Collaborative innovation has become increasingly relevant for maintaining competitive advantage. Recent researchers posit that trust, which is core for collaborative innovation can be built through corporate social responsibility (CSR). Yet relatively little is known about the impact of CSR and its dimensions on collaborative innovation. Based on a panel data analysis covering the period 2009 to 2018, this thesis examines the relationship between Collaborative innovation and CSR on publicly listed manufacturing firms around the world and extends the literature by proposing that a firm's absorptive capacity exerts a moderating effect on this relationship. The study finds empirical evidence that supports the assertion that CSR promotes collaborative innovation. Importantly, the effect only manifests through the environmental dimension of CSR. The results also show that firms with higher absorptive capacities are more inclined to collaborate for innovation. However, the effect of CSR, especially the social and corporate governance dimensions on collaborative innovation dwindles in the presence of high absorptive capacity. These results have theoretical implications and provide valuable managerial recommendations for socially responsible firms that seek to form strategic alliances for innovation.

Speed and measure of the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) is bringing about shifts in power, wealth and knowledge. For entrepreneurs, who are known to drive innovation, Industry 4.0 offers a wide scope of opportunities in the future. As a middle-income country, South Africa needs to use its knowledge and innovations to sharpen its innovative edge in order to compete globally and stimulate innovation. Hence, this research attempts to determine the relationships between entrepreneurial competencies, entrepreneurial absorptive capacity and innovation capacity. Three conceptual frameworks of the interrelationships between these constructs were synthesised from the literature. As ample research on entrepreneurial competencies is widely available, a Delphi study was employed, together with a concept matrix to determine which entrepreneurial competencies should be included specifically significant for innovation within the 4IR context in South Africa. Four entrepreneurial competency categories emerged: cognitive (knowledge), functional (skills), social (attitudes and behaviours) and meta (facilitating learning) categories. Using a survey method, the analysis on a sample of 452 innovative entrepreneurs in South Africa was mainly done by empirically testing the causal linear relationship through structural equation modelling (SEM). Furthermore, an Artificial Neural Networking (ANN) technique which tests non-linear relationships and develop pattern recognition as well as modelling was conducted to compare the results of a non-linear relationship with those of a linear relationship. However, explorative comparisons of the performance of linear SEM models with non-linear NN indicated that the SEM models in this case performed better in explaining the variance in the dependent variables than did the ANN. Through the theories of innovative performance, person-entrepreneurial fit and knowledge spillover, the findings of the study indicate the importance of incorporating a unified entrepreneurial competency typology perspective on innovation. The cognitive, functional, social and meta competencies as well as entrepreneurial absorptive capacity are significant predictors of innovation capacity. The implications of this extend to transmitting knowledge through absorptive capacity, which allows entrepreneurs to identify and exploit opportunities, identified from new knowledge sources and incorporated into new innovations. Additionally, entrepreneurial absorptive capacity mediates the relationship between social, meta, and functional competencies and innovation capacity. Entrepreneurial absorptive capacity was also found to be a moderator between cognitive competencies and innovation capacity. Therefore, the development of certain entrepreneurial competencies, significant for innovation, is crucial for improving the strength of the relationship between entrepreneurial absorptive capacity and innovation capacity of entrepreneurs. These results have important implications for Industry 4.0 entrepreneurs, educators, policy makers as well as entrepreneurship models. / Thesis (PhD (Entrepreneurship))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Business Management / PhD / Unrestricted

In today’s dynamic corporate environment where firms struggle to maintain a competitive advantage, ambidextrous firms focusing on both exploration and exploitation are more likely to survive and prosper in the long run. Scholars have identified and examined a number of antecedents of organizational ambidexterity, but extant studies have not fully explored the role of a firm’s absorptive capacity in developing its organizational ambidexterity. The relevance of the absorptive capacity concept is paramount since new sources of competitive advantage would very likely come from outside the organizations. In this research, I explore the relationship between a firm’s absorptive capacity and organizational ambidexterity by focusing on two levels of absorptive capacity and three dimensions of organizational ambidexterity. Using a survey of 5,600 companies performed by the Government of Chile in 2015, and then a subsample of panel data that includes 760 companies for the 2009-2014 period, I find that both strategic and operational absorptive capacity contribute to the incremental exploitation dimension of organizational ambidexterity. My study contributes to our understanding of the absorptive capacity construct and illuminates how it affects organizational ambidexterity. The study also provides managerial implications as to what kind of external knowledge to procure and how to leverage it based on the firm’s ambidexterity goals. / Business Administration/Strategic Management

Submitted by Silvana Teresinha Dornelles Studzinski (sstudzinski) on 2016-07-14T13:06:06Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Clair Wingert Puffal_.pdf: 838959 bytes, checksum: d0bd857e392ed3db4e5d15c5a86c82a9 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-14T13:06:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Clair Wingert Puffal_.pdf: 838959 bytes, checksum: d0bd857e392ed3db4e5d15c5a86c82a9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-05-27 / Nenhuma / O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar processos e estruturas relacionadas às dimensões da capacidade absortiva (CA) em empresas industriais consideradas inovadoras no Rio Grande do Sul (Brasil). Para tanto, este trabalho buscou na literatura, estudos sobre o construto Capacidade Absortiva, desde sua proposição original por Cohen e Levinthal (1990) até seu aperfeiçoamento, nas últimas décadas, a partir de Zahra e George (2002), que introduziu uma visão processual das dimensões da CA e seus componentes, como CA potencial - CAp (Aquisição) e CAp (Assimilação) e CA realizada - CAr (Transformação) e CAr (Exploração), no contexto organizacional. Foram identificadas as principais contribuições em estudos anteriores sobre dimensões da CA em empresas, destacando-se os mecanismos organizacionais que apresentam elementos como coordenação, sistemas e socialização, efetividade na busca do aprendizado das empresas e sua base de conhecimento, eficácia da comunicação, interação com fontes externas de conhecimento, formalização e integração social, além de avaliações das diferentes práticas gerenciais em microprocessos das empresas, considerados recursos intangíveis para o desenvolvimento da CA. A partir desse contexto, este estudo elaborou um instrumento de coleta qualitativo, aplicado em duas empresas industriais localizadas no Rio Grande do Sul (Brasil), dotadas de processos de inovação diferenciados, comparados à concorrência em contexto local. A primeira faz parte da indústria de refrigerantes, é de grande porte e desenvolve inovações em produtos, processos e gestão, voltadas ao mercado. A segunda faz parte da indústria de equipamentos eletromédicos para estética, é de pequeno porte e desenvolve inovações com base no conhecimento tecnológico. Os resultados mostram que, por um lado, as empresas investigadas, independentemente do tamanho ou setor, mantêm uma dinâmica organizacional, com mecanismos de busca de renovação do conhecimento que envolve gestores e funcionários, com habilidades na busca e assimilação de informações externas por meio de desafios estratégicos lançados pela empresa. Por outro lado, observa–se nessas empresas dificuldade na manutenção de comunicação eficaz entre todos seus funcionários, comprometendo o desenvolvimento da CA. Este estudo preenche uma lacuna existente nas avaliações nos processos e estruturas voltadas à inovação, que podem ser aperfeiçoadas com uma perspectiva da CA, além da oportunidade de verificar na prática, como acorre o desenvolvimento da CA em empresas industriais, a partir de seus microprocessos. / The aim of this study was to analyze processes and structures related to the dimensions of absorptive capacity (ACAP) in industrial companies considered innovative in Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil). Therefore, this work sought within the literature studies on the construction of Absorptive Capacity since its original proposal by Cohen and Levinthal (1990) to its improvement in recent decades from Zahra and George (2002), which introduced a process view of the ACAP dimensions and its components as a potential ACAP - Acquisition and Assimilation, and realized RACAP - Transformation and Exploitation, in the organizational context. The main contributions in previous studies on ACAP dimensions in companies have been identified, highlighting the organizational mechanisms, which present elements such as coordination, systems and socialization, effectiveness in the pursuit of learning of the companies and their knowledge base, communication effectiveness, interaction with external sources of knowledge, formalization and social integration, besides evaluation of different management practices in micro processes of the companies, considered intangible resources to the ACAP development. This study to draw up a survey tool to collect qualitative data applied in two industrial companies located in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, with some innovation differentiated processes compared to the competition in local context. The first one is part of the soft drink industry; it is large-sized company and develops innovations in products, processes and management geared to the market. The second one is part of the electromedical equipment industry for cosmetic; it is small-sized company and develops innovations based on technological knowledge. In one hand the results show that regardless of size or sector the surveyed companies maintain an organizational dynamics with search mechanisms of knowledge renewal, involving managers and employees with skills in finding and assimilating external information through strategical challenges launched by the company. On the other hand, one observes in both companies difficulty in maintaining effective communication among all their employees compromising the development of ACAP. This study fulfill a gap in evaluations, in processes and in structures aimed at innovation, which can be improved with an ACAP perspective besides the opportunity of verifying in practice how the development of ACAP in industrial companies occurs from its micro processes.

Denna studie har utförts på ett försäkringsföretag som har sin verksamhet inom en nischad marknad som erbjuder försäkringar vid nybyggnation av fastigheter. I företaget finns en funktion som har upprättade processer för hantering av externa samarbetspartners, vilken studien har avgränsats till. Med ett kvalitativt angreppssätt har författarna utgått från företagets processer för att sedan teoretiskt underbygga analysen. Författarna har undersökt hur viktig insamling och absorbering av extern information är för värdeskapande. Resultatet av studien visar att insamling av extern information är viktigt och författarna har kunnat framställa en arbetsmodell för att försäkringsföretaget systematiskt ska kunna arbeta med extern informationsinsamling och absorbering för skapandet av värde och innovation. / This study has been conducted with an insurance company in a niche market offering insurances within new construction for real estate. The extent of this research paper has been limited to one of the functions in the company’s operating procedures, involving external collaboration partners’. With a qualitative approach the researchers’ have examined the company’s procedures and analysed it against relevant theories. The researchers’ have investigated the importance of the gathering and absorbing of external information for value-creation. The result shows that the gathering of external information is extremely important and the researchers’ have constructed a business model in order to systematically conduct external knowledge sourcing to create value and innovation.

This thesis focuses on the role of middle managers in the transfer of a humanistic approach to management, care and services in a physical rehabilitation center.This thesis should interest decision makers and researchers who are paying attention to humanistic approaches to management, care and services. The design of this multi-case qualitative, exploratory and constructivist research includes six cases, representing the six middle managers of the studied organization. The multi-case study allows us to contrast cases of successful middle managers from the ones who were not really able to transfer the humanistic approach in their program. Data production and analysis are done with methods used in grounded theory. Here are the main findings generated by this thesis. Firstly, our analysis reveals that, in spite of top management efforts to disseminate a humanistic approach to management, care and services throughout the organizations the transfer process sometimes clashes against the absorptive capacity of the middle manager within the program. When the middle manager has the capacity to absorb the humanistic approach, often because it is compatible with his profound convictions, this capacity is first expressed through his behavioral exemplarity. In the eyes of his employees, the middle manager primarily represents an embodied example of the humanistic approach through his behavior. Therefore, the behavioral exemplarity of the middle manager came out as a sine qua non condition through which is possible the co-construction of new humanistic care and services practices to be offered to clients of the program. Secondly, our analysis sheds light on the importance, at the beginning of the transfer process, to explain to employees the necessity to adopt a humanistic approach to management, care and services and to recognize existing humanistic practices in the organization. Thirdly, the results bring to the forefront the importance of macro and micro contexts as determinant variables in the transfer of a humanistic approach to management, care and services. Lastly, an intervention model illustrating the key role of middle managers in the transfer of a humanistic approach to management, care and services emerges from the results. The model also includes contextual elements which facilitate the transfer. On a more practical note, the model can guide organizations in the dissemination process of such an approach by providing a rich description of the stages of the dissemination process, the actors involved, the dissemination strategies and the goals of these strategies.

Title: Internationalisation of Swedish computer gaming companies - The role of knowledge in a digital era Authors: Elin Jakobsson & Fredrik Döring Supervisor: Cecilia Pahlberg Research question: How do Swedish computer gaming companies internationalise in regards to pursuit and absorption of knowledge? Purpose: The aim is to investigate how computer gaming companies find, internalise and use knowledge leading to internationalisation. This in turn will further be explained by embracing the role of digitisation for the above mentioned processes. This will enrich the field of study about international business where little research has been conducted by putting focus on the expansive industry and its digital product. At the same time the practical viewpoint is to highlight how these companies work around knowledge to become international. Method: An exploratory, qualitative research approach was undertaken. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain an in-depth understanding of how Swedish computer gaming companies internationalise with special focus on absorptive capacity. A conceptual framework forms the basis for analysis consisting of internationalisation theory, absorptive capacity and digitisation. Conclusions: The findings show that Swedish computer gaming companies internationalise in a reversed order. They do not act according to the Uppsala model, rather they chose what market to focus on after a game is released due to the digitised environment in this industry. This highly competitive and knowledge intensive industry requires game developers to find specific niches in which they can gain a competitive advantage.

This thesis sets out to explore the concept of dynamic capability which centers on the firm’s ability to sustain competitive advantage in dynamic environments. Drawing on a review of the literature, a framework of general factors conducive to a dynamic capability – absorptive capability, adaptive capability and innovative capability – is identified. Since the framework has not been explored empirically, this thesis takes the first step in this pursuit. The phenomenon is investigated in a case study comprised of three firms in the information and communication industry. Data is collected from interviews with representatives of the firms and from the last annual reports of the firms. Drawing on the analysis of the data, it is suggested that the specific operationalization of the factors should be refined. Nonetheless, the study suggests that the framework comprises a straightforward and efficient means of analysing a firm’s ability to sustain competitive advantage.

Internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been a considerable concern for international business (IB) scholars. Particularly, for those economies such as Sweden with small local markets, internationalization of SMEs could be fundamental. The firm-specific advantages (FSAs), including what the firm has and does, are crucial for SMEs to overcome in the face of their numerous different obstacles such as liability of smallness (LOS) and liability of foreignness (LOF). Examining the extant literature on the evolution of IB theories indicates that over time, IB scholars have been reaching to dynamic-based FSAs (what the firm does) as the source of developing and protecting sustainable competitive advantages (SCA) across national borders in a changing business environment. The nature of dynamic-based FSAs could be similar to dynamic capabilities. But, when it comes to determining specific component factors  of dynamic-based  FSAs  (as dynamic  capabilities),  there has been little agreement between IB researchers. In other words, the room of the dynamic capabilities is still dark. In this respect, shedding light into this room, particularly in the area of IB studies, is crucial. In addition, after determining the component factors of the dynamic-based FSAs, it is also critical to know the likely relationships between the identified component factors as well as their impact on the SMEs’ international performance (IP) as an important outcome of the internationalization. This means that there is a potential theoretical gap associated with the conceptualization of the component factors of the dynamic-based FSAs on one hand, and a potential empirical gap on the other. Given both theoretical and empirical research gaps, the purpose of this study is to examine, from a theoretical perspective, the nature of the dynamic-based FSA and its related component factors in the IB context, as well as empirically explore how SMEs’ IP is influenced by the identified component factors of the dynamic-based FSAs. To perform this study, first of all, based on lenses of the resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capability view (DCV), the literature on organizational capability in the context of the IB studies was systematically reviewed to fill the theoretical gap. Consequently, three component factors of dynamic-based FSAs including networking capability (NC) as a relational-based FSA, innovative capability (IC) as an innovative-based FSA and absorptive capacity (ACAP) as a learning-based FSA were identified, all of which are pluripotent and dynamic in nature. Then, a deductive approach was followed to develop several hypotheses and the associated conceptual model. Furthermore, a survey strategy, collecting data from 330 Swedish internationalized manufacturing SMEs, was applied to accomplish the purpose of the study. Then, the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) as a quantitative method was used to analyze the collected data. The results of the PLS-SEM analysis show that the SMEs’ international performance (IP) is positively influenced by the three identified component factors, whether directly or indirectly. In this regard, ACAP and NC are the two reliable predictors (directly) of the SMEs’ IP. The results indicate that innovative capability (IC) does not have direct impact on the SMEs’ IP, and that its effect is fully transmitted on IP only by the mediating effect of the networking capability (NC). Further analysis showed that ACAP, as an endogenous latent variable, additionally has a positive indirect association with SMEs’ international performance (IP). Moreover, the results also indicate that innovative capability is directly and positively affected by ACAP (innovating-by-learning effect). It was also empirically revealed that ACAP is a very strong predictor for networking capability, which is labeled as the networking-by-learning effect. Another major finding was that in internationalized SMEs, NC is strongly, directly and positively affected by IC; this effect also is termed as the networking-by-innovating effect. The overall picture resulting from the PLS- SEM analysis indicates that ACAP in internationalized SMEs is a wellspring to develop both innovative capability and networking capability, as well as influence SMEs’ IP. Furthermore, these results suggest that the networking capability is a vital gateway to transmit the effect of the other two component factors on IP and, at the same time, directly influence IP.

Innovations as a source of economic wellbeing and social prosperity has been well researched, albeit primarily done in the context of developed economies. However, of late, interest in the effect of innovation on economic performance and quality of life has been renewed as the world observes the rise of emerging economies, and at the same time, the prolonged recession in the more developed economies (i.e. North America and European countries). There has been a marked increase in the quantity and quality of research and development, spawn by innovative companies from emerging economies that are making their mark in global marketplace. These phenomena challenge the traditional concept that innovation flows from the resource rich developed countries to less developed countries, and that the latter are at a disadvantage in terms of knowledge, technology and competitiveness. Existing studies on national innovation highlight the relationships between innovative capability and its outcomes; however, few have tried to explain the determinants of a nation’s innovative capabilities. Using a sample of 95 countries and panel data analysis covering 28 years of observation, this study attempts to model the determinants of innovative capability at national level, and focuses on absorptive capacity and institutional framework as the main determinants of innovative capability. Further, this study identifies different aspects of absorptive capacity: creation and exploitation of innovation. Findings offer support on the importance of various sources of external knowledge in the creation of innovation, with FDI inflow and High Technology Export as the strongest sources. Corruption as institutional factor has negative effect on innovative capability, whereas openness shows no effect. National absorptive capacity moderates the effect of external knowledge on innovative capability, except on FDI outflow in which a negative effect on trademark application as a measure of innovative capability. The findings suggest that innovative capability and moderating role of absorptive capacity enhance economic wellbeing. Findings show that economic wellbeing increases happiness and income inequality (as the measures of quality of life); same thing as innovative capability, which also increases both happiness and income inequality. This study demonstrates that for happiness, higher education and better infrastructure (as the measure of foundational absorptive capacity) decrease the level of happiness. Higher education and ease access to information may increase expectation, which lead to unhappiness when the expectation is not met. For income inequality, negative effect of the moderating role of absorptive capacity means that higher education and better infrastructure contribute to lowering income inequality. Based on these findings, a nation should continue to attract FDI and trade in high technology because these sources of knowledge contribute to innovative capability. Policy makers can develop country positioning and country’s marketing activities by using the combination of the improvement of national factors and policy reforms. The upgrading of national factors helps to achieve higher economic wellbeing and quality of life in general.