Knowledge Coupling and Organizational Resilience: The Moderating Effect of Market Orientation

Abstract

This study conducts an empirical study on the relationship between knowledge coupling and organizational resilience based on the knowledge-based view. Meanwhile, market orientation is considered a moderating variable because of its role in this transmission mechanism. The hypotheses are tested through a survey of 359 Chinese manufacturing firms. The results show that both complementary knowledge coupling and substitutive knowledge coupling have significant positive impacts on organizational resilience, and the proactive market orientation positively moderates the relationship between complementary/substitutive knowledge coupling and organizational resilience, while the responsive market orientation negatively moderates the relationship between complementary knowledge coupling and organizational resilience. In the context of the current globalization of the COVID-19 epidemic, this study explores the critical factors needed to survive and develop by firms in adversity, which enriches the research on organizational resilience and market orientation theory and provides suggestions for firms’ strategic planning.