Absorptive capacity, knowledge sharing, and innovative behaviour of R&D employees

ABSTRACT

This study explores the interrelationship between absorptive capacity and knowledge sharing, which are innovation-specific antecedents of innovative behaviour. By differentiating the two sub-dimensions of absorptive capacity, potential and realised absorptive capacity, previous contradictory findings on the relationship between absorptive capacity and knowledge sharing are reconciled. To verify the research hypotheses, the survey responses from 138 R&D employees of a multinational electronics company are analysed through structural equation modelling. The results show that both sub-dimensions of absorptive capacity directly influence innovative behaviour. However, knowledge sharing’s effect on innovative behaviour is indirect through realised absorptive capacity. The research findings imply employees’ absorptive capacity and knowledge sharing among them should be nurtured simultaneously to facilitate innovative behaviour. In addition to providing employees with many opportunities to be exposed to external knowledge, internal communications among employees and exploratory trials exploiting external knowledge along with internal knowledge should be encouraged.

KEYWORDS:

• Absorptive capacity
• knowledge sharing
• innovative behaviour
• individual-level

Notes on contributors

Minhyung Kang is an assistant professor of the Department of Advanced Industry Fusion at Konkuk University in Seoul, Korea. His research interests include knowledge management, collective intelligence, and social network analysis. His studies have been published in Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Journal of Knowledge Management, Journal of Information Science, and Asia Pacific Journal of Information Systems.

Mi-Jung Lee is a team leader of the Investment Planning team at LStone, Inc. She received her master’s degree in management of technology from Konkuk University. Her main research areas are knowledge management, organisational behaviours, and organisational innovation.