Purpose

This study aims to investigate the impacts of geographical proximity on social capital development through the inter-relationship between three social capital dimensions (structural, relational and cognitive dimension) and the knowledge sharing between small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The authors empirically test a main hypothesis that the mechanism of social capital development that subsequently results in tacit knowledge sharing is different for SME buyer-supplier partners across their different geographical distances.

Design/methodology/approach

Multiple-group analysis in structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to test the research hypotheses using data collected from approximately 200 SMEs in Thailand’s food industry.

Findings

At a great geographical distance, the structural dimension impacts the cognitive dimension only in an indirect way through a relational dimension, which subsequently leads to knowledge sharing between SME buyer-supplier partners. At close geographical proximity, while the indirect impact of structural dimension on cognitive dimension through a relational dimension is still presented as it is in a great geographical distance, structural dimension has a positive and direct impact on the cognitive dimension as a complementary way to jointly reinforce knowledge sharing between SME partners. Among distant SME partners, the relational dimension shows a stronger impact on the cognitive dimension. In contrast, the direct influence of structural, relational and cognitive dimensions on knowledge sharing is identical, regardless of geographical distance.

Practical implications

The managers of SMEs can design their network-building approach in such a way that different location partners can enhance knowledge sharing. Policymakers could consider these results as a guideline when imposing SME development policies and geographical cluster policies in emerging economies.

Originality/value

This study provides empirical evidence that demonstrates how geographical proximity between SME partners in an emerging economy influences their social proximity through the lens of social capital development mechanism and thus leads to knowledge sharing between them.

中文翻译：

---

亲近性如何重要：地理亲近性在中小企业社会资本发展和知识共享中的作用

目的

本研究旨在通过三个社会资本维度（结构、关系和认知维度）之间的相互关系以及中小型企业 (SME) 之间的知识共享，研究地理邻近性对社会资本发展的影响。作者实证检验了一个主要假设，即随后导致隐性知识共享的社会资本发展机制对于跨越不同地理距离的中小企业买方-供应商合作伙伴是不同的。

设计/方法/方法

使用从泰国食品行业大约 200 家中小企业收集的数据，进行了结构方程模型 (SEM) 中的多组分析，以检验研究假设。

发现

在遥远的地理距离上，结构维度仅通过关系维度以间接方式影响认知维度，从而导致中小企业买方-供应商合作伙伴之间的知识共享。在地理距离较近的情况下，虽然结构维度通过关系维度对认知维度的间接影响仍然呈现为地理距离较大，但结构维度对认知维度具有积极的直接影响，作为一种互补的方式，共同加强中小企业合作伙伴之间的知识共享。在遥远的中小企业合作伙伴中，关系维度对认知维度的影响更大。相比之下，无论地理距离如何，结构、关系和认知维度对知识共享的直接影响是相同的。

实际影响

中小企业的管理者可以设计他们的网络建设方法，使不同地点的合作伙伴可以加强知识共享。政策制定者可以将这些结果作为在新兴经济体中实施中小企业发展政策和地理集群政策时的指导方针。

原创性/价值

本研究提供了实证证据，证明了新兴经济体中中小企业合作伙伴之间的地理邻近性如何通过社会资本发展机制的视角影响他们的社会邻近性，从而导致他们之间的知识共享。