ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY OF INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES IN TRADITIONAL SECTORS IN THE STATE OF RIO GRANDE DO SUL, BRAZIL

PUFFAL, CLAIR W.; PUFFAL, DANIEL P.; SOUZA, YEDA S.

doi:10.1590/1678-6971/eRAMD190066

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Dossier • RAM, Rev. Adm. Mackenzie 20 (6) • 2019 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-6971/eRAMD190066 copy

ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY OF INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES IN TRADITIONAL SECTORS IN THE STATE OF RIO GRANDE DO SUL, BRAZIL

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT

Purpose:

This study aimed to assess processes related to absorptive capacity (AC) dimensions in innovation-generating companies of traditional sectors in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Originality/value:

Companies may establish differential advantages in the market due to how far they apply acquired knowledge and use organizational mechanisms. These mechanisms include intangible elements essential to the development of AC, a capacity that companies do not often recognize as important to generate innovation. Based on previous studies, we established a summary of AC elements and AC within its different dimensions. Then we created an assessment tool for AC analysis and knowledge generation dynamics in innovative micro-processes in organizations of the traditional sectors.

Design/methodology/approach:

Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire with 47 items to assess potential and realized AC and their dimensions. We assessed two companies on their AC. These companies were participants of a project of the Núcleo de Apoio à Gestão da Inovação (Nagirs) of Instituto Euvaldo Lodi (IEL) in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, oriented to enhance innovation in traditional sectors. This study used content analysis and compared the evidence found with findings in the literature.

Findings:

The results suggested that, in companies of traditional sectors, AC can be considered explicative to innovation generation and the organizational dynamics orchestrating mechanisms for knowledge renewal. Data reveals that knowledge renewal requires managers and qualified workers’ engagement in search and application of external information that responds to the company’s strategic challenges. The study also contributes to establishing an assessment tool for AC in companies of traditional sectors.

KEYWORDS
Absorptive capacity; Absorptive capacity dimensions; Innovation processes; Traditional sector; Innovation

Category	Authors	AC dimension
1) Source of company knowledge	Fosfuri and Tribó (2008)Fosfuri, A., & Tribó, J. A. (2008). Exploring the antecedents of potential absorptive capacity and its impact on innovation performance. Omega, 36(2), 173-187., Veja-Jurado et al. (2008)Vega-Jurado, J., Gutiérrez-Gracia, A., & Fernández-de-Lucio, I. (2008). Analyzing the determinants of firm’s absorptive capacity: Beyond R&D. R&D Management, 38(4), 392-405., Camisón and Forés (2010)Camisón, C., & Forés, B. (2010). Knowledge absorptive capacity: New insights for its conceptualization and measurement. Journal of Business Research, 63(7), 707-715., Jiménez- -Barrionuevo et al. (2011)Jiménez-Barrionuevo, M. M., García-Morales, V. J., & Molina, L. M. (2011). Validation of an instrument to measure absorptive capacity. Technovation, 31(5-6), 190-202., Aguilar-Olaves et al. (2014)Aguilar-Olaves, G., Herrera, L., & Clemenza, C. (2014). Capacidad de absorción: Aproximaciones teóricas y empíricas para el sector servicios. Revista Venezolana de Gerencia, 19(67), 499-518., Tu et al. (2006)Tu, Q., Vonderembse, M. A., Ragu-Nathan, T. S., & Sharkey, T. W. (2006). Absorptive capacity: Enhancing the assimilation of time-based manufacturing practices. Journal of Operations Management, 24(5), 692-710., Flatten et al. (2011)Flatten, T. C., Engelen, A., Zahra, S. A., & Brettel, M. (2011). A measure of absorptive capacity: Scale development and validation. European Management Journal, 29(2), 98-116., Jansen et al. (2005)Jansen, J. J., Van Den Bosch, F. A., & Volberda, H. W. (2005). Managing potential and realized absorptive capacity: How do organizational antecedents matter? Academy of Management Journal, 48(6), 999-1015., Volberda, Foss, and Lyles (2010)Volberda, H. W., Foss, N. J., & Lyles, M. A. (2010). Absorbing the concept of absorptive capacity: How to realize its potential in the organization field. Organization Science, 21(4), 931-951., and Xie et al. (2018)Xie, X., Zou, H., & Qi, G. (2018). Knowledge absorptive capacity and innovation performance in high-tech companies: A multi-mediating analysis. Journal of Business Research, 88, 289-297.	pAC (acquisition)
2) Information search mechanisms
3) Interaction between employees
4) Basis of company knowledge	Tu et al. (2006)Tu, Q., Vonderembse, M. A., Ragu-Nathan, T. S., & Sharkey, T. W. (2006). Absorptive capacity: Enhancing the assimilation of time-based manufacturing practices. Journal of Operations Management, 24(5), 692-710., Jansen et al. (2005)Jansen, J. J., Van Den Bosch, F. A., & Volberda, H. W. (2005). Managing potential and realized absorptive capacity: How do organizational antecedents matter? Academy of Management Journal, 48(6), 999-1015., Volberda, Foss, and Lyles (2010)Volberda, H. W., Foss, N. J., & Lyles, M. A. (2010). Absorbing the concept of absorptive capacity: How to realize its potential in the organization field. Organization Science, 21(4), 931-951., Jansen et al. (2005)Jansen, J. J., Van Den Bosch, F. A., & Volberda, H. W. (2005). Managing potential and realized absorptive capacity: How do organizational antecedents matter? Academy of Management Journal, 48(6), 999-1015., Volberda, Foss, and Lyles (2010)Volberda, H. W., Foss, N. J., & Lyles, M. A. (2010). Absorbing the concept of absorptive capacity: How to realize its potential in the organization field. Organization Science, 21(4), 931-951., Flatten et al. (2011)Flatten, T. C., Engelen, A., Zahra, S. A., & Brettel, M. (2011). A measure of absorptive capacity: Scale development and validation. European Management Journal, 29(2), 98-116., Camisón and Forés (2010)Camisón, C., & Forés, B. (2010). Knowledge absorptive capacity: New insights for its conceptualization and measurement. Journal of Business Research, 63(7), 707-715., and Xie et al. (2018)Xie, X., Zou, H., & Qi, G. (2018). Knowledge absorptive capacity and innovation performance in high-tech companies: A multi-mediating analysis. Journal of Business Research, 88, 289-297.	pAC (assimilation)
5) Internal communications
6) Training courses
7) Effective employee participation	Jansen et al. (2005)Jansen, J. J., Van Den Bosch, F. A., & Volberda, H. W. (2005). Managing potential and realized absorptive capacity: How do organizational antecedents matter? Academy of Management Journal, 48(6), 999-1015., Jiménez-Barrionuevo et al. (2011)Jiménez-Barrionuevo, M. M., García-Morales, V. J., & Molina, L. M. (2011). Validation of an instrument to measure absorptive capacity. Technovation, 31(5-6), 190-202., Tu et al. (2006)Tu, Q., Vonderembse, M. A., Ragu-Nathan, T. S., & Sharkey, T. W. (2006). Absorptive capacity: Enhancing the assimilation of time-based manufacturing practices. Journal of Operations Management, 24(5), 692-710., Camisón and Forés (2010)Camisón, C., & Forés, B. (2010). Knowledge absorptive capacity: New insights for its conceptualization and measurement. Journal of Business Research, 63(7), 707-715., Flatten et al. (2011)Flatten, T. C., Engelen, A., Zahra, S. A., & Brettel, M. (2011). A measure of absorptive capacity: Scale development and validation. European Management Journal, 29(2), 98-116., and Xie et al. (2018)Xie, X., Zou, H., & Qi, G. (2018). Knowledge absorptive capacity and innovation performance in high-tech companies: A multi-mediating analysis. Journal of Business Research, 88, 289-297.	rAC (transformation)
8) Knowledge sharing - R&D departments
9) Knowledge renewal capacity
10) Experience application	Vega-Jurado et al. (2008)Vega-Jurado, J., Gutiérrez-Gracia, A., & Fernández-de-Lucio, I. (2008). Analyzing the determinants of firm’s absorptive capacity: Beyond R&D. R&D Management, 38(4), 392-405., Camisón and Forés (2010)Camisón, C., & Forés, B. (2010). Knowledge absorptive capacity: New insights for its conceptualization and measurement. Journal of Business Research, 63(7), 707-715., Flatten et al. (2011)Flatten, T. C., Engelen, A., Zahra, S. A., & Brettel, M. (2011). A measure of absorptive capacity: Scale development and validation. European Management Journal, 29(2), 98-116., Tu et al. (2006)Tu, Q., Vonderembse, M. A., Ragu-Nathan, T. S., & Sharkey, T. W. (2006). Absorptive capacity: Enhancing the assimilation of time-based manufacturing practices. Journal of Operations Management, 24(5), 692-710., Jiménez-Barrionuevo et al. (2011)Jiménez-Barrionuevo, M. M., García-Morales, V. J., & Molina, L. M. (2011). Validation of an instrument to measure absorptive capacity. Technovation, 31(5-6), 190-202., and Xie et al. (2018)Xie, X., Zou, H., & Qi, G. (2018). Knowledge absorptive capacity and innovation performance in high-tech companies: A multi-mediating analysis. Journal of Business Research, 88, 289-297..	rAC (exploitation)
11) Experience dissemination
12) Capability to respond to environment and competition

Code	Position	Time in company	Degree in
EA1	Managing director	13 years	Business administration
EA2	HR manager	10 years	HR management
EA3	Quality system supervisor	13 years	Business processes
EB1	Production manager I	3 years	Product design
EB2	Industrial manager II	16 years	Automation technology
EB3	Director	25 years	Business administration
EB4	Commercial manager	3 years	Business administration
EB5	Administrative manager	6 years	Law

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