36 International Journal of Knowledge Society Research, 4(3), 36-51, July-September 2013
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ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of the infuence of corporate culture in the absorp-
tive and innovative capacities of Spanish enterprises. This is an exploratory study conducted involving top
managers from a sample of 53 large Spanish companies. An empirical analysis is performed using a struc-
tural equations model and bootstrapping methodology. The paper highlights the role of corporate culture as
a concept that has a signifcant infuence on the absorptive capacity and also on the innovative capacity of
enterprises. The absorptive capacity is presented as a system that makes a work of observation, identifca-
tion, collection and use of information and knowledge from abroad, which is considered essential to achiev-
ing and sustaining competitive advantage. The research performed shows how the different components of
absorptive capacity, found in the literature are signifcant confguring the capacity as a latent variable with
economic sense. Furthermore, regarding the sample studied, corporate culture has a signifcant infuence on
the innovative capacity. The model explains the infuence of culture in the innovative capacity, and in the two
components of it, incremental and radical innovation. The investigation has found also some interactions not
included in the model proposed, as for example the relationship between the recognition as the part of the
absorptive capacity component more related with radical innovation. The empirical model performed need to
be replicated with other samples for further fndings and possible generalization. Deconstructing corporate
culture in eight dimensions permits to use some of them in a prescriptive way. The adoption of certain cultural
values and attitudes and the use of management strategies designed to promote these values and attitudes,
encourage the company to more easily beneft from the opportunities of their environment, increasing the
ability to manage information of the environment.
The Impact of Corporate
Culture on the Absorptive
Capacity and Innovative
Capacity of Companies
Enric Serradell López, Department of Business and Management Sciences, Open University
of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain
Carlos Grau Alguero, Department of Economy and Organization, University of Barcelona,
Barcelona, Spain
Keywords: Absorptive Capacity, Corporate Culture, Infuence, Innovation, Spanish Enterprises
DOI: 10.4018/ijksr.2013070104