Absorptive Capacity, Organization Learning and Social Integration Mechanisms

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to seek to understand how the recursive process related to organizational capacity for absorption and learning occurs through social integration mechanisms, as exemplified in the implementation of the Paraná Digital Program in two public education institutions in Curitiba, Paraná, during the period from 2007 to 2013. The methodology used was qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive, accomplished by means of a comparative case strategy with a temporal cross-sectional perspective. Data collection was accomplished through interviews, document analysis and participant observation. Content analysis was used to comprehend the data obtained. Results show that a completed absorption capacity process leads to full organizational learning, and that faults in one process impact the other, demonstrating a recursive relationship mediated by social integration mechanisms.