Keep Innovating: Absorptive Capacity and the Performance of Brazilian Information Technology Companies

Abstract Continuous innovation is considered a major challenge for companies. By deepening this issue, this article highlights the absorptive capacity, which is the ability to explore external knowledge. This study analyzes the extent to which absorptive capacity affects the organizational performance of Brazilian IT companies. A theoretical model containing three hypotheses related to potential absorptive capacity, realized absorptive capacity, and organizational performance is analyzed by using factor analysis and structural equation modeling using an instrument applied to 130 companies between the months of July and August of 2017. The results show significant relations between the dimensions of absorptive capacity and organizational performance, indicating that a characteristic of the technological market is translated by adaptation ability, which demonstrates the influence of potential and realized absorptive capacity in performance as explained by the firm’s dynamic capabilities. JEL Code: N76, O32, L25.

摘要：持续创新被视为企业面临的核心挑战之一。本文通过深化对该议题的研究，聚焦于吸收能力（absorptive capacity）——即探索外部知识的能力。本研究旨在探究吸收能力对巴西信息技术（IT）企业组织绩效的影响程度。本研究构建了涵盖潜在吸收能力（potential absorptive capacity）、现实吸收能力（realized absorptive capacity）与组织绩效三大维度的理论模型，并提出三项相关研究假设；研究于2017年7月至8月间，通过调研工具对130家企业开展问卷调查，采用因子分析（factor analysis）与结构方程模型（structural equation modeling）对该理论模型进行实证检验。研究结果显示，吸收能力各维度与组织绩效之间存在显著相关关系；结果表明，技术市场的某一特征可通过适应能力得以体现，这验证了潜在吸收能力与现实吸收能力对企业绩效的影响，契合企业动态能力（dynamic capabilities）的理论阐释逻辑。JEL分类号：N76、O32、L25。