Title: Global pipelines and absorptive capacity: insights from the clustered firms at São Francisco River Valley

Authors: Vinicius Farias Moreira; Jose Luis Hervas-Oliver; Adriana F. Chim-Miki; Walter F. Araújo De Moraes

Addresses: Federal University of Campina Grande, Aprígio Veloso, Street, 882 – Campina Grande-PB, Brazil ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4473-8766 ' Universitat Politècnica de València, Campus vera s/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain; Universidad de la Costa, Cl. 58 ##55 - 66, Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6438-5497 ' Federal University of Campina Grande, Aprígio Veloso, Street, 882 – Campina Grande-PB, Brazil ORCID : http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7685-2718 ' Federal University of Pernambuco, Dezessete de Agosto Avenue, 892 – Recife, PE, Brazil ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4582-0910

Abstract: This study verified if the knowledge provides by global pipelines is absorbed by clustered firms contributes to minimising both local and clusters asymmetries. We studied one of the most important agricultural barns of Brazil, the fruit-growing cluster São Francisco River Valley (SFRV). It was a Case Study using the technique of Content Analysis through the ATLAS.ti software. A threefold data collection process enhanced the construct validity, allowing the triangulation of the sources and findings. The results showed that Global pipelines minimised the knowledge asymmetries among regions (macro level), but increase the asymmetries inside the cluster, among the firms (micro level). There are two mediating variables to increase the cluster innovation, the firm absorptive capacity and the information access. In the empirical level, the results showed that manager consultants are an essential figure in the SFRV, they are innovation hunters from global markets and provided the knowledge transfer to clustered firms.

Keywords: fruit-growing cluster; global pipelines; absorptive capacity; asymmetries; knowledge transfer; innovation hunters; ATLAS.ti software.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKBD.2019.105123

International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development, 2019 Vol.10 No.4, pp.297 - 314

Received: 29 Jul 2019
Accepted: 30 Oct 2019
Published online: 13 Feb 2020 *

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