Some small supermarkets have sought to address the increased market power of large groups of the sector through cooperative actions that develop in networks called central business. This work presents and analyzes one of these central business districts in the state of S. Paulo that operates through networks of relationships. Another important contribution is to show the dynamics embedded in this central business district after a merger with a broader network, in a larger municipality. According to the theoretical perspectives represented by the new institutionalism and network approach, especially relational governance, the central business district of small supermarkets can be defined as horizontal cooperative governance actors, where the efficiencies of the goals are linked to formal and informal mechanisms of coordination and strength of relational cohesion that emerged among its members. According to a qualitative research approach and in order to gauge respondents’ perceptions regarding the effectiveness of the network studied, the effectiveness of their formal and informal mechanisms of coordination and intensity of relations for cohesion, the work is based on semi-structured interviews with members of the network using a script composed of items related to perceived effectiveness, aspects of coordination and relational cohesion. There is a high perception of effectiveness among the members of the network studied, and it has increased considerably from the integration with the larger network. There is also an important interaction between formal and informal mechanisms of coordination and maintenance of a cohesive relationship among members.
Central Business District; Networks; Coordination; Cohesion; Effectiveness
