Territorial cooperation: analysis of the social capital and local governance of the Furniture Cluster of the Southwest of Paraná

Abstract

One of the strategies indicated in academic research on regional development corresponds to geographically concentrated productive agglomerations, based on the organization of network agents to obtain competitive advantages through territorial cooperation practices. In this sense, the article aimed to analyze the social capital and the conduction of local governance in the context of the Cluster of Furniture of the Southwest of Paraná. The present research is classified as exploratory descriptive, with a quanti-qualitative approach, based on the method of documental analysis and structured interviews. The questionnaire was the main instrument of data collection in a research with the set of agents of the productive arrangement, including nineteen cluster business owners, five support agents and local governance. The results of the research pointed to good levels of social capital in the analyzed cluster, with positive indicators regarding the degree of contribution in the relationship, trust and cooperation between the agents, in the quality and usefulness of the information exchanged. The metrics of the social network (density and reciprocity) resulted in median values, while the question of participation in meetings obtained the worst results. Regarding the evaluation of local governance, all elements analyzed resulted in values considered to be weak. In summary, the evaluation of the binomial social capital and local governance has shown that for the effective execution of joint actions in line with territorial cooperation practices, it is fundamental to have a more active local governance in the management of cluster.