Purpose: This study builds on knowledge-based view (KBV) research and the natural resource-based view of the firm (NRBV) to examine the effect of knowledge absorptive capacity on innovative performance. It also investigates the mediating role of three dimensions of the cluster environment: degree of network, institutional environment and access to factors of production.Design/methodology/approach: By means of partial least squares-based structural equation modelling method, the study validated and analysed the responses of 503 owners and managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the wood industrial cluster of Cote d'Ivoire, a developing economy.Findings: The analysis and results reveal that knowledge absorptive capacity strongly predicts cluster environment and innovation performance. Moreover, the cluster environment emerged as a powerful determinant of innovation performance and a mediator of the effect of knowledge absorptive capacity on innovation performance. Unequivocally, institutional support has no significant impact on knowledge absorptive capacity (KAC) and innovative performance mediation relationship and is not a key determinant of innovative performance.Originality/value: This study offers a key departure from past studies by linking knowledge absorptive capacity to innovative performance and the cluster environment in SMEs. It also extends knowledge concerning the role of KBV, NRBV and relational theory in innovation performance.

Because it affects the next generation, knowledge transfer is a crucial resource for succession in a family-owned business. This paper examines how knowledge transfer impacts family businesses in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China. Data collection is done via semi-structured interviews, and data manipulation is done using data categorization and contextualization techniques. The findings show that: (i) the effect of knowledge transfers through the founder and beyond the family business results in a large amount of tacit knowledge in family businesses, whereas explicit knowledge is less significant, (ii) the most common means of knowledge transfer is that the successor uses the founder’s knowledge to innovate within the family business and (iii) the working atmosphere allows for ideas and knowledge to be shared, which is linked to the culture of family businesses. The paper also showed that family members prioritize their well-being and the well-being of their employees more than profit maximization in family businesses. Instead of seeking a one-sided knowledge transfer fit, the next generation should create novel insights and knowledge that are pertinent to the already-existing knowledge-based business.

This study explores how bilateral media sentiment between China and host countries affects cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As). Drawing on data from Global Database of Events, Language, and Tone (GDELT) covering the period 2006–2022, we empirically examine how media sentiment influences both the propensity and value of cross-border transactions by Chinese firms. The results indicate that positive bilateral media sentiment significantly increases the likelihood of Chinese enterprises undertaking cross-border deals. However, consistent with sentiment-based theories, we find that bilateral media sentiment negatively affects transaction value when acquiring firms are non-state-owned enterprises, even though overall sentiment remains a positive driver of deal occurrence. These findings provide novel evidence on the role of media sentiment in shaping international investment behavior. The study advances existing research on media sentiment and strategic decision-making in cross-border deals and underscores the importance for Chinese firms recognizing contextual factors that may influence the success of their international expansion strategies.