Services, networks and territory: The case of MCC in the Basque Country

Abstract

The purpose of this article is two-fold. On the one hand it seeks to establish a framework for studying the behaviour of networks of companies in the provision of business services, through a diagnosis of the particular model developed by the MCC co-operative corporation in the Basque Country. On the other hand, it seeks to further analysis of the impact of such organisations on local development of services. The key concepts in understanding this influence are embeddedness and the social capital built up in the local area by the network of co-operatives thanks to strategic factors such as trust and proximity.