How does cultural intelligence influence the relationships between potential and realised absorptive capacity and innovativeness? Evidence from Poland

ABSTRACT

Cultural intelligence underpins the interaction between firms and their cultural environments as the domain of external sources that are explored and utilised for innovation through absorptive capacity. This research seeks to answer the question of if and how cultural intelligence moderates the links between innovativeness and potential and realised absorptive capacity. We test our hypotheses based on data from 215 firms operating in Poland. We demonstrate that cultural intelligence strengthens the linkage between potential absorptive capacity and innovativeness that highlights cultural intelligence as an important enabler of exploring new and diverse external knowledge sources. We discuss cultural intelligence concept in relation to strategic management and reveal its contingent role in innovativeness.

KEYWORDS:

• Cultural intelligence
• innovativeness
• absorptive capacity
• Poland

Notes on contributors

Ismail Gölgeci is a Lecturer in Marketing at University of East Anglia, UK. His research interests focus on global marketing strategy and global supply chain management.

Justyna Swiatowiec-Szczepanska currently serves as an Associate Professor of Strategic Management at Poznan University of Economics. Her research interests focus on strategic management and marketing strategy.

Konrad Raczkowski is Associate Professor and Director of the Institute of Economics at University of Social Sciences. His research interests focus on quantitative methods and innovation.