Specifying Destination-Based Networks by Governance-Mode: A Social Capital Approach to Innovative Capacity in a Rural Destination of Azerbaijan

ABSTRACT The capacity of rural tourism destinations to create new knowledge is generally considered to be at a low level - especially in an emerging country context, where inadequate networking even more impedes the acquisition, transformation and exploitation of new knowledge. Findings from knowledge-based tourism research support the idea that destinations’ innovative capacities are embedded in a juxtaposition of differently configured and co-located subnetworks whose characteristics are highly dependent on the state of social capital. The present study investigates these configurations in community destinations for differences in their suitability to foster innovation based on their specific social capital disposition. Based on a triangulated methodology, network configuration profiles further substantiate the relationships between external network characteristics, knowledge absorption processes and innovation on the case of a rural emerging country destination in Azerbaijan. Limitations arise from the cultural context dependency of the social capital dispositions which however offer a promising field for future comparative research.