Different patterns of knowledge spillovers mechanisms in two Mexican localities

Abstract

Several papers from different bodies of literature have analyzed the knowledge spillover mechanisms from large firms, mainly multinational corporations (MNC), to local firms. However, most of them have not analyzed the differences within a sector or locality; they have neither compared the specific patterns of knowledge spillover mechanisms in two different localities. This can be explained to the difficulty to obtain databases to compare the same phenomenon in two different localities. The aim of this paper is to identify the most important knowledge spillover mechanisms within the same sector in two different localities. Particularly this study analyzes the machining sector industry located in Querétaro and Ciudad Juárez, México. To identify the variables that can explain the knowledge spillover mechanisms we perform a multivariate analysis, using principal factor techniques. To identify the main knowledge spillover mechanisms and to explore their importance within the two localities we built a structural equation analysis. This paper argues the existence of different patterns of knowledge spillovers mechanisms in the localities analyzed. The productive arrangement, the main characteristics of SME´s and some characteristics specific to the context can explain the different patterns observed.