Redefining the Relationship between Intellectual Capital and Innovation: The Mediating Role of Absorptive Capacity

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between absorptive capacity, intellectual capital and innovation. The main purpose of this research is to demonstrate that absorptive capacity can leverage the relation between intellectual capital and innovation potential. The method was a single case study using exploratory and descriptive research strategies and applying both quantitative and qualitative techniques. The case study investigated was a Brazilian corporation that has been doing business in the paper and corrugated cardboard industry for 72 years. The paper describes a case analysis demonstrating that adoption of practices associated with absorptive capacity has potential to foster intellectual capital, which is particularly important for development of innovations. These practices include assimilation of new technologies; creating capacity to utilize existing internal knowledge held by employees; use of benchmarking; application of technical knowledge; and registration of patents. Triangulation of data provided evidence confirming that the relationship between absorptive capacity and intellectual capital is a driver of innovation in the firm investigated. Additionally, this relationship is better explained by the mediating role of absorptive capacity, which is capable of potentiating intellectual capital to foster innovation.

Linking Knowledge Sharing, Intellectual Capital And Social Capital To Innovation Performance

“…Prior studies shows empirically that intellectual capital enhances innovation and innovation performance (Zerenler et al, 2008;Santos-Rodrigues, et al, 2013;Han and Li, 2015;Cassol, et al, 2016). Following these statements, we propose that; Proposition 3 (P3): Intellectual capital is positively related to innovation performance.…”

The Effects of Absorptive Capacity, Intellectual Property and Innovation in SMEs

“…SMEs that orient their resources and capacities, for instance their knowledge and product and process innovation, towards market orientation, obtain a strong competitive advantage over other companies and survive in complicated and turbulent environments (Guzmán, Castro, & Serna, 2013;Naidoo, 2010). Innovation and intellectual property have also been associated as mediators towards a more precise market orientation (Cassol et al, 2016;Naidoo, 2010). Some SMEs have approached research centers and universities in order to improve their intellectual property management in diverse endeavors: brand and logo design, improvement of production processes, patent registration, and they are also demanding the design of platforms to control, transfer, and protect knowledge, to control client information, and to analyze …”

“…The result has implications in the activities derived from innovation, and especially on knowledge management, reflected by human capital and intellectual property activities (Ayerbe, Lazaric, Callois, & Mitkova, 2014). Despite knowledge capture, assimilation, and knowledge usage practices are usually not fully developed in SMEs, there are studies demonstrating the significant relationship between absorptive capacity, innovation, and intellectual capital (protection of knowledge) (Cassol, Gonçalo, & Ruas, 2016). Companies have also been shown to achieve the transformation of their internal and external knowledge into intangible assets, such as the development of new products, the increase in brand value, and the development of patents, which results in encouraging expectations in highly competitive markets (Ayerbe et al, 2014).…”

Relacionando capital intelectual, gestão do conhecimento e sustentabilidade: um modelo conceitual

“…Desta forma, os indivíduos organizacionais passam a desenvolver o saber individual, focalizando-o de forma a alavancar as vantagens competitivas das organizações. Assim, uma das bases de pesquisa sobre gestão do conhecimento nas organizações enfoca o capital intelectual (Cassol, Gonçalo, & Ruas, 2016).…”

“…Na verdade, ocorre um processo de simbiose, onde a associação entre as organizações e seus indivíduos gera vantagens para ambos. Desta forma, o capital intelectual é reconhecido como um recurso estratégico para as empresas (Cassol et al, 2016), sendo possível afirmar que a criação de valor nas organizações é proveniente do alinhamento estratégico da gestão do conhecimento em torno dos processos (Costa & Rezende, 2018). Assim, há de se destacar o papel da gestão do conhecimento para a eficiência e eficácia do capital intelectual.…”