This paper investigates the impact of both geographical and relational proximity on the innovative performance of the firm. We address the role of one firm characteristic—its absorptive capacity—as a specific contingency affecting the relationship between different proximities and innovation. Using data from 158 high-tech firms located in the Tiburtina Valley in Italy, we studied the relationship between these firms and their key customers. Our findings support the need to downplay the role of geographical proximity in promoting innovation. Our results also show that relational proximity to key customers has a complementary relationship with absorptive capacity, which positively moderates its influence on innovative performance.

Distance to Customers, Absorptive Capacity, and Innovation in High-Tech Firms: The Dark Face of Geographical Proximity / Presutti, Manuela; Boari, Cristina; Majocchi, Antonio; Molina-Morales, Xavier. - In: JOURNAL OF SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT. - ISSN 0047-2778. - 57:2(2019), pp. 343-361. [10.1111/jsbm.12323]

Distance to Customers, Absorptive Capacity, and Innovation in High-Tech Firms: The Dark Face of Geographical Proximity

Majocchi Antonio;
2019

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of both geographical and relational proximity on the innovative performance of the firm. We address the role of one firm characteristic—its absorptive capacity—as a specific contingency affecting the relationship between different proximities and innovation. Using data from 158 high-tech firms located in the Tiburtina Valley in Italy, we studied the relationship between these firms and their key customers. Our findings support the need to downplay the role of geographical proximity in promoting innovation. Our results also show that relational proximity to key customers has a complementary relationship with absorptive capacity, which positively moderates its influence on innovative performance.
2019
absorptive capacity, innovation, high-tech firms, geographical proximity
Distance to Customers, Absorptive Capacity, and Innovation in High-Tech Firms: The Dark Face of Geographical Proximity / Presutti, Manuela; Boari, Cristina; Majocchi, Antonio; Molina-Morales, Xavier. - In: JOURNAL OF SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT. - ISSN 0047-2778. - 57:2(2019), pp. 343-361. [10.1111/jsbm.12323]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11385/196826
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