Absorptive capacity and patents: vital links in the chain of business competitiveness

• Published in: The business & management review (Harrow) Vol. 6; no. 1; p. 110
• Main Authors: Bencherqui, Dominique Baruel, Kefi, Mohamed Karim
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: London Centre for Business & Economic Research 01.02.2015
• Subjects: Absorptive capacity; Competitive advantage; Impact analysis; Organizational learning; Studies; France
• ISSN: 2047-2854; 2047-2862

This study focuses on the impact of knowledge-based absorptive capacity, as defined by Lane et al. (2006), and patents on the competitiveness of French enterprises. Research on this subject entailed undertaking a 17-year longitudinal study. The results of the econometric analysis provide a valuable set of answers pertaining to the fact that absorptive capacity, viewed as an exploitative/transformative/exploitative learning mode, contributes to the competitiveness of French industrial firms. In parallel, it was determined that absorptive capacity and patent applications, acting in concert, had a significant positive effect on French corporate competitiveness. In other words, it is firms that are particularly apt at absorbing innovation-oriented knowledge that reveal themselves to be the most competitive.