The Proximity between Regional Support Organizations

Yan Castonguay¹, Julie Gravel²  
(1. University of Quebec at Rimouski, Canada; 2. Sherbrooke University, Canada)

Abstract: In 2013, there were 27 Regional Support Organizations (RSOs) in the Chaudière-Appalaches region, in the province of Québec, in Canada. The role of the RSOs is to support business development and the innovation process of firms in their region. The analysis of these 27 RSOs revealed that many of them offered similar services, suggesting that there are few interactions between these organizations. The objective of this research is to identify the factors determining the frequency of exchanges between the RSOs. Consequently, the effects of the various forms of proximity (geographical proximity, technological proximity, and cognitive proximity) on the organizational proximity measured by the frequency of exchanges between the RSOs, will be estimated using a multilevel ordinal regression. The results of this study will help to better understand the conditions facilitating the bonds between RSOs so as to ensure greater consistency in terms of services offered to firms.

Key words: regional support organizations; organizational proximity; geographical proximity; technological proximity; cognitive proximity

JEL codes: O38, O32