Network resource, regional cluster, and technical position

Inter‐firm social links are always helpful to establish mutual trust for further cooperation, and inter‐firm knowledge exchange stresses the relative importance in a technological field. This study first examines the differences and relationships among the networks that are constructed by different exchanged resources, and further explores how a firm’s embedded local cluster resources and the brokerages’ roles in different inter‐firm networks shape a firm’s leading position in the technical knowledge field. To construct inter‐firm networks, we survey all members in the Taiwan Fastener Industry Association, collecting 87 valid samples for a 67% response rate. We use QAP (Quadratic Assignment Procedure) regressions to examine the relationships among networks, including social network (SN), information network (IN), and knowledge network (KN). We execute a negative binomial regression to investigate the importance of cluster resources and cross‐regional brokering roles in SN and IN for gaining a higher position in technical KN. The results first show that the ties in SN and IN help establish cooperative partnerships in exchanging technical knowledge. Second, local cluster resources play a critical role in driving firms to gain a higher position in KN. Third, to have a leading role in KN, the brokerage roles in IN seem to be more important than the brokerages in SN. In particular, cross‐regional brokerage roles (e.g., liaison) in IN strengthen their position in KN.