Networking and Innovation in SMEs : Evidence from the Creative Industries in the East of England

Abstract

Recently, there has been a great deal of interest in creativity and in the creative industries sector (CIS). However, researchers have given little attention to the impact of networking on the innovativeness and performance of SMEs operating in CIS in empirical context. In this study, we examine the relationships between networking, innovativeness and performance in CIS. We find that the frequency and the importance of the interaction are positively related to firm innovativeness. We also find that, contrary to widely held beliefs, networking and innovativeness were not related to firm performance in CIS. Moreover, our results deliver an important message through bringing up the issue of insufficient knowledge of and access to external support by SMEs.