Why Absorptive Capacity is More Essential in Some Situations? The Contingency View of Supply Chain Knowledge Sharing

In order to recognize the underlying logic of why organizations with higher absorptive capacity can leverage supply chain knowledge more efficiently in particular circumstances, this paper examined the relationship among supply chain knowledge accessibility, absorptive capacity, performance, and three environmental contingencies. We find that absorptive capacity is an important internal capability which can be differentiated among firms and a key indicator for sustainable superior performance, especially in industries characterized by turbulent demand, fierce competition and strong intellectual property rights protection.