Internationalization of companies in industrial clusters: a study of medical, dental and hospital supply industries in Ribeirao Preto--SP./Internacionalizacao de empresas em clusters industriais: um estudo aplicado no polo medico-hospitalar-odontologico de Ribeirao Preto--SP/Internacionalizacionde empresas en clusters industriales: unestudio aplicado en el polo medico-hopitalar-odontologico de Ribeirao Preto--SP.
| Autor | Lima, Gustavo Barbieri |
| Cargo | Artigo--Administracao Geral |
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INTRODUCTION
From the spreading of internationalization in economy, it was intensified the need to reorganize productive factors and enterprise management strategies in order to match the organization to international patterns of quality and productivity. Therefore, organizations adopt new frames of labor management in their products and production processes, thus innovating when adjusting to world requirements. It is a logical thought that the use of technology carries meaningful implications in productive processes and leads companies to adopt new strategies. Among these strategies, there is the building of company networks, a current practice intending to guarantee the survival and competitiveness, especially of small and medium sized companies, thus creating a new organizational architecture and innovating in the building of company-to-company relationship (AMATO NETO, 2005).
Besides the number of well-succeeded experiences of local productive arrangements, another factor to contribute to the intensification of the argument over the competitive advantages of clusters was the fact that these arrangements were increasingly the object of public policies towards the promotions of industrial and regional development and competitiveness increasing. Several countries, especially the central ones, turned their efforts on industrial policies to local productive systems. In this manner, it was verified the need to better understand the phenomena associated to the competitiveness of such productive organization (GARCIA, 2001).
Small and medium sized local companies of different productive chains run into difficulties in order to survive and develop in an increasingly competitive environment of global economy, characterized by constant changes of paradigms and by the prevalence of big corporations.
Although there are risks and doubts, the globalization phenomenon gives small and medium sized local companies the opportunity to operate on global level in major markets, but not accessible until then. Thus, the companies have locally developed cooperation mechanisms aiming to achieve innovation degree, competitive advantages, and power of bargain necessary to gain entrance to world markets.
When attracting investments to a specific local, the development pole and its operation generally creates or reinforce enterprise cluster. As they export to other regions, these companies fortify their own development pole; they increase their income, attract people, and induce public investment in infrastructure. Consequently, they attract more companies, especially of services sector, to meet the growing productive, personnel and public requirements of these regions and nearby ones. In this manner, it is paramount to study enterprise clusters when analyzing regional development (SANTOS; DINIZ; BARBOSA, 2006).
According to Gerolamo et al. (2008), clusters and cooperation network are two themes constantly revised by researchers and governments worldwide, from developing and developed countries. From the well-succeeded results portrayed in Italy in the 80's and the concepts presented by Michael Porter in the 90's, the academic community and governments try to define methods and politics to develop regional clusters. The interesting point in such studies and policies is the focus on micro, small and medium-sized companies, since they play an important role in economy.
1.1. Investigation Question
Is there an interconnection (facilitation or not) between the internationalization process and micro and small-sized companies inserted in industrial clusters or local productive arrangements?
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OBJECTIVES
The general purpose of the present study is to understand whether there is an interconnection (facilitation or not) between the internationalization process and micro and small-sized companies inserted in industrial clusters or Local Productive Arrangements (LPA) due to possible inter-organizational cooperation.
The specific purposes are:
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Identify competitive advantages or benefits coming from taking part of industrial clusters in relation to the internationalization of the companies inserted in it;
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Identify the major obstacles for micro and small-sized companies in what concerns internationalizing;
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Analyze the case of micro and small-sized companies monitored by SEBRAE-SP, integrants of the APL of Ribeirao Preto, S.P (medical-hospital-dentistry sector) in what concerns companies internationalization.
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LITERATURE REVIEW
3.1. Enterprises cooperation network In the literature on the subject, there are several names such as network organization, organizational network manner, organization network, inter-organization network, inter-enterprise network, network of relationship among companies, network, networking, relationship network, inter-organizational cooperation network, and intercompanies cooperation network.
A strategic network refers to the company's set of horizontal and vertical relationships with other organizations--suppliers, clients, competitors, and other institutions--including cross-industries and cross-countries relationships. They are compounded by long-lasting inter-organizations bonds, [...] of strategic significance to the companies involved, and include strategic alliances (GULATI; NOHRIA; ZAHEER, 2000).
The acknowledged significance in organizational and social field has increasingly gained interest in researches on the phenomenon of inter-organizational networks on a myriad f knowledge fields such as sociology, political science, and administration. The idea underlying the study is that network arrangement promotes an environment favorable to share information, skills, and resources essential to innovation processes. Therefore, network arrangement is an effective answer so that companies are competitive in the market by means of a complex relationship organization, in which companies establish inter-relationships (BALESTRIN; VARGAS, 2004).
Any means of cooperative relationship between two or more companies whose purpose is to develop, project, produce, commercialize or distribute products or services, and in which a separated company is not created to manage this relationship. In the opposite manner, the relationship is managed by means of contract (BARNEY; HESTERLY, 1996 apud AMATO NETO, 2000, 2005).
According to Ribaut et al. (1995 apud AMATO NETO, 2000), enterprise corporations, also named company networks, consist in a sort of company cluster whose main objective is to strengthen the activities of each participant of the network, with no financial bonds, necessarily. When operating in networks, companies are able to complement to each other, in technical (productive means) and market (distribution network) aspects. Enterprises networks also are aimed at creating a purchase center of their society.
According to Amato Neto (2000), in the building of inter-enterprises, it is identified three determinant variables, as follows: differentiation, inter-dependency among companies, and flexibility.
* When related to a network, the differentiation is able to give its innovator benefits to every participant--which is not observed in an isolated company, since differentiation, in this case, may bring costs raise.
* Inter-dependency among companies is a mechanism which effectively forecast networks formation. Hence, it is adopted as organizational unit.
* Comprehended as in innovative and productive aspect as in its own organizational aspect, flexibility is one of the biggest characteristics of the networks, since some of them are able to self-arrange according to its contingencies.
According to Tomelin (2000), micro and small-sized companies joined in an associative way and by means of business networks, have better opportunities and success potential. Data gathering, costs reduction, and awareness of new markets by means of exports are some of these opportunities. When operating individually, a small company is no longer a model to be considered in the future. However, it may join in business networks in order to guarantee competitiveness (CASAROTTO FILHO; PIRES, 2001).
Inserted in hypercompetitive environments, most part of time small and medium-sized companies present certain difficulties such as how to obtain better prices and advantages when buying raw material and byproducts, budget in fairs, marketing campaigns, updating courses and staff training, technologic updating, acquisition of line of credits and funds, rent expenses, costs on products exports, etc. Although these issues are unlikely to disappear, their effects can be neutralized or diminished by the collective the joint venture of small-sized companies (AMATO NETO, 2000, BALESTRIN; VARGAS, 2004).
According to Perrrow (1992), classic and Maxist theories need to be questioned, once both neglect the economic power of three factor that support the understanding the successful networks of small and medium-sized companies: economies of scale by networks, reliance, and the cooperation coexisting with competitors, and the social well-being generated by the increasing in the collective efficiency of regional industrial sectors.
On the approach over industrial development based on the cooperation in small-sized companies, Pyke (1992) suggests the principles which make their success easier: production development to machinery with place flexibility, production development in small enterprising factories with high flexibility, which cooperate among them and present wide and quick exchange information; implementation of practices that emphasize cooperation instead of competition; equal practices of procedures and behavior; quick information dissemination, and valuation of enterprising activities.
The European Commission (EUROPEAN COMMISSION, 2004 apud GEROLAMO; CARPINETTI; FLESCHUTZ; SELIGER, 2008) defines cooperation as the relationship among independent partners who join their efforts and resources in a venture process of creating values. Therefore...
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