Bibliometric analysis of absorptive capacity. Issue 5 (October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Apriliyanti, Indri Dwi; Alon, Ilan
• Is Part Of: International business review. Volume 26:Issue 5(2017:Oct.)
• Page Start: 896
• Page End: 907
• Publication Date: 2017-10
• Subjects: Co-citation -- Meta-literature review -- Organizational learning -- Knowledge transfer -- Dynamic capabilities -- Micro-foundation; International business enterprises -- Periodicals; 338.8805
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2017.02.007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0969-5931

Abstract

Highlights: Uses two methods of bibliometric analysis on the literature of absorptive capacity from 1990 to 2015. Explains the diffusion of absorptive capacity research in international business. Offers valuable future research questions on absorptive capacity and international business research. Abstract: This study contributes to our understanding of absorptive capacity (AC) by reviewing AC articles systematically using two types of blibliometric co-citation analysis – bibliometric co-citation and bibliometric cartography – for the last 25 years. In total, we analyzed 336 articles (using HistCite ) and 2088 articles (using VOSviewer ), respectively, finding five research streams in AC: (1) intra-organizational learning; (2) inter-organizational learning; (3) knowledge transfer; (4) dynamic capability; and (5) micro-foundations. This integrative literature review of AC adds to the categorization of the literature, links the international business research to AC, and provides promising future research directions. Our study gives detailed information about the development of each research stream by measuring the number of publications in each stream over 25 years using bibliometric cartography analysis. Based on the literature, we propose 26 future research questions for these five research streams.