Although the relevant literature has already demonstrated the impact that absorptive capacity has on companies’ innovation capacity, we have found few studies that analyze the role of learning capability in this relationship. The main objective of this study was to examine the role of organizational learning in this relationship. For this purpose, a quantitative research approach was used. A total of 306 valid questionnaires were obtained from small and medium-sized Spanish companies in different sectors. The collected data were analyzed using the multivariate Partial Least Square (PLS) quantitative structural equation technique. According to the result, absorption capacity turns into innovation mainly when learning capacity is involved in this process. This study provides empirical evidence of this relationship and fills this gap. It can also help organizations understand and clarify what would be the most appropriate way in to manage knowledge to improve their innovation levels.

The aim of this paper is to understand how absorptive capacity and innovativeness influence business performance. Most previous studies have not considered the different dimensions of absorptive capacity and innovativeness. As a consequence, they have not analyzed the relationships between these dimensions, such as potential and realized absorptive capacity (RACAP) and product and process innovation. In our study, we analyzed the relationships between each of these dimensions and their effect on organizational performance. To achieve this, in addition to the theoretical foundation provided by the working hypotheses, a questionnaire was sent to 800 CEOs of Spanish companies in different sectors, obtaining a response rate of 38.25%. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the hypotheses. This study confirms the positive effect of absorptive capacity on innovation capacity, which in turn has a positive effect on business performance. Moreover, different dimensions of absorptive capacity and innovativeness play an important role in these relationships. This study contributes to a better understanding of how potential and RACAP influence the innovativeness of firms, both in their ability to innovate products and to improve business processes. In addition, it explores how these different innovations impact business performance and provide firms with knowledge on how to invest resources to increase profits. Future research should further study the inner workings of each of the dimensions analyzed to determine the importance of each dimension for business performance.

The purpose of this study was to understand how proactivity can affect the relationship between absorptive capacity and organisational performance. Most previous studies have ignored the role of proactivity in this relationship and have not considered the multidimensional nature of absorptive capacity. A questionnaire was sent to 800 CEOs of Spanish companies from different sectors, procuring a response rate of 38.25%. A structural equation model was applied to test the hypothesis. This study confirms the positive effect that absorptive capacity has on business performance and the moderating role of proactivity in this relationship. Companies that develop their capacity to absorb information from the environment achieve better results. Furthermore, if they engage in proactive behaviour within their company, this relationship is stronger. Future research should include more capacities that are related to knowledge and business performance (i.e., learning capability, innovation capacity, etc.). This study contributes to the understanding of how to manage a company’s knowledge in an appropriate way. It sheds new light on how knowledge management should be conducted, emphasising not only the gathering of information but also the promotion of a proactive attitude on the part of employees to achieve the goal of better performance.