Competitive advantage in business arrangements: systematic review, gaps in the literature and new paths for research

Abstract

This article aims to develop a literature review on competitive advantage in business arrangements, with the purpose of presenting an overview of the research and pointing out the characteristics of these arrangements that contribute to competitive advantage. It was possible to identify trends, gaps in the literature and new research opportunities. The research was developed on international bases, so the terms clusters and industrial districts were used. The systematic review method was adopted along with bibliometric and content analysis. Through the research, we identify themes addressed in the works and attributes that contribute to the competitive advantage of the companies, as for example: geographical proximity, the relationship between competition and cooperation, the possibility of a greater flow of knowledge between companies, sectoral specialization, interaction with institutional actors, capacity for innovation and the predominance of micro, small and medium enterprises. We did not identify research about collaboration in these arrangements. Thus, as an opportunity, the possibility of evaluating collaboration in these arrangements can be evaluated by qualitative or quantitative methods.