Drawing on social network theory and its methods, the current study explores how three properties of small business owners (SBOs) intra-business association networks namely reach, heterogeneity, and multiplexity influence product innovation of their businesses. The study also tests if knowledge integration mediates the relationship between the three SBOs’ intra-business association network properties (i.e. reach, heterogeneity, and multiplexity) and product innovation. Furthermore, the study tests if the gender of the small business owner plays a moderating role in the relationship between the three SBOs intra-business association network properties and product innovation. The study aims are realized through an ego-network survey administered among 180 SBOs (48.3% females) spanning three business associations in Malawi. Results indicate that all three intra-business association network properties positively impact product innovation. Results also indicate that knowledge integration mediates the relationships between all three intra-business association network properties and product innovation. Lastly, results indicate that gender is a moderator on the relationships between all three intra-business association network properties and product innovation. These results thus inform SBOs regarding which intra-business association network properties to build that will positively influence their product innovation. Additionally, these results serve as an alarm to business association leadership and policymakers regarding the need to further support the intra-business association networking competencies of female SBOs to bring them at par with their male counterparts in terms of product innovation.

Declaration i
Dedication ii
Acknowledgments iii
Abstract iv
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Research Background 1
1.2 Research Gap and Research Purpose 4
1.3 Research Setting 6
1.4 Research Questions 6
1.4.1 Main Question 1 6
1.4.2 Main Question 2 7
1.5 Contributions of the Study 7
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW AND HYPOTHESIS DEVELOPMENT 9
2.1 Social Network Theory 9
2.2 Small Businesses in a Low-Income Country and Product Innovation 10
2.3. The Growing Role of Business Associations in Low-Income Countries 12
2.4 Intra-business Association Network Properties and Product Innovation 13
2.4.1 Network Reach and Product Innovation 13
2.4.2 Network Heterogeneity and Product Innovation 15
2.4.3 Network Multiplexity and Product Innovation 17
2.5 Mediating Role of Knowledge Integration 18
2.6 Moderating Role of Gender (Female vs Male Small-Business Owners) 20
2.6 Research Conceptual Model 23
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 24
3.1 Study Design 24
3.2 Data Collection Procedure 25
3.3 Questionnaire Design and Measures 26
3.3.1 Dependent Variable 26
3.3.2 Independent Variables 27
3.3.3 Mediator Variable 31
3.3.4 Moderator Variable 31
3.3.5 Control Variables 31
3.4 Data Analysis Strategy 32
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS 33
4.1 Sample Characteristics 33
4.2 Preliminary Tests 34
4.2.1 Multicollinearity Assessment 34
4.2.2 Common Method Variance 35
4.2.3 Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) 37
4.2.4 Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) 39
4.3 Descriptive statistics and correlations among the variables 40
4.4 Hypothesis Testing 42
4.4.1 Intra-Business Association Network Properties and Product Innovation 42
4.4.2 Mediating Role of Knowledge Integration 44
4.4.3 Moderating Role of Gender (Female vs Male Small-Business Owners) 49
CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 56
5.1 Summary of Findings 56
5.2 Theoretical Implications 57
5.3 Practical Implications 59
5.4 Limitations and Future Research Directions 60
5.5 Conclusion 61
REFERENCES 63
Appendix 1 76
Section A 77

Abor, J., and Biekpe, N. (2006). SMEs’ Access to Debt Finance. The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 7(2), 105– 112. https://doi.org/10.5367/000000006776928627

Acharya, K.P., and Pathak, S (2019). Applied Research in Low-Income Countries: Why and How? Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/frma.2019.00003

Ahmad, S. Z., and Muhammad-Arif, A. M. (2015). Strengthening Access to Finance for Women- Owned SMEs in Developing Countries. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 34(7), 634–639. https://doi.org/10.1108/edi-11-2012-0104

Aldrich, H. (1989). Networking among women entrepreneurs. In: Hagan, O., Rivchun, C., Sexton, D (Ed.), Women-owned Businesses. New York: Praeger, 103–132.

Aldrich, H., and Staber, U. H. (1988). Organizing Business Interests: Patterns of Trade Association Foundings, Transformations, and Deaths. In G. R. Carroll (Ed.), Ecological Models of Organizations (pp. 111-126). Cambridge, MA: Ballinger.

Aldrich, H.E., Bolton, M. K., Baker, T., and Sasaki, T. (1998). Information Exchange and Governance Structures in US and Japanese R&D Consortia: Institutional and Organizational Influences. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 45(3), 263– 275. https://doi.org/10.1109/17.704249.

Alenzy, Z. M. (2018). Strategic Approach of Saudi Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: More of Emergent or Deliberate? International Business Research, 11(3), 110–117. https://doi.org/10.5539/ibr.v11n3p110

Alharbi, R., Yahya, S., and Ahmed, E. (2018). Characteristics of Manager's and SMEs Performance: The Role of Access to Finance as a Moderator. International Journal of Engineering and Technology,7, 5115–5119.

Amine, L. S., and Staub, K. M. (2009). Women Entrepreneurs in Sub‐Saharan Africa: An Institutional Theory Analysis from a Social Marketing Point of View. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, 21, 183–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/08985620802182144

Ansoff, H. I., and McDonnell, E. (1990). Implanting Strategic Management. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs.

Aragon-Correa, J.A., Hurtado-Torres, N., Sharma, S., and Garcia-Morales, V.J. (2008). Environmental Strategy and Performance in Small Firms: A Resource-Based Perspective. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 86 (1), 88e103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2006.11.022

Autry, C. W., Grawe, S. J., Daugherty, P. J., and Richey, R. G. (2010). The Effects of Technological Turbulence and Breadth on Supply Chain Technology Acceptance and Adoption. Journal of Operations Management, 28(6), 522– 536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jom.2010.03.001

Bagozzi, R.P., and Yi, Y. (1988). On the Evaluation of Structural Equation Models. Academy of Marketing Science, 16(1), 74–94. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02723327

Bagozzi, R.P., Yi, Y., and Phillips, L.W. (1991). Assessing Construct Validity in Organizational Research. Administrative Science Quarterly, 36(30, 421–458. http://doi.org/10.2307/2393203

Barker, V., and G. Mueller (2002). CEO Characteristics and Firm R & D Spending. Management Science, 48(6), 782–801. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.48.6.782.187

Baron, R. M., and Kenny, D. A. (1986). The Moderator–Mediator Variable Distinction in Social Psychological Research: Conceptual, Strategic, and Statistical Considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51(6), 1173–1182. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022- 3514.51.6.1173

Battke, B., Schmidt, T. S., Stollenwerk, S., and Hoffmann, V. H. (2016). Internal or External Spillovers: Which Kind of Knowledge is More Likely to Flow Within or Across Technologies. Research Policy, 45, 27–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2015.06.014

Beckman, C. M., and Haunschild, P. R. (2002). Network Learning: The Effects of Partners’ Heterogeneity of Experience on Corporate Acquisitions. Administrative Science Quarterly, 47(1), 92–124. https://doi.org/10.2307%2F3094892

Belso-Martinez, J.A. (2006). Why are Some Spanish Manufacturing Firms Internationalizing Rapidly? The Role of Business and Institutional Networks. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, 18(3), 207–226.

Bennett, R., and Ramsden, M. (2007). The Contribution of Business Associations to SMEs: Strategy, bundling, or reassurance? International Small Business Journal, 25(1), 49–76. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0266242607071781

Berg, S., Duncan, J., and Friedman, P. (1982). Joint Venture Strategies and Corporate Innovation. Cambridge, MA: Oelgeschlager, Gunn and Hain.

Bernard, H.R. (2002). Research Methods in Anthropology: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods. 3rd edition. AltaMira Press, Walnut Creek, California.

Bernard, H.R., Pelto, P.J., Werner, O., Boster, J., et al. (1986). The Construction of Primary Data in Cultural Anthropology. Current Anthropology 27, 382–396.

Besser, T.L., and Miller, N. (2010). Starting Business Networks: Benefits and Barriers. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 10, 24–240.

Bierly, P., and Chakrabarti, A. (1996). Generic Knowledge Strategies in the U.S. Pharmaceutical Industry. Strategic Management Journal, 17, 123–135. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.4250171111

Bisbe, J. and Otley, D. (2004). The Effects of the Interactive Use of Management Control Systems on Product Innovation. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 29(8), 709–737.

Bodlaj, M., and Čater, B. (2018). The Impact of Environmental Turbulence on the Perceived Importance of Innovation and Innovativeness in SMEs. Journal of Small Business Management. doi:10.1111/jsbm.12482
Borgatti, P. S., Everett, G. M., and Johnson, C. J. (2018). Analyzing Social Networks (2nd Ed). Sage.

Borgatti, S. P. (2005). Centrality and network flow. Social Networks, 27(1) 55–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2004.11.008

Brass, D. J. (1985). Men's and Women's Networks: A Study of Interaction Patterns and Influence in an Organization. Academy of Management Journal, 28, 327–343.

Brass, D., Joseph, G., Henrich R. G., and Tsai, W. (2004). Taking Stock of Networks and Organizations: A Multilevel Perspective. Academy of Management Journal, 47 (6), 795– 817.

Brennecke, J., and Stoemmer, N. (2017). The Network-Performance Relationship in Knowledge-Intensive Contexts-A Meta-Analysis and Cross-Level Comparison. Human Resource Management, 57(1), 11–36. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21823

Brewer, D. D. (2002). Forgetting in the Recall-Based Elicitation of Personal and Social Networks. Social Networks, 22(1), 29–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8733(99)00017-9

Buck, J.R. (1983). Visual displays. In B.H. Kantowitz and R.D. Sorkin (Eds.) Human Factors: Understanding People-System Relationships (pp. 195–231). New York: Wiley.

Burt, R. (2000). The network entrepreneur, in R. Swedberg (Ed.), Entrepreneurship: The Social Science View (pp. 281-307). Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Burt, R. S. (1997). The Contingent Value of Social Capital. Administrative Science Quarterly, 42, 339–365. https://doi.org10.2307/2393923

Burt, R. S. (2004). Structural Holes and Good Ideas. American Journal of Sociology, 110, 349– 399. https://doi.org/10.1086/421787

Burt, R. S. (1998). The gender of social capital. Rationality and Society, 10, 5–46.

Campbell, D. T., and Stanley, J. (1963). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research. Chicago, IL: Rand McNally College Publishing Company.

Casadella, V. and Uzunidis, D. (2017). National Innovation Systems of the South, Innovation and Economic Development Policies: A Multidimensional Approach. Journal of Innovation Economics and Management, 23, 137–157. https://doi.org/10.3917/jie.pr1.0007

Centola, D. (2015). The Social Origins of Networks and Diffusion. American Journal of Sociology, 120(5), 1295–1338. https://doi.org/10.1086/681275

Chang, S.J., van Witteloostuijn, A., and Eden, L. (2010). From the Editors: Common Method Variance in International Business Research. Journal of International Business Studies, 41(2), 178–184. https://doi.org/10.1057/jibs.2009.88

Chell, E., and Baines, S. (2000). Networking, Entrepreneurship and Microbusiness Behavior. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development: An International Journal, 12(3), 195–215.

Chetty, S.K., and Blankenburg, H.D. (2000). Internationalisation of Small to Medium-Sized Manufacturing Firms: A Network Approach. International Business Review, 9(1),77–93.

Chinomona, E. and Maziriri, E.T. (2015). Women in Action: Challenges Facing Women Entrepreneurs in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. International Business and Economics Research Journal 14(6), 835–850.

Chu, J. S., and Davis, G. F. (2016). Who Killed the Inner Circle? The Decline of the American Corporate Interlock Network. American Journal of Sociology, 122(3), 714–754. https://doi.org/10.1086/688650

Chua, R. Y. J., Morris, M. W., and Ingram, P. (2008). Guanxi vs Networking: Distinctive Configurations of Affect- and Cognition-Based Trust in the Networks of Chinese vs American Managers. Journal of International Business Studies, 40(3), 490–508.
https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400422

Cohen, W.M., and Levinthal, D.A. (1990). Absorptive Capacity: A New Perspective on Learning and Innovation. Administrative Science Quarterly, 35(1), 128–152. https://doi.org/10.2307/2393553

Cromie, S., and Birley, S. (1992). Networking by Female Business Owners in Northern Ireland. Journal of Business Venturing 7(3), 237–251.

Cui, A. S., Griffith, D. A., and Cavusgil, S. T. (2005). The Influence of Competitive Intensity and Market Dynamism on Knowledge Management Capabilities of Multinational Corporation Subsidiaries. Journal of International Marketing, 13(3), 32–53.

Dalziel, M. (2006). The Impact of Industry Associations. Innovation: Management, Policy and Practice, 8(3), 296–306. https://doi.org/10.5172/impp.2006.8.3.296

DeCarolis, D.M. and Deeds, D.L. (1999). The Impact of Stocks and Flows of Organizational Knowledge on Firm Performance: An Empirical Investigation of the Biotechnology Industry. Strategic Management Journal, 20(10), 953–968.

Diomande, M. (1990). Business Creation with Minimal Resources: Some Lessons from the African Experience. Journal of Business Venturing, 5(4), 191–200.

Durbin, S. (2010). Creating Knowledge through Networks: A Gender Perspective. Gender, Work and Organization, 18(1), 90–112. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0432.2010.00536.x

Edmunds, A., and Morris, A. (2000). The Problem of Information Overload in Business Organisations: A Review of the Literature. International Journal of Information Management, 20(1), 17–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0268-4012(99)00051-1

Eichhorn, B.R. (2014). Common Method Variance Techniques (unpublished manuscript). Department of Operations and Supply Chain Management, SAS Institute Inc., Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH.

Fang, S. C., Wang, M.C., and Chen, P. C. (2017). The Influence of Knowledge Networks on a Firm’s Innovative Performance. Journal of Management and Organization, 23(1), 22– 45. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2016.32

Farh, J. L., Hackett, R. D., and Liang, J. (2007). Individual-Level Cultural Values as Moderators of Perceived Organizational Support-Employee Outcome Relationships in China: Comparing the Effects of Power Distance and Traditionality. Academy of Management Journal, 50(3), 715–729. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2007.25530866

Ferriani, S., Fonti, F., and Corrado, R. (2012). The Social and Economic Bases of Network Multiplexity: Exploring the Emergence of Multiplex Ties. Strategic Organization, 11(1), 7–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476127012461576

Forbes. (2013). Around the World, Women Entrepreneurs are on the Rise. http://www.forbes.com/sites/tompost/2013/03/27/around-the-world-women-entrepreneursare-on-the-rise. Date of access 15 March 2021.

Forret, M. L., and Dougherty, T. W. (2004). Networking Behaviors and Career Outcomes: Differences for Men and Women? Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25(3), 419– 437. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.253

Freeman, L. C. (1979). Centrality in Social Networks: Conceptual Clarification. Social Networks, 1(3), 215–239. https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8733(78)90021-7

Galvin, P., and Arndt, F. (2014). Strategic Management: Building Depth as well as Breadth. Journal of Management and Organization, 20(2), 139–147. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2014.35

Ghauri, P., and Park, B. (2012). The Impact of Turbulent Events on Knowledge Acquisition: Comparison of Cross-border Acquisitions Formed Before and After the Crisis. MIR: Management International Review, 52(2), 293–315.

Ghazali, R., Ahmad, M.N. and Zakaria, N.H. (2015). The Mediating Role of Knowledge Integration in Effect of Leadership Styles on Enterprise Systems Success: The Post-Implementation Stage. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 28(4), 531– 555. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEIM-08-2014-0083

Ghouse, S., Mc Elwee, G., Meaton, J., and Durrah, O. (2017). Barriers to Rural Women Entrepreneurs in Oman. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research, 23, 998–101. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-02-2017-0070

Goerzen, A., and Beamish, P. W. (2005). The Effect of Alliance Network Diversity on Multinational Enterprise Performance. Strategic Management Journal, 26(4), 333– 354. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.447

Government of Malawi. (2012). Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Policy for the Republic of Malawi. Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Granovetter, M. (1985). Economic Action and Social Structure: The Problem of Embeddedness. American Journal of Sociology, 9(3), 481–510. https://doi.org/10.1086/228311

Granovetter, M. S. (1973). The Strength of Weak Ties. American Journal of Sociology, 78(6), 1360–1380. https://doi.org/10.1086/225469

Grant, R.M. (1996a). Prospering in Dynamically-Competitive Environments – Organizational Capability as Knowledge Integration. Organization Science, 7(4), 375-387.

Grant, R.M. (1996b). Toward a Knowledge-Based Theory of the Firm. Strategic Management Journal, 17(2), 109–122.

Greve, A and JW Salaff (2003). Social Networks and Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship, Theory and Practice, 28(1), 1–22.

Grimpe, C., and Kaiser, U. (2010). Balancing Internal and External Knowledge Acquisition: The Gains and Pains from R & D Outsourcing. Journal of Management Studies, 47(8), 1483–1509.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2010.00946.x

Guan, J., Zuo, K., Chen, K., and Yam, R. C. (2016). Does Country-Level R & D Efficiency Benefit from the Collaboration Network Structure? Research Policy, 45, 770–784.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2016.01.003

Hadjimanolis, A. (2000). An Investigation of Innovation Antecedents in Small Firms in the Context of a Small Developing Country. Research and Development Management, 30(3), 235–246. doi:10.1111/1467-9310.00174

Hair, J. F., Jr., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., and Black, W. C. (1995). Multivariate Data Analysis (3rd Ed). Macmillan Publishing Company, New York.

Hanson, S, Blake, M (2009) Gender and entrepreneurial networks. Regional Studies 43(1), 135–149.

Harman, H.H. (1976). Modern Factor Analysis (3rd Ed). The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Hatch, M. J., and Cunliffe, A. L. (2006). Organization Theory: Modern, Symbolic, and Postmodern Perspectives (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.

Heavey, C., Simsek, Z., and Fox, B. C. (2015). Managerial Social Networks and Ambidexterity of SMEs: The Moderating Role of a Proactive Commitment to Innovation. Human Resource Management, 54(S1), s201–s221. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21703

Hinde, R.A (1976). Interactions, Relationships and Social-Structure. Management, 11(1), 1–17.

Hossain, A., Naser, K., Zaman, A., and Nuseibeh, R. (2009). Factors Influencing Women Business Development in the Developing Countries. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 17(3), 202–224. https://doi.org/10.1108/19348830910974923

Huang, T.-T. (Andrew), Chen, L., and Stewart, R. A. (2010). The Moderating Effect of Knowledge Sharing on the Relationship Between Manufacturing Activities and Business Performance. Knowledge Management Research and Practice, 8(4), 285– 306. https://doi.org/10.1057/kmrp.2010.21

Huggins, R. (2000). The Success and Failure of Policy-Implanted Inter-Firm Network Initiatives: Motivations, Processes and Structure. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, 12(2), 111–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/089856200283036

Huhtala, J.-P., Sihvonen, A., Frösén, J., Jaakkola, M., and Tikkanen, H. (2014). Market Orientation, Innovation Capability and Business Performance. Baltic Journal of Management, 9(2), 134–152. https://doi.org/10.1108/bjm-03-2013-0044

Hyder, S. and Lussier, R.N. (2016). Why Businesses Succeed or Fail: A Study on Small Businesses in Pakistan. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, 8(1), 82–100. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEEE-03-2015-0020

Iacobucci, D., and Amy, O. (1993). Gender Differences in the Impact of Core and Relational Aspects of Services on the Evaluation of Service Encounters. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2 (3), 257– 286.

Ibarra, H. (1992) Homophily and Differential Returns: Sex Differences in Network Structure and Access in an Advertising Firm. Administrative Science Quarterly, 37(3), 422–47.

Ibarra, H. (1993) Personal Networks of Women and Minorities in Management: A Conceptual Framework. Academy of Management Review, 18(1), 1–22.

Jaafar, M., Abdul-Aziz, A. R., Maideen, S. A., and Mohd, S. Z. (2011). Entrepreneurship in the Tourism Industry: Issues in Developing Countries. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 30(4), 827–835. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2011.01.003

Jamali, D. (2009). Constraints and Opportunities Facing Women Entrepreneurs in Developing Countries. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 24(4), 232–251.
https://doi.org/10.1108/17542410910961532

Jaworski, B. J., and Kohli, A. K. (1993). Market Orientation: Antecedents and Consequences. Journal of Marketing, 57(3), 53–70.

Jenssen, J. I. (2001). Social Networks, Resources and Entrepreneurship. The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2(2), 103–109. https://doi.org/10.5367%2F000000001101298846

Johannissson, B. (1998). Personal Networks in Emerging Knowledge-Based Firms: Spatial and Functional Patterns. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, 10(4), 297–312. https://doi.org/10.1080/08985629800000017

Johnson, J. C., and Weller, S. (2002). Elicitation Techniques in Interviewing. In J. Gubrium and J. Holstein (Eds.), Handbook of Interview Research (pp. 491-514). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Kale, P. and Singh, H. (2007). Building Firm Capabilities through Learning: The Role of the Alliance Learning Process in Alliance Capability and Firm-Level Alliance Success. Strategic Management Journal, 28(10), 981–1000.

Keating, K. (2012). Female Entrepreneurs and the Challenges they Face. http://blog.fundinggates.com/2012/11/female-entrepreneurs-and-the-challenges-they-face/. Date of access 6 May 2021.

Keszey, T. (2018). Boundary Spanners’Knowledge Sharing for Innovation Success in Turbulent Times. Journal of Knowledge Management, 22(5), 1061–1081. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-01-2017-0033

Kilduff, M. and Tsai, W. (2012). Social Networks and Organizations. SAGE Publications, Ltd., London.

Kilduff, M., and Krackhardt, D. (2008). Interpersonal Networks in Organizations: Cognition, Personality, Dynamics, and Culture. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England

Kim, T. Y., Oh, H., and Swaminathan, A. (2006). Framing Inter-Organizational Network Change: A Network Inertia Perspective. Academy of Management Review, 31(3), 704–20. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2006.21318926

Kodama, F. (1992). Technology Fusion and the New R&D. Harvard Business Review, 70(4),70–78.

Kogut, B. and Zander, U. (1992). Knowledge of the Firm: Combinative Capabilities, and the Replication of Technology. Organization Science, 3, 383–97.

Kuada, J (2009). Gender, Social Networks and Entrepreneurship in Ghana. Journal of African Business, 10(1), 85–103.

Kuncoro, W., and Suriani, W. O. (2017). Achieving Sustainable Competitive Advantage through Product Innovation and Market Driving. Asia Pacific Management Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmrv.2017.07.006

Lasagni, A. (2012). How Can External Relationships Enhance Innovation in SMEs? New Evidence for Europe. Journal of Small Business Management, 50(2), 310–339. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-627X.2012.00355.x

Lin, B.-W., and Chen, C.-J. (2006). Fostering Product Innovation in Industry Networks: The Mediating Role of Knowledge Integration. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 17(1), 155–173. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585190500367472

Linehan, M. (2001). Networking for Female Managers' Career Development. Journal of Management Development, 20, 823–829.
Lipowski, Z. J. (1975). Sensory and Information Inputs Overload: Behavioral effects. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 16, 199–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-440X(75)90047-4

Liu, H.-M., and Yang, H.-F. (2018). Managing Network Resource and Organizational Capabilities to Create Competitive Advantage for SMEs in a Volatile Environment. Journal of Small Business Management. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsbm.12449

Lowik S, van Rossum D, Kraaijenbrink, J., and Groen, A. (2012). Strong Ties as Sources of New Knowledge: How Small Firms Innovate Through Bridging Capabilities. Journal of Small Business Management 50, 239–256. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-627X.2012.00352.x

Luna, M., and Tirado, R. (2008). Business Associations and their Contribution to Knowledge Networks in Mexico. International Journal of Technology Management and Sustainable Development, 7(3), 251–264. https://doi.org/10.1386/ijtm.7.3.251_1

Lyu, Y., He, B., Zhu, Y., and Li, L. (2019). Network Embeddedness and Inbound Open Innovation Practice: The Moderating Role of Technology Cluster. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 144, 12–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2019.03.018

Lyu, Y., Liu, Q., He, B., Nie, J. (2017) Structural Embeddedness and Innovation Diffusion: The Moderating Role of Industrial Technology Grouping, Scientometrics, 111, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-017-2320-

Mannix, E., and Neale, M. A. (2005). What Differences Make a Difference? The Promise and Reality of Diverse Teams in Organizations. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 6, 31–55. https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1529-1006.2005.00022.x

Marcus, B., Weigelt, O., Hergert, J., Gurt, J., and Gelléri, P. (2016). The Use of Snowball Sampling for Multi-Source Organizational Research: Some Cause for Concern. Personnel Psychology, 70(3), 635–673. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12169

Marques, J. C. (2017). Industry Business Associations: Self-Interested or Socially Conscious? Journal of Business Ethics, 143, 733–751. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-016-3077-y

Mead, D. C., and Liedholm, C. (1998). The Dynamics of Micro and Small Enterprises in Developing Countries. World Development, 26(1), 61–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0305- 750x(97)10010-9

Mehtap, S., Pellegrini-Massimiliano, M., Caputo, A., and Welsh-Dianne, H. B. (2017). Entrepreneurial Intentions of Young Women in the Arab World: Socio‐Cultural and Educational Barriers. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research, 23(6), 880–90. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-07-2017-0214

Mengel, F. (2020). Gender Differences in Networking. The Economic Journal, 130(630), 1842-1873. https://doi.org/10.1093/ej/ueaa035

Mesch, G., and Talmud, I. (2006). The Quality of Online and Offline Relationships: The Role of Multiplexity and Duration of Social Relationships. The Information Society, 22(3), 137– 148. https://doi.org/10.1080/01972240600677805

Michailova, S. (2011). Contextualizing in International Business Research: Why Do We Need More of It and How Can We Be Better at It? Scandinavian Journal of Management, 27(1), 129–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scaman.2010.11.003

Miller, D. (1986). Configurations of Strategy and Structure: Towards a Synthesis. Strategic Management Journal, 7(3), 233–249.

Misra, S., and Stokols, D. (2011). Psychological and Health Outcomes of Perceived Information Overload. Environment and Behavior, 44(6), 737– 759. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916511404408

Molleda, J. C., and Moreno, A. (2008). Balancing Public Relations with Socioeconomic and Political Environments in Transition: Comparative, Contextualized Research in Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela. Journalism and Communication Monographs, 10, 115–174. https://doi.org/10.1177/152263790801000202

Mordi, C., Simpson, R., Singh, S., and Okafor, C. (2010). The Role of Cultural Values in Understanding the Challenges Faced by Female Entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 25(1), 5– 21. https://doi.org/10.1108/17542411011019904

Muhammed, S., and Zaim, H. (2020). Peer Knowledge Sharing and Organizational Performance: The Role of Leadership Support and Knowledge Management Success. Journal of Knowledge Management, 24(10), 2455–2489. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-03-2020-0227

Murayama, K., Blake, A. B., Kerr, T., and Castel, A. D. (2016). When Enough is Not Enough: Information Overload and Metacognitive Decisions to Stop Studying Information. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 42(6), 914– 924. https://doi.org/10.1037/xlm0000213

Myrdal, G. (1968). Asian Drama: An Inquiry into the Poverty of Nations, New York, Pantheon.

Nanda, A. (1996) Resources, capabilities and competencies, in Moingeon, B. and Edmondson, A. (Eds.), Organizational Learning and Competitive Advantage. Sage, London.

Ndumu, A. (2019). Linkages Between Information Overload and Acculturative Stress: The Case of Black Diasporic Immigrants in the US. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 096100061985711. https://doi.org/10.1177/0961000619857115

Nelson, R. E. (1989). The Strength of Strong Ties: Social Networks and Intergroup Conflict in Organizations. Academy of Management Journal, 32, 377–401. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.2307/256367

Newbery, R., Gorton, M., Phillipson, J., and Atterton, J. (2016). Sustaining Business Networks: Understanding the Benefit Bundles Sought by Members of Local Business Associations. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 34(7), 1267–1283. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263774x15608850

Nieman, G., and Niewenhuisen, C. (2009). Entrepreneurship: A South African Perspective. Van Schaik. Pretoria South Africa
Nonaka, I. (1994). A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation. Organizational Science, 5, 14–37. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.5.1.14

Nonaka, I. (1994). A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation. Organization Science, 5(1), 14–37.

Nonaka, I. and Takeuchi, H. (1995). The Knowledge Creating Company. Oxford University Press, New York, NY.

Nordqvist, M., Picard, R. G., and Pesämaa, O. (2010). Industry Associations as Change Agents: The Institutional Roles of Newspaper Associations. Journal of Media Business Studies, 7(3), 51–69. https://doi.org/10.1080/16522354.2010.11073511

Nunnally, J.C. (1978). Psychometric Theory (2nd Ed) McGraw-Hill, New York.

Olson, E. M., Slater, S. F., and Hult, T. M. (2005). The Performance Implications of Fit Among Business Strategy, Marketing Organization Structure, and Strategic Behavior. Journal of Marketing, 69(3), 49–65.

Ostgaard, T. A., and Birley, S. (1994). Personal Networks and Firm Competitive Strategy—A Strategic or Coincidental Match? Journal of Business Venturing, 9(4), 281–305. https://doi.org/10.1016/0883-9026(94)90009-4

Ostgaard, TA and S Birley (1994). Personal Networks and Firm Competitive Strategy — A Strategic or Coincidental Match? Journal of Business Venturing, 9(4), 281–305.

Oztekin, A., Delen, D., Zaim, H., Turkyilmaz, A. and Zaim, S. (2015). The Influence of Knowledge Management on Financial and Non-Financial Performance. Journal of Information and Knowledge Management, 14(02), 1550013. https://doi.org/10.1142/s0219649215500136

Papaioannou, T., Watkins, A., Kale, D., and Mugwagwa, J. (2015). Industry Associations, Health Innovation Systems and Politics of Development: The Cases of India and South Africa. Business and Politics, 17(2), 253–289. https://doi.org.10.1017/S1369525800001649

Park, Y. J., and Yang, G. S. (2017). Personal Network on the Internet: How the Socially Marginalized Stay Marginalized in Personal Network Diversity and Multiplicity. Telematics and Informatics, 34(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2016.04.001

Paruchuri, S., and Awate, S. (2016). Organizational Knowledge Networks and Local Search: The Role of Intra-Organizational Inventor Networks. Strategic Management Journal, 38(3), 657–675. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2516

Phan, P. H., and Peridis, T. (2000). Knowledge Creation in Strategic Alliances: Another Look at Organizational Learning. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 17, 201–222. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:101585752504

Phillipson, J., Gorton, M., and Laschewski, L. (2006). Local Business Co-operation and The Dilemmas of Collective Action: Rural Micro-Business Networks in The North of England. Sociologia Ruralis 46, 40–60. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9523.2006.00401.x

Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., and Podsakoff, N. P. (2012). Sources of Method Bias in Social Science Research and Recommendations on How to Control It. Annual Review of Psychology, 63(1), 539–569. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100452

Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J.-Y., and Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common Method Biases in Behavioral Research: A Critical Review of The Literature and Recommended Remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021- 9010.88.5.879

Preece, A., Hui, K., Gray, A., Marti, P., et al. (2000). The KRAFT Architecture for Knowledge Fusion and Transformation. Knowledge-Based Systems, 13(2– 3), 113 – 20.

Qiao, P., Ju, X., and Fung, H.-G. (2014). Industry Association Networks, Innovations, and Firm Performance in Chinese Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. China Economic Review, 29, 213–228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chieco.2014.04.011

Ramos-Vidal, I., Villamil, I., and Uribe, A. (2019). Underlying Dimensions of Social Cohesion in a Rural Community Affected by Wartime Violence in Colombia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(2), 195. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16020195

Rindfleisch, A., Malter, A.J., Ganesan, S. and Moorman, C. (2008). Cross-Sectional Versus Longitudinal Survey Research: Concepts, Findings, And Guidelines. Journal of Marketing Research, 45(3), 261–279. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.45.3.261

Rodan, S., and Galunic, C. (2004). More than Network Structure: How Knowledge Heterogeneity Influences Managerial Performance and Innovativeness. Strategic Management Journal, 25(6), 541–562.

Rodan, S., and Galunic, C. (2004). More than Network Structure: How Knowledge Heterogeneity Influences Managerial Performance and Innovativeness. Strategic Management Journal, 25(6), 541–562. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.398

Sánchez‐Báez, E. A., Fernández‐Serrano, J., and Romero, I. (2019). Organizational Culture and Innovation in Small Businesses in Paraguay. Regional Science Policy and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1111/rsp3.12203

Schilling M. A., Phelps C. C. (2007). Inter-Firm Collaboration Networks: The Impact of Large- Scale Network Structure on Firm Innovation. Management Science 53(7):1113–1126.

Schulz M. 2001. The Uncertain Relevance of Newness: Organizational Learning and Knowledge Flows. Academy of Management Journal 44(4), 661–681.

Sheingold, C. A. (1973). Social Networks and Voting: The Resurrection of a Research Agenda. American Sociological Review, 38, 712–720.
Son, J., and Lin, N. (2012). Network Diversity, Contact Diversity, and Status Attainment. Social Networks, 34(4), 601–613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2012.06.006

Song, X.M. and Montoya-Weiss, M.M. (2000). The Effects of Perceived Technological Uncertainty on Japanese New Product Development. Academy of Management Journal, 44(1), 61–80.

Spring, A. (2010). African Women in the Entrepreneurial Landscape: Reconsidering the Formal and Informal Sectors. Journal of African Business, 10(1), 11–30.

Tidd, J. (2001). Innovation Management in Context: Environment, Organization and Performance. International Journal of Management Reviews, 3(3), 169–183.

Tonge, J. (2008). Barriers to Networking for Women in a UK Professional Service. International Journal, 23, 484–505.

Tortoriello, M. (2015). The Social Underpinnings of Absorptive Capacity: The Moderating Effects of Structural Holes on Innovation Generation Based on External Knowledge. Strategic Management Journal, 36(4), 586–597.
Uzunidis, D., Yacoub, L. (2008), Le Développement Dans La Mondialisation: Crise De La Gouvernance Mondiale Et Retour De l’Etat, Recherches internationales, 84, 105–131.

Van den Brink, M., and Benschop, Y. (2013). Gender in Academic Networking: The Role of Gatekeepers in Professorial Recruitment. Journal of Management Studies, 51(3), 460–492. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12060

Van Emmerik, H. (2006). Gender Differences in the Creation of Different Types of Social Capital: A Multilevel Study. Social Networks, 28(1), 24–37.

Wang, M., Chen, P. and Fang, S. (2018). A Critical View of Knowledge Networks and Innovation Performance: The Mediation Role of Firms’ Knowledge Integration Capability. Journal of Business Research, 88, 222–233.

Wang, M.-C., Chen, P.-C., and Fang, S.-C. (2018). A Critical View of Knowledge Networks and Innovation Performance: The Mediation Role of Firms’Knowledge Integration Capability. Journal of Business Research, 88, 222–233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.03.034

Watkins, A., Papaioannou, T., Mugwagwa, J., Kale, D. (2015). National Innovation Systems and the Intermediary Role of Industry Associations in Building Institutional Capacities for Innovation in Developing Countries: A Critical Review of the Literature. Research Policy, 44(8), 1407–1418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2015.05.004

Watts DJ. 1999. Networks, Dynamics, and the Small-World Phenomenon. American Journal of Sociology 105(2): 493–527.

Watts, D. J. (1999). Networks, Dynamics, and the Small‐World Phenomenon. American Journal of Sociology, 105, 493–527. https://doi.org/10.1086/210318.

Yousuf Danish, A., and Lawton Smith, H. (2012). Female Entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia: Opportunities and Challenges. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 4(3), 216–235. https://doi.org/10.1108/17566261211264136

Zahra, S. A., Neubaum, D. O., and Larrañeta, B. (2007). Knowledge Sharing and Technological Capabilities: The Moderating Role of Family Involvement. Journal of Business Research, 60(10), 1070–1079. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2006.12.014

Zahra, S. A., van de Velde, E., and Larraneta, B. (2007). Knowledge Conversion Capability and the Performance of Corporate and University Spin-Offs. Industrial and Corporate Change, 16(4), 569–608.

Zhang, J., Hoenig, S., DiBenedetto, A., Lancioni, R., and Phatak, A., (2009). What Contributes to the Enhanced Use of Customer, Competition and Technology Knowledge for Product Innovation Performance? A Survey of Multinational Industrial Companies’Subsidiaries Operating in China. Industrial Marketing Management, 38 (2), 207–218.