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Bridging ties: a source of firm heterogeneity in competitive capabilities
Author(s) -
McEvily Bill,
Zaheer Akbar
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
strategic management journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 11.035
H-Index - 286
eISSN - 1097-0266
pISSN - 0143-2095
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0266(199912)20:12<1133::aid-smj74>3.0.co;2-7
Subject(s) - embeddedness , bridging (networking) , industrial organization , business , competitive advantage , sample (material) , interpersonal ties , economic geography , strong ties , marketing , economics , computer science , sociology , computer network , social science , chemistry , chromatography , anthropology
What explains differences in firms’ abilities to acquire competitive capabilities? In this paper we propose that a firm’s embeddedness in a network of ties is an important source of variation in the acquisition of competitive capabilities. We argue that firms in geographical clusters that maintain networks rich in bridging ties and sustain ties to regional institutions are well‐positioned to access new information, ideas, and opportunities. Hypotheses based on these ideas were tested on a stratified random sample of 227 job shop manufacturers located in the Midwest United States. Data were gathered using a mailed questionnaire. Results from structural equation modeling broadly support the embeddedness hypotheses and suggest a number of insights about the link between firms’ networks and the acquisition of competitive capabilities. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.