Do Individual Employees' Learning Goal Orientation and Civic Virtue Matter? A Micro-Foundations Perspective on Firm Absorptive Capacity

摘要

In this study, we build on the micro-foundations perspective and investigate how individual characteristics contribute to the development of firm absorptive capacity. In particular; we assess how individual learning goal orientation affects firm potential and realized absorptive capacity. Furthermore, we study how individuals' civic virtue acts as a micro-level social integration mechanism that moderates the effect from firm realized absorptive capacity to potential absorptive capacity. Using the multilevel structural equation modeling technique and data from 871 core-knowledge employees nested in 139 high-technology firms, we find support to our major hypotheses. Thgethel; this study finds support for the micro foundations' perspective and generates novel insights on how individual-level factors could be linked with firm-level heterogeneity in absorptive capacity.