The relationship between absorptive capacity and strategic agility with the internationalization of exporting companies

Document Type : Research

Author

2. Assistant Prof., Faculty of Management, Institute Higher Education Ershad Damavand, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/smsj.2023.384859.1796

Abstract

Aim and Introduction: Recently, the role of absorptive capacity and dimensions of strategic agility in facilitating the internationalization of companies have been considered from different angles in the national and international arena, and their interactive effects have been analyzed at different levels. The importance of the skills and abilities necessary to achieve strategic agility is focused on those specific functions of human resources that promote the skills and capabilities required for strategic agility in entrepreneurial companies. The angles of effective management of entrepreneurial teams in different fields have revealed the importance of the relationship between strategic agility and human resource management. Therefore, in this study, the relationship between absorptive capacity and strategic agility is considered and the question is raised, how is absorptive capacity through strategic agility capabilities related to facilitating the internationalization of exporting companies?
Methodology: According to the theoretical foundations, the research hypotheses and the conceptual model of internationalization facilitation are presented. The research strategy is a survey type and in terms of a descriptive method, which has been tested in an exploratory-correlational way, the relationships of the research model and using a combined questionnaire, to measure absorptive capacity from the study of Flatan et al., strategic agility capabilities and facilitating internationalization from dose studies; and Cheng et al. and Samer have been used. From the statistical population of exporting companies, the number of 38 exporting companies of the national sample in 1400 has been selected as a statistical sample.
Findings: Based on the test of relationships, the most important relationship is related to the structure of strategic sensitivity, which has the highest factor loading (0.921) for the index "The company has effective communication to exploit strategic intelligence". After that, the most important relationship is related to the structure of "selecting strategic technological knowledge goals". This structure has a higher factor load for its four indicators, the most important of which is related to the index "strategic challenges of customers (related industries) identified in the present and future.", and the second index is "technological knowledge goals to face the strategic challenges of the determined industry." Is". These two indicators have factorial values of (0.845) and (0.785), respectively. This value of the factor load indicates the importance and significance of the relationship of this construct, which shows its descriptive power and significance from a statistical point of view. The lowest significant coefficient is related to the path (continuous innovation → internationalization) and the lowest statistical value (0.400) indicates the weak relationship of this construct with the issue of absorption capacity and facilitation of internationalization through strategic agility capabilities. According to the above, in order to facilitate the process of internationalization through absorption capacity, it is necessary to provide a greater understanding of the mediating role of strategic agility capabilities, and consider the degree of influence of the independent variable on the facilitation of internationalization and considering the coefficient of determination of about 65%, another study The variables influencing the facilitation of internationalization can be explained.
Discussion and Conclusion: To facilitate the process of internationalization through absorption capacity, it is necessary to provide a greater understanding of the mediating role of strategic agility capabilities, consider the degree of influence of the independent variable on the facilitation of internationalization, and consider the determination coefficient. The relationship test of the research model shows the important role of absorptive capacity in the selection of goals and capabilities of strategic agility and effective communication for exploiting strategic intelligence. The most important relationship is related to the structure of strategic sensitivity, and after that, the selection of strategic technological knowledge goals, the understanding value of useful knowledge in the environment, and the ability to convert it into efficiency. After that, the level of identifying the strategic challenges of customers in the present and the future is strategic for choosing technological knowledge goals. This empirical evidence supports the argument that international activities and the facilitation of the internationalization of the company are highly dependent on the process of absorptive capacity through strategic agility in the company. In this way, strategic agility helps managers to recognize the importance of knowledge evolution in the context of specific international business and to increase strategic alignment with precise orientation and strategic agility capabilities. This point requires specialists to emphasize strengthening organizational ability, especially having a set of management knowledge and strategic agility. Also, managers should carefully select target markets that have a similar culture. The precise step-by-step orientation of managers from the management of actions, towards the recognition of more strategic alignment, through the capabilities of strategic agility from emerging issues and new balance. Creating this balance or alignment, and how you use your time to focus on wise curiosity, is of vital importance.

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