Informação e conhecimento: análise da rede apl têxtil de americana/sp- Brasil/Information and knowledge: an analysis in the context of business network

This paper reports on the analysis knowledge building process in the context of networked companies, more specifically in the American Textile Network APL/SP -- Brazil (Local Productive Arrangement). To do so, a case study was used to analyze the information exchange for the development of joint activities in the Textile Network APL that incorporates several links of the textile supply chain, located in the surrounding of Americana, Sao Paulo. Based on earlier studies regarding the process of knowledge construction developed by Nonaka and Takeuchi, a questionnaire with 7 questions was applied to the experts making up the APL Textile network. From this instrument, it was possible to collect data to support the research regarding information exchange and knowledge sharing for the development of joint activities among the case study members. The work highlights the importance of sharing tacit knowledge, that allows reconstructing and exploiting knowledge more broadly. That is why, the externalization of tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge is also required in a networked environment.