THE ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY OF KNOWLEDGE AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN COMPANIES FROM KOSOVO

Abstract

To compete successfully in today’s economy, companies have to treat the knowledge as their core asset. Moreover, the companies should value the role of knowledge workers as crucial factor for company’s development and success. The purpose of this paper is to examine the process of absorption of new technologies and knowledge within a company. This study shows how Kosovar companies are open due to new knowledge and technological news. What do they know about knowledge workers? What are the strategies for practical application of the knowledge on these companies? To answer to these questions, first the companies were distributed into three distinct profiles. Then the three different profile companies were evaluated with regard to their openness to internet and import-export transactions. The three profiles of companies taken to this study were: ICT companies, financial companies and production companies.Consistent with the extant research, the evidences from the survey finds that the openness of Kosovar companies due to new technological changes and knowledge are in positive correlation with their openness to internet and the import-export fluctuation of products and services with international companies. This happens for two reasons. The first one is because of the demand from international companies with whom Kosovar companies are in business relationship. And the second one is, because of their initiative to increase the competiveness of the company. The study utilizes a survey data set collected from 60 different companies, and statistically analyzes their absorptive capacity of knowledge and new technologies. The comparison of the three profiles shows that the companies with high both openness to internet and import-export transactions are likely to outperform the companies with low import-export transactions and low openness to internet on empirical analysis and measurement. As conclusion, the study finds that the companies with high import-export transactions but low openness to internet have shown a lack of absorption and practical application of new knowledge and technology. It is recommended that the companies with highly skilled employees should perform an exploratory strategy delegated to every single employee in order to innovate itself and to increase the absorptive capacity of knowledge, such processes should exist in these companies naturally even without managerial control.On the other hand, companies with low skilled employees should involve experts as consultants in innovation in order to increase the absorption capacity of knowledge and new technologies.