Geography

Networks, trust, and innovation in Tanzania's manufacturing sector

Document Type

Article

Abstract

The social dimensions of innovation are examined for a group of manufacturers in Mwanza, Tanzania. Social networks of businesspeople in Mwanza are found to support innovation in manufacturing firms. Trust in these relations is especially important as it improves the quality of information exchanges and encourages the development of strong intracommunity ties and weak intercommunity relations. A typology of manufacturers demonstrates how different social strategies relate to innovation. The findings suggest that openness to social relations enhances innovation but that weak formal institutions discourage manufacturers from extending their social relations beyond core networks. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Publication Title

World Development

Publication Date

5-2-2002

Volume

30

Issue

4

First Page

591

Last Page

619

ISSN

0305-750X

DOI

10.1016/S0305-750X(01)00131-0

Keywords

innovation, newtworks, social capital, Sub-Saharan Africa, Tanzania, trust

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