Contribution of innovation networks to the development of organizations: an interpretation in terms of socio-technical capital

Abstract

This paper investigates the role played by innovation networks in the development of its
members. The social capital perspective is used to describe the resources embedded inside
a network of innovators. Our research field is QualiREG which is an innovation network
whose actors live in different territories of Indian Ocean. We conducted a quantitative
study with QualiREG’s managers. We collected 97 answers with an online survey administered
to QualiREG’s shareholders. The collected data were analyzed with Partial Least
Squares approach. Results showed two dimensions of Social Capital, reputation and innovation
support, as influencing the network contribution to the development of its members.
Information and Communication Technologies improve both the exposure of actors and
the innovation activities in the network. From a managerial point of view, Information
Systems (IS) appears as a valuable management tool of innovation networks. From a theoretical
point of view, we present Sociotechnical Capital as the entanglement between social
capital and IS. Also, we deepen in the concept of relational learning to describe how the
members develop relational resources in an innovation network.