Based on structured and semi-structured interviews with firm representatives, these assumptions are empirically assessed through social network analysis and descriptive statistics. Our findings show that firms rely above all on knowledge that is generated in project work through learning-by-doing and by interaction with other firms in localised networks. The analysis contributes to transcending the binary arguments on the role of geography for knowledge exchange which tend to dominate the innovation studies literature.}},
  author       = {{Martin, Roman and Moodysson, Jerker}},
  institution  = {{Lund University, CIRCLE - Center for Innovation, Research and Competences in the Learning Economy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2010-07}},
  series       = {{CIRCLE Electronic Working Papers}},
  title        = {{Innovation in symbolic industries: the geography and organisation of knowledge sourcing}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/5685570/2204135.pdf}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}