Shared Resources in Industrial Districts: Information, Know-How and Institutions in the Spanish Tile Industry

The aim of this article is to measure the effect of shared resources on individual firm performance. Using the Industrial District as a definition of the interorganizational context, the authors propose a model that includes a set of factors that are associated with the endowment of external resources, that is, collective information and know-how, and involvement in local institutions. To illustrate the theoretical argumentation, they develop an empirical study using a one hundred—firm sample from the Spanish ceramic tile industry to search for a statistical association between resource variables and performance of the firms. Finally, findings of the article suggest that to increase performance, firms must develop a distinct capacity so as to be able to shape and exploit shared or collective resources.