Resource constellations and institutional logics shape network structures of the organic seed niche innovation system

Abstract

Innovation systems are relational, with actors forming connections to enhance system functions. What drives these connections? The resource-based theory of system building suggests actors pursue relationships based on resource availability and distribution. Network theory adds that social processes vary across innovation system functions, affecting configurations and actor involvement. This study examines these ideas using the case of the US organic seed niche, operationalizing the seed innovation system as four functional networks. The analysis shows that all the functional networks are shaped by “partner mode” structures, suggesting that cooperative relationships form when resources are available and distributed, with some variation across functions. Institutional affiliations also affect actors' involvement in specific innovation system functions, with differences between non-profit and for-profit actors. This research advances sustainability transitions by empirically testing and extending existing theories with network analysis, offering generalizable insights into innovation system formation.