Service Absorptive Capacity: Its Evolution and Implications for Innovation

Journal of the Knowledge Economy

Volumn 3, Issue 2, 2012, Pages 142-163

  Jimenez, Bertha ^a   Angelov, Bojan ^a   Rao, Bharat ^a  

^a POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

Absorptive capacity; Innovation; Service industries; Strategy

Indexed keywords

EID: 84873194191     PISSN: None     EISSN: 18687873     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s13132-011-0078-z     Document Type: Article

References (94)

1. Amit R, Schoemaker PJH (1993) Strategic assets and organizational rent. Strateg Manag J 14(1): 33-46.
2. Anh PT, Baughn CC, Hang NTM, Neupert KE (2006) Knowledge acquisition from foreign parents in international joint ventures: an empirical study in Vietnam. Int Bus Rev 15(5): 463-487. doi: 10. 1016/j. ibusrev. 2006. 05. 004.
3. Arbussà A, Coenders G (2007) Innovation activities, use of appropriation instruments and absorptive capacity: evidence from Spanish firms. Res Policy 36(10): 1545-1558. doi: 10. 1016/j. respol. 2007. 04. 013.
4. Barney J (1991) Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. J Manag 17(1): 99.
5. Becker W, Peters J (2000) Technological opportunities, absorptive capacities and innovation. Paper presented at the Eighth International Joseph A. Schumpeter Society Conference Centre for Research in Innovation and Competition (CRIC), Manchester, UK, 28 June-1 July.
6. Benson D, Ziedonis RH (2009) Corporate venture capital as a window on new technologies: implications for the performance of corporate investors when acquiring startups. Organ Sci 20(2): 329-351.
7. Bergh DD, Lim EN-K (2008) Learning how to restructure: absorptive capacity and improvisational views of restructuring actions and performance. Strateg Manag J 29(6): 593-616. doi: 10. 1002/smj. 676.
8. Berry H (2006) Leaders, laggards, and the pursuit of foreign knowledge. Strateg Manag J 27(2): 151-168. doi: 10. 1002/smj. 509.
9. Bierly PE, Damanpour F, Santoro MD (2009) The application of external knowledge: organizational conditions for exploration and exploitation. J Manag Stud 46(3): 481-509. doi: 10. 1111/j. 1467-6486. 2009. 00829. x.
10. Bitner MJ, Brown SW (2006) The evolution and discovery o services science in business schools. Commun ACM 49(7): 73-78.
11. Boynton AC, Zmud RW, Jacobs GC (1994) The influence of it management practice on it use in large organizations. MIS Q 18(3): 299-318.
12. Cadiz D, Sawyer JE, Griffith TL (2009) Developing and validating field measurement scales for absorptive capacity and experienced community of practice. Educ Psychol Meas 69(6): 1035-1038. doi: 10. 1177/0013164409344494.
13. Camisón C, Forés B (2010) Knowledge absorptive capacity: new insights for its conceptualization and measurement. J Bus Res 63(7): 707-715. doi: 10. 1016/j. jbusres. 2009. 04. 022.
14. Chen Y-S, Lin M-JJ, Chang C-H (2009) The positive effects of relationship learning and absorptive capacity on innovation performance and competitive advantage in industrial markets. Ind Mark Manag 38(2): 152-158. doi: 10. 1016/j. indmarman. 2008. 12. 003.
15. Chesbrough H, Spohrer J (2006) A research manifesto for services science. Commun ACM 49(7): 35-40.
16. Cohen PA, Kulik JA, Kulik C-LC (1982) Educational outcomes of tutoring: a meta-analysis of findings. Am Educ Res J 19(2): 237-248.
17. Cohen WM, Levinthal DA (1990) Absorptive capacity: a new perspective on learning and innovation. Adm Sci Q 35(1): 128-152.
18. Cotton JL, Tuttle JM (1986) Employee turnover: a meta-analysis and review with implications for research. Acad Manag Rev 11(1): 55-70.
19. Day GS (1994) The capabilities of market-driven organizations. J Mark 58(4): 37.
20. Deeds DL (2001) The role of R& D intensity, technical development and absorptive capacity in creating entrepreneurial wealth in high technology start-ups. J Eng Technol Manag 18(1): 29.
21. Diao Y (2007) Using control theory to improve productivity of service systems. Paper presented at the IEEE International Conference on Services Computing, July 2007.
22. Drejer I (2004) Identifying innovation in surveys of services: a Schumpeterian perspective. Res Policy 33(3): 551. doi: 10. 1016/j. respol. 2003. 07. 004.
23. Dyer JH, Singh H (1998) The relational view: cooperative strategy and sources of interorganizational competitive advantage. Acad Manag Rev 23(4): 660-679.
24. Eriksson K, Chetty S (2003) The effect of experience and absorptive capacity on foreign market knowledge. Int Bus Rev 12(6): 673. doi: 10. 1016/j. ibusrev. 2003. 07. 001.
25. Escribano A, Fosfuri A, Tribó JA (2009) Managing external knowledge flows: the moderating role of absorptive capacity. Res Policy 38(1): 96-105. doi: 10. 1016/j. respol. 2008. 10. 022.
26. ESSEC_Business_School (2010) Ranking of journal 2009/2010 by group.
27. Fabrizio KR (2009) Absorptive capacity and the search for innovation. Res Policy 38(2): 255-267. doi: 10. 1016/j. respol. 2008. 10. 023.
28. Fiol CM (1996) Squeezing harder doesn't always work: continuing the search for consistency in innovation research. Acad Manag Rev 21(4): 1012-1021.
29. Frost TS, Changhui Z (2005) R& D co-practice and 'reverse' knowledge integration in multinational firms. J Int Bus Stud 36(6): 676-687. doi: 10. 1057/palgrave. jibs. 8400168.
30. Gadrey J (1996) Une économie de services, 2nd edn. La Decouverte, Paris.
31. Gallouj F (2002) Innovation in services and the attendant old and new myths. J Socio-Econ 31(2): 137-154. doi: 10. 1016/s1053-5357(01)00126-3.
32. Gallouj F, Weinstein O (1997) Innovation in services. Res Policy 26(4-5): 537-556.
33. George G, Zahra SA, Wheatley KK, Khan R (2001) The effects of alliance portfolio characteristics and absorptive capacity on performance a study of biotechnology firms. J High Technol Manag Res 12(2): 205.
34. Gomez J, Vargas P (2009) The effect of financial constraints, absorptive capacity and complementarities on the adoption of multiple process technologies. Res Policy 38(1): 106-119. doi: 10. 1016/j. respol. 2008. 10. 013.
35. Grant RM (1991) The resource-based theory of competitive advantage: implications for strategy formulation. Calif Manag Rev 33(3): 114-135.
36. Grant RM (1996) Toward a knowledge-based theory of the firm. Strateg Manag J 17: 109-122.
37. Gronroos C (1990) Service management and marketing-managing the moments of truth in service competition. Lexington Books, Lexington.
38. Harrington SJ, Guimaraes T (2005) Corporate culture, absorptive capacity and it success. Inf Organ 15(1): 39-63. doi: 10. 1016/j. infoandorg. 2004. 10. 002.
39. Hervas-Oliver J-L, Albors-Garrigos J (2009) The role of the firm's internal and relational capabilities in clusters: when distance and embeddedness are not enough to explain innovation. J Econ Geogr 9(2): 263-283. doi: 10. 1093/jeg/lbn033.
40. Hill TP (1977) On goods and services. Rev Income & Wealth 23(4): 315-338.
41. Hipp C, Grupp H (2005) Innovation in the service sector: the demand for service-specific innovation measurement concepts and typologies. Res Policy 34(4): 517-535. doi: 10. 1016/j. respol. 2005. 03. 002.
42. Howells J (2006) Where to from here for service innovation? Knowledge Intensive Services Activities (KISA) conference (vol. March 22nd), Sydney, Australia.
43. IBM (2006) Services definition. Services sciences, management and engineering. http://www. research. ibm. com/ssme/services. shtml. Accessed 9 October 2006.
44. Jansen JJP, van Den Bosch FAJ, Volberda HW (2005) Managing potential and realized absorptive capacity: how do organizational antecedents matter? Acad Manag J 48(6): 999-1015.
45. Kim C-S, Inkpen AC (2005) Cross-border R& D alliances, absorptive capacity and technology learning. J Int Manag 11(3): 313-329. doi: 10. 1016/j. intman. 2005. 06. 002.
46. Kim L (1998) Crisis construction and organizational learning: capability building in catching-up at Hyundai Motor. Organ Sci 9(4): 506-521.
47. Lado AA, Boyd NG, Wright P (1992) A competency-based model of sustainable competitive advantage: toward a conceptual integration. J Manag 18(1): 77.
48. Lane PJ, Koka BR, Pathak S (2006) The reification of absorptive capacity: a critical review and rejuvenation of the construct. Acad Manag Rev 31(4): 833-863.
49. Lane PJ, Lubatkin M (1998) Relative absorptive capacity and interorganizational learning. Strateg Manag J 19(5): 461.
50. Lane PJ, Salk JE, Lyles MA (2001) Absorptive capacity, learning, and performance in international joint ventures. Strateg Manag J 22(12): 1139-1161. doi: 10. 1002/smj. 206.
51. Lavie D (2006) The competitive advantage of interconnected firms: an extension of the resource-based view. Acad Manag Rev 31(3): 638-658.
52. Lev S, Fiegenbaum A, Shoham A (2009) Managing absorptive capacity stocks to improve performance: empirical evidence from the turbulent environment of Israeli hospitals. Eur Manag J 27(1): 13-25. doi: 10. 1016/j. emj. 2008. 04. 001.
53. Liao J, Welsch H, Stoica M (2003) Organizational absorptive capacity and responsiveness: an empirical investigation of growth-oriented SMEs. Enterp Theory Pract 28(1): 63-85. doi: 10. 1111/1540-8520. 00032.
54. Liu X, White RS (1997) The relative contributions of foreign technology and domestic inputs to innovation in Chinese. Technovation 17(3): 119.
55. Luo Y (1997) Partner selection and venturing success: the case of joint ventures with firms in the People's Republic of China. Organ Sci 8(6): 648-662.
56. Mangematin V, Nesta L (1999) What kind of knowledge can a firm absorb? Int J Technol Manag 18(3/4): 149.
57. Matusik SF, Heeley MB (2005) Absorptive capacity in the software industry: identifying dimensions that affect knowledge and knowledge creation activities. J Manag 31(4): 549-572.
58. McGahan AM, Porter ME (1997) How much does industry matter, really? Strateg Manag J 18: 15-30.
59. Miles I (2008) Patterns of innovation in service industries. IBM System Journal 47(1): 115-128. doi: 10. 1147/sj. 471. 0115.
60. Mowery DC, Oxley JE, Silverman BS (1996) Strategic alliances and interfirm knowledge transfer. Strateg Manag J 17: 77-91.
61. Murovec N, Prodan I (2009) Absorptive capacity, its determinants, and influence on innovation output: cross-cultural validation of the structural model. Technovation 29(12): 859-872. doi: 10. 1016/j. technovation. 2009. 05. 010.
62. Neely A (2007) Servitization of manufacturing: an analysis of global trends. Ankara, Turkey.
63. Nicholls-Nixon CL, Woo CY (2003) Technology sourcing and output of established firms in a regime of encompassing technological change. Strateg Manag J 24(7): 651. doi: 10. 1002/smj. 329.
64. Nieto M, Quevedo P (2005) Absorptive capacity, technological opportunity, knowledge spillovers, and innovative effort. Technovation 25: 1141-1157.
65. Penner-Hahn J, Shaver JM (2005) Does international research and development increase patent output? An analysis of Japanese pharmaceutical firms. Strateg Manag J 26(2): 121-140. doi: 10. 1002/smj. 436.
66. Phene A, Fladmoe-Lindquist K, Marsh L (2006) Breakthrough innovations in the U. S. biotechnology industry: the effects of technological space and geographic origin. Strateg Manag J 27(4): 369-388.
67. RAE_Rating (2009) Journal ranking list for business and management.
68. Rothaermel FT, Alexandre MT (2009) Ambidexterity in technology sourcing: the moderating role of absorptive capacity. Organ Sci 20(4): 759-780.
69. Rumelt RP (1991) How much does industry matter? Strateg Manag J 12(3): 167-185.
70. Rust R, Miu C (2006) What academic research tells us about service. Commun ACM 49(7): 49-54.
71. Salter A, Tether BS (2006) Innovation in services: through the looking glass of innovation studies (vol. April 7, 2006): background paper for Advanced Institute of Management (AIM) Research's Grand Challenge on Services Science.
72. Schmalensee R (1985) Do markets differ much? Am Econ Rev 75(3): 341-351.
73. Schmidt T (2010) Absorptive capacity-one size fits all? A firm-level analysis of absorptive capacity for different kinds of knowledge. Manag Decis Econ 31(1): 1-18. doi: 10. 1002/mde. 1423.
74. Small_Business_Administration (2009) Office of advocacy: frequent asked question. http://www. sba. gov/advo/stats/sbfaq. pdf. Accessed 14 January 2010.
75. Stock GN, Greis NP, Fischer WA (2001) Absorptive capacity and new product development. J High Technol Manag Res 12(1): 77.
76. Stroup D, Berlin J, Morton S, Olkin I, Williamson G, Rennie D et al (2000) Meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology: a proposal for reporting. JAMA 283(15): 2008.
77. Sun PYT, Anderson MH (2010) An examination of the relationship between absorptive capacity and organizational learning, and a proposed integration. Int J Manag Rev 12(2): 130-150. doi: 10. 1111/j. 1468-2370. 2008. 00256. x.
78. Szulanski G (1996) Exploring internal stickiness: impediments to the transfer of best practice within the firm. Strateg Manag J 17: 27-43.
79. Thomson_Reuters (2009) Journals ranked by impact: management, April 2009. http://sciencewatch. com/dr/sci/09/apr12-09_2/. Accessed 9 January 2010.
80. Todorova G, Durisin B (2007) Absorptive capacity: valuing a reconceptualization. Acad Manag Rev 32(3): 774-786.
81. Tu Q, Vonderembse MA, Ragu-Nathan TS, Sharkey TW (2006) Absorptive capacity: enhancing the assimilation of time-based manufacturing practices. J Oper Manag 24(5): 692-710. doi: 10. 1016/j. jom. 2005. 05. 004.
82. U. S._Department_of_Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis. http://www. bea. gov/. Accessed 25 November 2009.
83. van Ark B, Broersma L, den Hertog P (2003) Service innovation, performance and policy: a review. Research Series 6. Ministry of Economic Affairs, The Hague.
84. van Den Bosch FAJ, Volberda HW, De Boer M (1999) Coevolution of firm absorptive capacity and knowledge environment: organizational forms and combinative capabilities. Organ Sci 10(5): 551-568.
85. Vargo SL, Lusch RF (2004) Evolving to a new dominant logic for marketing. J Mark 68(1): 1-17.
86. Vargo SL, Lusch RF (2008) Service-dominant logic: continuing the evolution. J Acad Mark Sci 36(1): 1-10.
87. Vargo SL, Lusch RF (2008) Why "service"? J Acad Mark Sci 36(1): 25-38.
88. Vega-Jurado J, Gutiérrez-Gracia A, Fernández-de-Lucio I (2008) Analyzing the determinants of firm's absorptive capacity: beyond R& D. R& D Manag 38(4): 392-405. doi: 10. 1111/j. 1467-9310. 2008. 00525. x.
89. Veugelers R (1997) Internal R& D expenditures and external technology sourcing. Res Policy 26(3): 303.
90. Wernerfelt B (1984) A resource-based view of the firm. Strateg Manag J 5(2): 171-180.
91. Zahra SA, Filatotchev I, Wright M (2009) How do threshold firms sustain corporate entrepreneurship? The role of boards and absorptive capacity. J Bus Ventur 24(3): 248-260. doi: 10. 1016/j. jbusvent. 2008. 09. 001.
92. Zahra SA, George G (2002) Absorptive capacity: a review, reconceptualization, and extension. Acad Manag Rev 27(2): 185-203.
93. Zahra SA, Hayton JC (2008) The effect of international venturing on firm performance: the moderating influence of absorptive capacity. J Bus Ventur 23(2): 195-220. doi: 10. 1016/j. jbusvent. 2007. 01. 001.
94. Zhao Z, Anand J (2009) A multilevel perspective on knowledge transfer: evidence from the Chinese automotive industry. Strateg Manag J 30(9): 959-983.