Sociala relationer, samverkan och effekter av medlemskap i ett kreativt nätverk : En studie av påverkande faktorer för den upplevda nyttan av nätverksmedlemskap

The purpose of this thesis is to describe social relations, cooperation and the effect of membership for the perceived benefits of network membership in a creative network, and to explain how strength of ties, trust, orientation to benefit, orientation to contribute and similarities affect knowledge enhancement and performance outcome in a creative network. Creative networks are co-located firms of small-scale, self-employed creative workers with businesses in the creative industries like design, dance, music, media. The characteristic for businesses in the creative industries is that they produce products that have a symbolic value for the customer like image, ideas, emotions and experiences. Creativity is an individual trait and a social process. Social interactions with other creative workers in disparate creative fields is especially fruitful. A survey was carried out at a creative network, data was collected using a questionnaire and the results were analyzed through statistical methods. The findings suggest that there are strong ties and a norm of reciprocity in a creative network. The findings also suggest that the membership firms benefit from network membership in a creative network through valuable baby steps, but seem to be missing out of bigger leaps. The findings suggest that similarities and strong ties predict knowledge enhancement, and that similarities and orientation to benefit predict performance outcome, but that orientation to contribute does not predict knowledge enhancement or performance outcome in a creative network. The findings also suggest that the membership firms in a creative network wish for more cooperation.Validerat; 20141021 (global_studentproject_submitter