Absorptive Capacity in Project Management: A Systematic Literature Review

• Autor(a) principal: Teixeira, Rodrigo
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Outros Autores: Scafuto, Isabel Cristina
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Future Studies Research Journal: Trends and Strategies
• Texto Completo: https://www.revistafuture.org/FSRJ/article/view/545
• topic: Absorptive capacity; Project management; knowledge acquisition; knowledge transfer; Capacidade absortiva; Gerenciamento de projetos; Aquisição de conhecimento; Transferência do conhecimento

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to understand the intellectual structure of studies on absorptive capacity in project managementTheoretical framework – The ability to perceive external knowledge, assimilate it, and apply it for commercial purposes is defined as absorbing capacity. This capacity provides organizations with competitive advantages. Also, studies have pointed out projects as a powerful weapon to create organizational value. However, little is known about absorptive capacity in project management and it is in this gap that this work is inserted.Design/methodology/approach – For this purpose, a systematic literature review of articles published on absorptive capacity in the International Journal of Project Management (IJPM), and Project Management Journal (PMJ), and International Journal of Managing Projects in Business was conducted.Findings – The main findings noted the existence of two lines of research in project management that address the construction of absorptive capacity. The first line of research presents articles that deal with the transfer of knowledge between projects and organizations. Articles in this line present that knowledge transfer depends on the organization that will receive the project as well as presents the importance of different mechanisms of social integration in this process. In the other line, absorptive capacity and performance in projects, the different roles of the absorptive capacity realized and potential in the performance of the projects were identified. Originality/value –  The article contributed to the project management literature when it identified the lines of research in which absorptive capacity is inserted in the area and proposed a research agenda.