El conocimiento productivo aplicado en el sector autopartista de Córdoba: sus distintas dimensiones

The great expansion of the production of cars and trucks in Argentina, which began in 2003 and remains strong in 2008, was transmitted to the auto parts sector, it not only had to increase their level of production but also was forced to modernize, to introduce new models and to gradually improve the processes and the organizational form of productive activities within enterprises. In a previous study (Motta, Morero and Llinas, 2007) presented at the 12 th Annual Meeting of the PME's Network held in Campinas (Brazil), the authors carried out an initial exploratory study on sources of learning and accumulating knowledge for innovation in Argentine auto parts businesses in the immediate aftermath of the crisis (2002-2006). As a result of this analysis, we created a typology of firms according to the sources of learning and knowledge accumulation. A total of 5 groups of companies formed, where it could be seen that different forms of knowledge accumulation (accumulated knowledge crystallized endogenous capabilities, their own efforts for the generation of new knowledge and knowledge acquired from external sources) were strongly interdependent and complementary in determine the innovative performance of firms. This time, the overall objective is to deepen this topic. Specifically, interest focuses on studying: i) how do companies to introduce new products, processes and organizational forms and then make improvements in them, and ii) the sources of the knowledge and what knowledge is relevant to each case. The article consists of four sections. The next section presents the theoretical framework, the questions guiding the research and the specific objectives of the same. The third section describes the methodology and analysis are some characteristics of the firms surveyed. Finally, the fourth section summarizes the main conclusions.