Universal Journal of Management Vol. 5(12), pp. 531 - 548
DOI: 10.13189/ujm.2017.051201
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Using Network Analysis to Operationalize, Measure, Analyze, and Describe the Innovative and Dynamic Capacity of Local/Regional Milieu: Results from Pittsburgh

Aspasia Rigopoulou ^*
Department of Geography and Planning, St. Cloud State University, United States

ABSTRACT

New dynamic city or regional economic environments are characterized by strong relational contexts. These are characterized by the existence of productive supportive local milieus involved in production, organizational and support networks and their intra and inter-network linkages as these relate to a specific industry as well as cooperative strong relations between companies of specific industries, companies and their specific milieu, and their milieu organizations. Research suggests that it is the strength, the cohesion, density, of network relationships, and the embeddedness of all the actors that may be the new predictors of and/or measures of success as these exist in the economically dynamic and innovative environments. This paper, reports on the use of network analysis to operationalize and measure the dynamism of the Pittsburgh economic region as connected with the region's ability to develop, sustain, and expand its software industry. Secondary research, informant interviews, and survey research of 165 software companies and related organizations were used to collect the data and to develop analytical constructs, while the main method of data analysis was network analysis, supplemented with qualitative and descriptive analysis of the local environment. The study documents the existence of a regional milieu that contains many elements and conditions present in dynamic regions. The analysis though showed that the relational context of the elements that constitute the milieu of the software industry were not functionally integrated and that the region lacked the dense and cohesive relational contexts asserted to exist in dynamic environments.

KEYWORDS
Economic Development, Innovation Networks, Dynamic Milieu, Local/Regional Dynamism, Social Networks

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Aspasia Rigopoulou , "Using Network Analysis to Operationalize, Measure, Analyze, and Describe the Innovative and Dynamic Capacity of Local/Regional Milieu: Results from Pittsburgh," Universal Journal of Management, Vol. 5, No. 12, pp. 531 - 548, 2017. DOI: 10.13189/ujm.2017.051201.

(b). APA Format:
Aspasia Rigopoulou (2017). Using Network Analysis to Operationalize, Measure, Analyze, and Describe the Innovative and Dynamic Capacity of Local/Regional Milieu: Results from Pittsburgh. Universal Journal of Management, 5(12), 531 - 548. DOI: 10.13189/ujm.2017.051201.