Abstract
Although the relevant literature has already demonstrated the impact that absorptive capacity has on companies’ innovation capacity, we have found few studies that analyze the role of learning capability in this relationship. The main objective of this study was to examine the role of organizational learning in this relationship. For this purpose, a quantitative research approach was used. A total of 306 valid questionnaires were obtained from small and medium-sized Spanish companies in different sectors. The collected data were analyzed using the multivariate Partial Least Square (PLS) quantitative structural equation technique. According to the result, absorption capacity turns into innovation mainly when learning capacity is involved in this process. This study provides empirical evidence of this relationship and fills this gap. It can also help organizations understand and clarify what would be the most appropriate way in to manage knowledge to improve their innovation levels.
Highlights
In a competitive and changing environment such as that in which we are living at present, permanent and continuous innovation is an increasingly necessary means to ensure the survival of companies [1,2]
The hypotheses were tested, and the direct and mediating effects were analyzed by employing the Partial Least Square (PLS) multivariate quantitative structural equation technique
The choice of this data analysis method is justified for the following reasons: (1) it is an appropriate method in the early stages of a new theory [75–77], (2) its predictive nature makes it possible to address the research questions in hand [78,79], (3) it allows the observation of different causal relationships [80,81], and (4) it is a suitable method when the sample size is small [82,83]
Summary
In a competitive and changing environment such as that in which we are living at present, permanent and continuous innovation is an increasingly necessary means to ensure the survival of companies [1,2]. The capacity for innovation allows companies to transform their knowledge into new products or processes so as to clearly improve their market position by responding to the different competitive challenges posed by the current globalized environments [4]. It is innovation that allows companies to produce the new products, processes, and systems that are necessary in order to adapt to markets, technological changes, and new ways of competing [3]. This means of improving their knowledge acquisition, learning, and assimilation systems is what will generate greater competitiveness in today’s companies. If these companies are to shape their innovation strategies, they need to absorb new information from the environment and use it internally [9]
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