Antecedents to acquisition of knowledge in trade shows

Abstract

Trade shows are an arena for concentrated activities between suppliers and customers, aiming at enhancing mutual activities. Knowledge must be shared, and knowledge acquisition processes must take place in order to achieve this goal. However, achieving such a goal is not a trivial task in such a dynamic arena. Indeed, given that knowledge sharing has often been considered to require relatively stable environments and extended periods of time, dynamic environments would not seem to be conducive to knowledge sharing in the first place. In this paper, we propose a model of antecedents to knowledge sharing including trust and dependence and their influence on knowledge acquisition. The goal of knowledge acquisition in this model is the enhancement of technical and managerial skills. In our analysis, we provide a description of the knowledge content shared at the trade shows along with aspects of customer and supplier adaptation and their resulting joint actions. Our findings indicate that knowledge sharing is a core process at trade shows that fosters the acquisition of knowledge by both customers and suppliers. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.