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THE DYNAMIC INTERACTION BETWEEN CORPORATE AND REGIONAL CULTURES: THE CASE OF SOUTHEAST NETHERLANDS
Author(s) -
VAN REINE PETER PRUD'HOMME,
DANKBAAR BEN
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.766
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1467-9663
pISSN - 0040-747X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9663.2011.00657.x
Subject(s) - openness to experience , dilemma , balance (ability) , organizational culture , business , sociology , economic geography , economic system , public relations , political science , economics , epistemology , social psychology , psychology , philosophy , neuroscience
Culture is widely recognised as an important factor explaining innovative performance both at the level of individual organisations and at the level of regions. Such explanations run the danger of ending up with a rather static definition of culture. This paper presents a dilemma approach of innovation culture that acknowledges the complexity, dynamics and tensions between contradictory elements of culture. Six dilemmas of innovation culture are distinguished. Interaction between the ways in which regions and companies deal with these dilemmas will influence innovative performance at both levels. The approach is applied in an analysis of the region Southeast Netherlands. The findings emphasise the need to establish a dynamic balance in the different dilemmas of culture. Intermediary organisations can play an important role in bringing companies and regions together in this balancing act. Openness to outside influences (disturbing whatever balance has been reached), appears crucial to maintain innovative performance over time.