From experience to experiment: sources of ownership in processes of knowledge formation

Abstract

How do actors in developing regions acquire ownership over processes of knowledge formation? This question was central to the work of Alice Amsden and is pursued in this article by means of a distinction she introduced between an “experience” and an “experiment.” Through the analysis of a surprising divergence in learning processes and growth outcomes in two pairs of US–Mexico border cities, this article identifies and considers the implications for knowledge ownership of two main factors—shocks of vulnerability and the relationship between repertoires of group practices and economic problems. Evidence from the case studies suggests that these variables can exert a powerful effect on whether groups capture little learning through experiences or build knowledge through experiments.