Enhancing organisational absorptive capacity by reframing an outdated suggestion box: an action research study. (1st January 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kallio, Anne; Bergenholtz, Carsten
• Is Part Of: International journal of innovation and learning. Volume 12:Number 4(2012)
• Page Start: 414
• Page End: 429
• Publication Date: 2012-01-01
• Subjects: absorptive capacity -- learning -- suggestion box -- innovation -- action research -- shopfloor employees -- social integration mechanisms; Knowledge management -- Periodicals; Learning -- Periodicals; Diffusion of innovations -- Periodicals; 006.33
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-8197

Abstract

The study explores the connection between the organisational and individual level absorptive capacity in the context of shopfloor employees. Most literature on absorptive capacity focuses on the organisational level, while there has been less focus on the social integration mechanisms between the individual and organisational level of absorptive capacity. Via an action research study on shopfloor employees in a low-tech industry, it is shown how innovation activators can facilitate social integration mechanisms and identify the potential of the individual level ideas and assist the transformation of these to an organisational level.