Purpose: Our paper aims at mapping the Val d’Agri district relationships, to define the way firms relate along the district value chain, with reference to both their position, and their “contractual power”; and to understand how firms position, in the value chain, affect KT process, within the district. Considering the “Hub and Spoke” morphology, we argue that KT is deeply affected by both firms’ contractual power, and their position within the district. Explicit KT is mainly linked to the production process development; on the contrary, the tacit KT depends, above all, by the action of people working in the district. Human capital plays an important role in transferring knowledge through imitation, work mobility and social interaction. Design/methodology/approach: We propose an empirical approach, providing an analysis of the main characteristics of the rela-tional structure of Val d’Agri, for identify the main issues that can impact the development process of KT. The study consists of two parts: the first, is an analysis of the main national and international literature on KM, ID, oilfield environ-ment, from economic and managerial perspectives; the second part, is an empirical analysis developed to describe the way KT oc-curs within the vertical relationships, typical of a Hub-and-Spoke District. Findings: This typology of ID responds more to the hub and spoke theory, rather than the Marshallian district. Originality/value: Given the importance that industrial districts and KT play in firms competition, the paper give an useful frame-work to understand both the district dynamics, both as the KT can be promoted among all the firms, related along a given value chain. Practical implications: The peculiarity of an oil district, closely related to land resources. In addition, national laws and regulations that govern the oil exploitation in Italy, create positions of power within the production chain, which alter the relationship between the companies.
Knowledge transfer in vertical relationship. The case study of Val D'Agri oil district
TESTA, GIOVANNA
Investigation
2013-01-01
Abstract
Purpose: Our paper aims at mapping the Val d’Agri district relationships, to define the way firms relate along the district value chain, with reference to both their position, and their “contractual power”; and to understand how firms position, in the value chain, affect KT process, within the district. Considering the “Hub and Spoke” morphology, we argue that KT is deeply affected by both firms’ contractual power, and their position within the district. Explicit KT is mainly linked to the production process development; on the contrary, the tacit KT depends, above all, by the action of people working in the district. Human capital plays an important role in transferring knowledge through imitation, work mobility and social interaction. Design/methodology/approach: We propose an empirical approach, providing an analysis of the main characteristics of the rela-tional structure of Val d’Agri, for identify the main issues that can impact the development process of KT. The study consists of two parts: the first, is an analysis of the main national and international literature on KM, ID, oilfield environ-ment, from economic and managerial perspectives; the second part, is an empirical analysis developed to describe the way KT oc-curs within the vertical relationships, typical of a Hub-and-Spoke District. Findings: This typology of ID responds more to the hub and spoke theory, rather than the Marshallian district. Originality/value: Given the importance that industrial districts and KT play in firms competition, the paper give an useful frame-work to understand both the district dynamics, both as the KT can be promoted among all the firms, related along a given value chain. Practical implications: The peculiarity of an oil district, closely related to land resources. In addition, national laws and regulations that govern the oil exploitation in Italy, create positions of power within the production chain, which alter the relationship between the companies.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
