INSTITUTIONAL WORK AND KNOWLEDGE IN NETWORK INTERORGANIZATIONAL: A PROPOSAL TO INVESTIGATE LPAs

This article aims to provide an outline analysis of local productive arrangements (LPAs) by way of institutional and networks perspectives to evaluate the institutionalization of the LPA model in clusters of firms. Along the theoretical basis of the work, we propose a set of 13 hypotheses that explore new relationships between the constructs used in the analysis. The arguments are based on institutionalist assumptions and introduce the logic of change from the work of institutional actors immersed in an interorganizational network exchanging knowledge through social relation. The scheme of analysis, defined as micro procedure of institutionalization, is built upon acceptance, deployment, diffusion and internalization of standards, knowledge and social actions; taking into account the influence of institutional and relational contexts in the organizational field level. The methodology for empirical treatment of model proposes to initiate research using a qualitative basis through thematic content analysis of the sources of research at the field level; and the intersection of these data on the actors immersed level using quantitative tools. Thus, research is characterized as comparative multiple case study whose individual cases are studied and compared to show similar or contrasting characteristics and achieve a better understanding of the phenomenon. Using the theoretical model can explain how the institutionalization happens in a logical bottom-up rather than a deterministic view based only on the institutional context. The analysis schema proves to be consistent, unique and suitable for evaluating the institutionalization in LPAs, and to empirically test the hypothesis presented. This more focused approach in the agency, taking into account the influence of the institutional context and the character of its evolutionary logic is consistent with comprehensive sociology of Weber, and shows consistency with the epistemological assumptions of social constructivism, resulting in the required use of various methods of research. In conclusion, besides the their contributions, the paper presents a research agenda on institutionalization in clusters and other objects of research, and proposes an empirical test of the model and other institutionalist theories.

Institutional work; Widespread knowledge; Interorganizational networks; Local productive arrangements; Institutionalization