Institutional Theory and the Isomorphic Pressures in the Search for Knowledge: A Study in an APL of Goiás – Brazil

The institutional theory provides a greater understanding of organizational phenomena, especially in relation to the reaction of organizations to the pressures of the environment in which they operate. These pressures, which can be mimetic, coercive, and normative, force companies to become increasingly homogeneous, through isomorphic mechanisms, and can even influence the search for exploratory and exploitative knowledge. This study was carried out with the intention of verifying how the pressures exerted by organizational isomorphism affect the search for knowledge. The study was conducted in the underwear companies of APL Taquaral in the state of Goiás Brazil. The results revealed that the organizational isomorphism does exert some pressure on the companies of APL in its three forms. As to whether it influences the search for knowledge, it was demonstrated that the influence of exploitative knowledge is quite noticeable and the exploratory knowledge practically does not occur. The companies demonstrated technical and or financial inability to invest in R&D, which occurs because of the characteristics of the companies of the pole, in addition to the evident lack of public policies.