Capacidade absortiva: uma proposição para avaliação em empresas industriais

Abstract

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.