TY - JOUR
T1 - A measure of absorptive capacity
T2 - Scale development and validation
AU - Flatten, Tessa C.
AU - Engelen, Andreas
AU - Zahra, Shaker A.
AU - Brettel, Malte
PY - 2011/4
Y1 - 2011/4
N2 - Academic interest in absorptive capacity (ACAP), which has grown rapidly over the past two decades, has focused on ACAP's effect on organizational learning, knowledge sharing, innovation, capability building, and firm performance. Even though Cohen and Levinthal's work (1990) highlights the multidimensionality of ACAP, researchers have measured it as a uni-dimensional construct, often using a firm's R&D spending intensity as a proxy for this construct. This practice raises questions about the veracity of the claims made in the literature about the nature and contributions of ACAP. The present study develops and validates a multidimensional measure of ACAP, building on relevant prior literature, a series of pre-tests, and two large survey-based studies of German companies.
AB - Academic interest in absorptive capacity (ACAP), which has grown rapidly over the past two decades, has focused on ACAP's effect on organizational learning, knowledge sharing, innovation, capability building, and firm performance. Even though Cohen and Levinthal's work (1990) highlights the multidimensionality of ACAP, researchers have measured it as a uni-dimensional construct, often using a firm's R&D spending intensity as a proxy for this construct. This practice raises questions about the veracity of the claims made in the literature about the nature and contributions of ACAP. The present study develops and validates a multidimensional measure of ACAP, building on relevant prior literature, a series of pre-tests, and two large survey-based studies of German companies.
KW - Absorptive capacity
KW - Scale development
KW - Survey-based research
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79952734721&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1016/j.emj.2010.11.002
DO - 10.1016/j.emj.2010.11.002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:79952734721
SN - 0263-2373
VL - 29
SP - 98
EP - 116
JO - European Management Journal
JF - European Management Journal
IS - 2
ER -