Absorptive capacity in small and medium-sized enterprises: an investigation in the hotel sector

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5585/podium.v12i3.22668

Keywords:

Hotel, Services, Small and medium enterprises, Absorptive capacity, Innovation, Organizational performance

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between the absorptive capacity and innovation of hotels (SMEs) in the west region of Santa Catarina, as well as their organizational performance.
Methodology/approach: A Survey was applied to a sample of 120 hotel managers and the analysis was carried out by applying structural equation modeling (SEM).
Originality/Relevance: This study is intended to help fill the gap in the absence of research on aspects that enhance innovation in the hotel sector, considering the high competition in the sector and consolidated practices.
Main results: Innovation in hotels in the region is dependent on the absorptive capacity and, consequently, it is able to influence the organizational performance of the sector. We highlighted the difficulties of transforming and applying the knowledge acquired externally to the routines of hotels. In addition, the structural characteristics of hotels influence AC. Hotels have difficulty transforming the knowledge and information acquired from the external environment.
Theoretical/methodological contributions: We contributed to the literature by studying hotels (SMEs) outside large centers. Our results showed that RACAP is the least evidenced element of AC in the investigated sector. This corroborates the thesis of a new configuration of the CA model for the service sector.
Social/Management Contributions: Studies on absorptive capacity and innovation can help managers in countries with intense environmental and economic changes, where these changes are quickly reflected in the tourism sector. We warn managers that they must identify the external information necessary for the business and integrate it with existing knowledge.

CROSSMARK_Color_horizontal.svg

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Agência de Desenvolvimento do Turismo de Santa Catarina - SANTUR. (2020). Intenção de viagens a Santa Catarina: um relatório no contexto da pandeima da covid-19 (p. 43). http://www.santur.sc.gov.br/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5388&Itemid=421.

Al-Shami, S., Al-Hammadi, A. H., Al Hammadi, A., Rashid, N., Al-Lamy, H., & Eissa, D. (2021). Online social networking websites in innovation capability and hotels’ performance in Malaysia. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 12(1), 72–84. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-10-2018-0107.

Associação Brasileira Da Indústria de Hotéis de Santa Catarina (ABIH). Taxa de Ocupação. (2022). Disponível em: https://www.abih-sc.com.br/taxa-de-ocupacao/.

Bessant, J., Tidd, J. (2009). Inovação e empreendedorismo. Bookman Editora.

Bezerra, E. D., Silva, G., da Silva, D. E. P. (2016). Capacidade absortiva em agências de viagens: um estudo no Estado de Sergipe, Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Pesquisa em Turismo, 10(1), 89-107. https://doi.org/10.7784/rbtur.v10i1.1054.

Binder, P. (2018). Impacts of network relationships on absorptive capacity in the context of innovation. The Service Industries Journal, 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2018.1533955.

Brasil (2017). Ministério do Planejamento, Desenvolvimento e Gestão. Relação Anual de Informações Sociais (RAIS). Rio de Janeiro: IBGE. Retirado de: http://www.rais.gov.br/sitio/index.jsf.

Cassol, A., Gonçalo, C. R., Santos, A., Ruas, R. L. (2016). A administração estratégica do capital intelectual: um modelo baseado na capacidade absortiva para potencializar inovação. Revista Ibero Americana de Estratégia, 15(1), 27-43. https://doi.org/10.5585/riae.v15i1.2161.

Cassol, A., Marietto, M. L., Ribeiro, I., Baldi, B. (2018). Relação entre a orientação empreendedora e a capacidade de inovar de micro e pequenas empresas. Revista de Tecnologia Aplicada, 7(3). https://doi.org/

Cassol, A., Zanesco, D., Martins, C. B., Marietto, M. L. (2019). Capacidade absortiva como moderadora da relação entre inovatividade organizacional e desempenho inovador de pequenas e médias empresas brasileiras. Interciencia, 44(1), 15-22.

Chin, W. W. (1998). The partial least squares approach to structural equation modeling. Modern methods for business research, 295(2), 295-336. https://doi.org/10.4236/me.2017.81007.

Cruz-Ros, S., Guerrero-Sánchez, D. L., & Miquel-Romero, M.-J. (2021). Absorptive capacity and its impact on innovation and performance: findings from SEM and fsQCA. Review of Managerial Science, 15(2), 235–249. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-018-0319-7.

Dávila, G. A., Durst, S., Varvakis, G. (2018). Knowledge absorptive capacity, innovation, and firm’s performance: insights from the South of Brazil. International Journal of Innovation Management, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.1142/9781800610316_0017.

De Jorge, J., & Suárez, C. (2014). Productivity, efficiency and its determinant factors in hotels. The Service Industries Journal, 34(4), 354–372. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2013.778977.

De Massis, A., Audretsch, D., Uhlaner, L., Kammerlander, N. (2018). Innovation with Limited Resources: Management Lessons from the German Mittelstand. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 35(1), 125-146. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12373.

Devellis, R. F. 2017. Scale development: theory and application. Fourth edition. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.

Engelman, R., Fracasso, E. M., Schmidt, S., Muller, H. F. (2016). Capacidade absortiva: adaptação e validação de uma escala em empresas sul-brasileiras. Revista Base (Administração e Contabilidade) da UNISINOS, 13(3), 235-247. https://doi.org/10.4013/base.2016.133.04

Fecomércio. (2022). Pesquisa mensal do serviço. https://www.fecomercio-sc.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/04_Abril_2022_Relatorio-PMS.pdf. Acessado em 02/07/2022.

Federação do Comércio de Bens, Serviços e Turismo de Santa Catarina, Associação Brasileira de Hotéis de Santa Catarina (2018). Perfil do Setor Hoteleiro SC. Florianópolis: Fecomércio; ABIH.

Fernandes, C., & Pires, R. (2021). Exploring the Conceptual Structure of the Research on Innovation in Hotels through Co-Word Analysis. Administrative Sciences, 11(3), 78. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci11030078.

Flatten, T. C., Engelen, A., Zahra, S. A., Brettel, M. (2011). A measure of absorptive capacity: Scale development and validation. European Management Journal, 29(2), 98-116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2010.11.002.

Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error: Algebra and Statistics. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(3), 382–388. https://doi.org/10.2307/3150980.

García-Sánchez, E., García-Morales, V. J., Martín-Rojas, R. (2018). Analysis of the influence of the environment, stakeholder integration capability, absorptive capacity, and technological skills on organizational performance through corporate entrepreneurship. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 14(2), 345-377. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-017-0436-9.

García-Villaverde, P. M., Ruiz-Ortega, M. J., Hurtado-Palomino, A., De La Gala-Velásquez, B., & Zirena-Bejarano, P. P. (2021). Social capital and innovativeness in firms in cultural tourism destinations: Divergent contingent factors. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 19, 100529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2020.100529.

Hair J. F. Jr., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C., Sarstedt, M. (2016). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Sage publications.

Hair J. F. Jr., Sarstedt, M., Hopkins, L., G. Kuppelwieser, V. (2014). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) An emerging tool in business research. European Business Review, 26(2), 106-121. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-10-2013-0128.

Hair Jr, J. F., Gabriel, M. L., & Patel, V. K. (2014). Modelagem de Equações Estruturais Baseada em Covariância (CB-SEM) com o AMOS: Orientações sobre a sua aplicação como uma Ferramenta de Pesquisa de Marketing. Revista Brasileira de Marketing, 13(2), 44-55. https://doi.org/10.5585/remark.v13i2.2718.

Hameed, W. U., Nisar, Q. A., & Wu, H.-C. (2021). Relationships between external knowledge, internal innovation, firms’ open innovation performance, service innovation and business performance in the Pakistani hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 92(April 2020), 102745. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102745.

Hassani, A., & Mosconi, E. (2021). Competitive intelligence and absorptive capacity for enhancing innovation performance of SMEs. Journal of Intelligence Studies in Business, 11(1), 19–32. https://doi.org/10.37380/jisib.v1i1.

Henseler, J. G. H., Ray. P. A. (2016). Using PLS path modeling in new technology research: Updated guidelines. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 116, 2-20. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-09-2015-0382.

Hossain, M. S., Kannan, S. N., & Raman Nair, S. K. K. (2021). Factors Influencing Sustainable Competitive Advantage in the Hospitality Industry. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 22(6), 679–710. https://doi.org/10.1080/1528008X.2020.1837049.

Hotho, J. J., Becker-Ritterspach, F., Saka-Helmhout, A. (2012). Enriching Absorptive Capacity through Social Interaction. British Journal of Management, 23(3), 383-401. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8551.2011.00749.x.

Hurtado-Palomino, A., De la Gala-Velásquez, B., & Ccorisapra-Quintana, J. (2022). The interactive effect of innovation capability and potential absorptive capacity on innovation performance. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 7(4), 100259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2022.100259.

Hussain, K., Konar, R., Ali, F. (2016). Measuring Service Innovation Performance through Team Culture and Knowledge Sharing Behavior in Hotels Services: A PLS Approach. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 224, 35-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.05.397.

Jeong, J., Kim, J., Son, H., & Nam, D. (2020). The Role of Venture Capital Investment in Startups’ Sustainable Growth and Performance: Focusing on Absorptive Capacity and Venture Capitalists’ Reputation. Sustainability, 12(8), 3447. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083447.

Jiménez, S. O., García, A. R. G., Osuna, B. A. L., & del Río, S. V. (2021). Entrepreneurial Behavior of SMEs and Characteristics of the Managers of Northwest Mexico. Social Sciences, 10(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10010008.

Kale, E., Aknar, A., Başar, Ö. (2019). Absorptive capacity and firm performance: The mediating role of strategic agility. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 78, 276-283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.09.010.

Kallmuenzer, A., & Peters, M. (2018). Innovativeness and control mechanisms in tourism and hospitality family firms: A comparative study. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 70, 66-74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2017.10.022.

Krumpal, I. (2013). Determinants of social desirability bias in sensitive surveys: a literature review. Quality & Quantity, 47(4), 2025-2047. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-011-9640-9.

Lane, P. J., Koka, B. R., Pathak, S. (2006). The reification of absorptive capacity: A critical review and rejuvenation of the construct. Academy of management review, 31(4), 833-863. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2006.22527456.

Leggett, C. G., Kleckner, N. S., Boyle, K. J., Dufield, J. W., Mitchell, R. C. (2003). Social desirability bias in contingent valuation surveys administered through in-person interviews. Land Economics, 79(4), 561-575. https://doi.org/10.2307/3147300.

Li, X., Liu, Z., Ren, A., & Gong, B. (2022). What fuzzy requests bring to frontline employees: An absorptive capacity theory perspective. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 67(March), 102986. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.102986.

Ma, F., Khan, F., Khan, K. U., & XiangYun, S. (2021). Investigating the Impact of Information Technology, Absorptive Capacity, and Dynamic Capabilities on Firm Performance: An Empirical Study. SAGE Open, 11(4), 215824402110613. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211061388.

Maciel, V. (2021). Setor hoteleiro tem em julho seu melhor mês desde o início da pandemia, aponta levantamento. Ministério Do Turismo. https://www.gov.br/turismo/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/setor-hoteleiro-tem-em-julho-seu-melhor-mes-desde-o-inicio-da-pandemia-aponta-levantamento. Recuperado dia 28/06/2022.

Martin-Rios, C., Ciobanu, T. (2018). Hospitality Innovation strategies: An analysis of success factors and challenges. Tourism Management, 70, 218-229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2018.08.018.

Mitrega, M., Forkmann, S., Zaefarian, G., Henneberg, S. C. (2017). Networking capability in supplier relationships and its impact on product innovation and firm performance. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 37(5), 577-606. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-11-2014-0517.

Pikkemaat, B., Peters, M., & Bichler, B. F. (2019). Innovation research in tourism: Research streams and actions for the future. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 41, 184-196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2019.10.007.

Ponce-Espinosa, G., Peiro-Signes, A., & Segarra-Oña, M. (2022). Absorptive capacity and in-company routines: Modelling knowledge creation in the tourism industry. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 20(5), 732-742. https://doi.org/10.1080/14778238.2020.1796544.

Porter, M. E. (2001). Strategy and the Internet. Harvard Business Review.

Qing, L., Chun, D., Dagestani, A. A., & Li, P. (2022). Does Proactive Green Technology Innovation Improve Financial Performance? Evidence from Listed Companies with Semiconductor Concepts Stock in China. Sustainability, 14(8), 4600. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084600.

Ringle, C. M., Da Silva, D., Bido, D. D. S. (2014). Modelagem de equações estruturais com utilização do SmartPLS. Revista Brasileira de Marketing, 13(2), 56-73. https://doi.org/10.5585/remark.v13i2.2717.

Sacramento, P. M., Teixeira, R. M. (2019). Inovação e Aprendizagem de Empreendedores no Setor de Turismo: Análise Comparativa de Casos de Empresas de Pequeno e Médio Porte na cidade de Aracaju-Sergipe. Revista Brasileira de Pesquisa em Turismo, 13(3): 130-148. https://doi.org/10.7784/rbtur.v13i3.1586.

Santos, J. A., Roldan, L. B., & Loon Loo, M. K. (2021). Clarifying relationships between networking, absorptive capacity and financial performance among South Brazilian farmers. Journal of Rural Studies, 84(January), 90–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2021.02.011.

SEBRAE (Org.) Anuário do trabalho na micro e pequena empresa: 2010-2011. 4. ed. / Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas (Org.); Departamento Intersindical de Estatística e Estudos Socioeconômicos [responsável pela elaboração da pesquisa, dos textos, tabelas e gráficos]. – Brasília, DF; DIEESE, 2011. Disponível em https://www.sebrae.com.br/Sebrae/Portal%20Sebrae/Anexos/Anuario%20do%20Trabalho%20Na%20Micro%20e%20Pequena%20Empresa_2013.pdf.

Tejada, P., Moreno, P., Rodríguez, M. J. (2013). Contribución de las pymes turísticas al desarrollo. Revista de Economía Mundial, 35, 103-119. Disponível em: https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=86629567005.

Thomas, R., Wood, E. (2014). Innovation in tourism: Re-conceptualising and measuring the absorptive capacity of the hotel sector. Tourism Management, 45, 39-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2014.03.012.

Thomas, R., Wood, E. (2015). The absorptive capacity of tourism organisations. Annals of Tourism Research, 54, 84-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2015.06.004.

Tsai, H. Y. (2022). Individual-level absorptive capacity and multidimensional work behavior in tourism. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 35(2), 280-292. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-01-2021-0014.

Tzokas, N., Kim, Y. A., Akbar, H., Al-Dajani, H. (2015). Absorptive capacity and performance: The role of customer relationship and technological capabilities in high-tech SMEs. Industrial Marketing Management, 47, 134-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2015.02.033.

Wales, W. J., Parida, V., Patel, P. C. (2013). Too much of a good thing? Absorptive capacity, firm performance, and the moderating role of entrepreneurial orientation. Strategic Management Journal, 34(5), 622-633. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2026.

World Travel & Tourism Council. (2022). Brazil. 2022 Annual Research: Key Highlights. https://wttc.org/Research/Economic-Impact. Acessado dia 02/07/2022.

Zahra, S. A., George, G. (2002). Absorptive capacity: A review, reconceptualization, and extension. Academy of management review, 27(2), 185-203. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2002.6587995.

Zou, T., Ertug, G., George, G. (2018). The capacity to innovate: A meta-analysis of absorptive capacity. Innovation, 20(2), 87-121. https://doi.org/10.1080/14479338.2018.1428105.

Published

2023-12-07

How to Cite

Cassol, A., Marietto, M. L., & Trevizan, V. M. M. (2023). Absorptive capacity in small and medium-sized enterprises: an investigation in the hotel sector. PODIUM Sport, Leisure and Tourism Review, 12(3), 439–464. https://doi.org/10.5585/podium.v12i3.22668

Issue

Section

Artigos