COOPERATION IN THE CLUSTER OF SANTA RITA DO SAPUCAÍ

In this paper we present the main results of a research that investigated the explanatory constructs of cooperation among the firms belonging to the Local Production Arrangement (LPA) located in Santa Rita do Sapucaí City, Minas Gerais State. Firstly, some aspects about the genesis, development and contemporary configuration of that arrangement are pointed out. Subsequently, we propose a theoretical and methodological framework that worked as a reference to provide the explanations of the relationships between the constructs of cooperation, trust and benefits, among others. Two multivariate techniques were applied to test and validate this proposal: the factor analysis and the polynomial regression. The research results showed correlations that suggest the positive perceptions of managers regarding the governance of the production arrangement, as well as the benefits from cooperation. In the managers’ perception, the benefits generate individual and collective advantages for the firms surveyed. Finally, the results contradict some formulations of the theoretical-methodological framework used to explain the relationships of trust built up among the firms operating in the same territory. The results also suggest that the LPA in Santa Rita could be a good example of the relevance of two institutional elements: governance (in this case, the Union of the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Industry of Vale da Eletrônica – SINDIVEL – and the local government), and the mediation of educational entities which provide the qualification of the labor force and play the role of business incubators as well. It seems appropriate to attribute the LPA setting up and even its development to the role played by these entities, combined with the actions of the visionary people who were in charge of their management. Like any other research, this study has its limitations. Among others, is the cross-section of the data setting. While the study admits the relevance of taking into account the historical dynamic, it presents a punctual analysis.

Cooperation; Trust; Local cluster; Governance; Santa Rita do Sapucaí