A Meta-Synthesis of Research on Absorptive Capacity Concept among Companies

This meta-synthesis study ¹ reviewed 128 papers related to the use of absorptive capacity (ACAP) concept among various companies from 2004 to 2018. Several variables used to study the ACAP do have more variations than others, such as performance, knowledge, capability, and entrepreneurial orientation. Little attention has been studied in the aspect of innovation and intellectual capital. The ACAP variables used for large companies tended to be more systematic and emphasized on long-run effect compared to SMEs. The majority studies of the ACAP concepts focused more on dependent, independent, and moderating variables. Investigating deeper on organizational size, integrating various theories (internal and external) and examining mediating factors are future directions for absorptive capacity studies. These calls would contribute to provide comprehensive understanding on the ACAP studies particularly in the context specificity of company size (i.e. small- and medium-sized enterprises versus large companies).