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The Author(s) 2017
J. GlĂĽckler et al. (eds.), Knowledge and Networks, Knowledge and Space 11,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-45023-0_13
Chapter 13
Connectivity in Contiguity: Conventions
and Taboos of Imitation in Colocated
Networks
Johannes GlĂĽckler and Ingmar Hammer
People and organizations learn from others. Cultures, traditions, opinions, behav-
iors, and technologies spread through imitation. Tarde (1903) was among the first to
appreciate imitation as a key learning mechanism for inventions in social life to be
diffused among society (Kinnunen, 1996; Rogers, 1995). Imitation, however, is not
confined to the mere replication of existing knowledge. The process of imitation
always implies potential deviation into invention (Barry & Thrift, 2007; Djellal &
Gallouj, 2014) because the absorption of new knowledge requires learning and,
hence, conscious recombination of knowledge, an activity that may lead to new
ideas and new knowledge. Imitation is thus a crucial learning mechanism and a
valuable source of innovation.
If imitation is such an economic advantage, then what are the conditions that
favor learning by imitation? Essentially, two powerful perspectives—social net-
works and geography—have been proposed and used to unpack mechanisms of
learning. Social networks focus on the quality of social relations and the effect of
connectivity on knowledge outcomes. Geography focuses on the spatial dimension
of social relations and facilitates theory development on the role that physical con-
tiguity has in knowledge creation and innovation. Both these bodies of literature
have contributed greatly to the understanding of the interorganizational production
of knowledge, but few studies have integrated these viewpoints to capture the inter-
dependencies of networks and space (GlĂĽckler, 2013a).
In this chapter we combine the network and geographical perspectives to theo-
rize on the interactive effect of connectivity and spatial proximity on mechanisms of
learning. We specifically examine social tensions generated by imitation among
firms that are simultaneously in processes of colocation and organizational integra-
tion. This tension arises from the potential conduciveness of different spatial and
J. Glückler (*) • I. Hammer
Department of Geography, Heidelberg University,
Berliner StraĂźe 48, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
e-mail: glueckler@uni-heidelberg.de; hammer@uni-heidelberg.de
back to the
book Knowledge and Networks"
Knowledge and Networks
- Title
- Knowledge and Networks
- Authors
- Johannes GlĂĽckler
- Emmanuel Lazega
- Ingmar Hammer
- Publisher
- Springer Open
- Location
- Cham
- Date
- 2017
- Language
- German
- License
- CC BY 4.0
- ISBN
- 978-3-319-45023-0
- Size
- 15.5 x 24.1 cm
- Pages
- 390
- Keywords
- Human Geography, Innovation/Technology Management, Economic Geography, Knowledge, Discourse
- Category
- Technik