Unlocking the Potential of Non-geographic Proximities

With the arrival of the internet and other advanced communication technologies, codified, more formalized and routine forms of knowledge have become easily transferable and accessible. This heightens the strategic importance of ‘tacit’ forms of knowledge, relying on mutual understanding, face-to-face interaction and learning-by-doing. Until recently, it was assumed that the transfer of this type of knowledge required physical proximity. This assumption has been one of the explanations for the existence of creative and innovative clusters, such as Silicon Valley. However, as of recent, scholars have become aware of the importance of other proximities, such as organizational, cultural and epistemic proximity or ‘closeness’.

Combining social network analysis with qualitative interviews, this project aims to look at the ways in which these proximities are used when context-sensitive knowledge is being transferred between and within organizations and revolves around the following questions:

• How do these proximities relate to each other?
• To what extent do they render the role of physical proximity obsolete?
• What can an organization do to effectively use these types of proximity?
• Is it possible to equip firms, managers and employees with a specific skillset, aimed at unlocking the potential to effectively make use of these proximities??

For more information contact <link people giorgio-touburg>Giorgio Touburg, touburg@rsm.nl.