Productive Articulation and Business Cooperation Policies. Lessons from the Argentine Experience

ANDRES MATTA; CRISTINA ETCHEGORRY; CECILIA MAGNANO; CAROLINA ORCHANSKY

San Juan (PR)

Congreso; Congreso de la Latin American Studies Association (LASA); 2015

LASA

In the last decade, numerous policies and programs havebeen developed in Argentina to promote ?productivearticulation? by increasing cooperation between firms,building social capital and strengthening "territorial systems".The rise of these initiatives coincides with the growth of the"epistemic community" which includes the post-Marshalliantraditions and systemic theories and with the emergence of apost- neoliberal policies stage throughout the Region.This paper aims to take stock and draw lessons that can becapitalized in the future from the analysis of six national andprovincial policies (implemented in the state of Córdoba)considering four key dimensions that summarize theirpossibilities and limitations:1. Inconsistencies between the theoretical principles thatgive rise to these policies and their objectives andinstruments, which has generated adjustment processes(frecuently voluntaristic) during the execution2. The targeting and self-targeting of projects at micro- level(groups, sectorial groups) rather than meso- level structures(territories, systems), which adds up to a low scale in termsof investment or coverage and a concentration in certainareas with higher "fertility".3 Heterogeneous levels of institutional complexity andarticulation between production systems and other territorialsubsystems4. Limitations on selected governance mechanisms and theirimpact on organizational sustainability and strengthening oflocal social structures