El isomorfismo conceptual en la investigación sobre digitalización de pymes: tres modalidades de uso de la capacidad de absorción (2017–2026)
Barra lateral del artículo
Contenido principal del artículo
Resumen
La investigación empírica sobre adopción de tecnologías digitales en la pequeña y mediana empresa aporta evidencia que sostiene que el efecto del uso de estas herramientas y su relación con la innovación opera de forma indirecta. Asimismo, este vínculo está mediado por mecanismos organizacionales de procesamiento de información y conocimiento. La convergencia de estos hallazgos coexiste con una diversidad terminológica diferenciada, dado que cada estudio designa al mecanismo mediador de procesamiento de información y conocimiento, de manera distinta. Este estudio sostiene que un conjunto significativo de esa literatura describe, sin invocarlo nominalmente, el constructo de capacidad de absorción de Cohen y Levinthal (1990) y de Zahra y George (2002). Este patrón se denomina isomorfismo conceptual: la equivalencia estructural entre cadenas o lógicas causales presentadas como nuevas y la arquitectura validada del constructo de capacidad de absorción. A partir de una revisión conceptual de trece casos, se identifican tres modalidades, a saber, (a) operacionalización sin invocación, (b) invocación sin operacionalización conforme a la arquitectura validada y (c) sustitución por mediadores funcionalmente equivalentes. El artículo concluye con orientaciones operacionales para favorecer la integración teórica del campo.
Detalles del artículo
Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0.
Usted es libre de:
- Compartir — copiar y redistribuir el material en cualquier medio o formato
- Adaptar — remezclar, transformar y construir a partir del material
- La licenciante no puede revocar estas libertades en tanto usted siga los términos de la licencia
Bajo los siguientes términos:
- Atribución — Usted debe dar crédito de manera adecuada , brindar un enlace a la licencia, e indicar si se han realizado cambios . Puede hacerlo en cualquier forma razonable, pero no de forma tal que sugiera que usted o su uso tienen el apoyo de la licenciante.
- NoComercial — Usted no puede hacer uso del material con propósitos comerciales .
- CompartirIgual — Si remezcla, transforma o crea a partir del material, debe distribuir su contribución bajo la la misma licencia del original.
- No hay restricciones adicionales — No puede aplicar términos legales ni medidas tecnológicas que restrinjan legalmente a otras a hacer cualquier uso permitido por la licencia.
Citas
Aghazadeh, H., Zandi, F., Amoozad Mahdiraji, H. y Sadraei, R. (2024). Digital transformation and SME internationalisation: Unravelling the moderated-mediation role of digital capabilities, digital resilience and digital maturity. Journal of Enterprise Information Management. Publicación anticipada en línea. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEIM-02-2023-0092
Bojica, A. M. y Fuentes, M. M. F. (2012). Knowledge acquisition and corporate entrepreneurship: Insights from Spanish SMEs in the ICT sector. Journal of World Business, 47(3), 397–408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2011.05.007
Camisón, C. y Forés, B. (2010). Knowledge absorptive capacity: New insights for its conceptualization and measurement. Journal of Business Research, 63(7), 707–715. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2009.04.022
Carbonell García, D., Van Klyton, A. y Tavera-Mesias, J. F. (2025). The moderating effect of digital transformation on environmental turbulence in emerging economies: Advancing business model innovation research. Benchmarking: An International Journal. Publicación anticipada en línea. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-03-2025-0216
Carrasco-Carvajal, O., García-Pérez-de-Lema, D. y Castillo-Vergara, M. (2023). Impact of innovation strategy, absorptive capacity, and open innovation on SME performance: A Chilean case study. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 9(2), 100065. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2023.100065
Cohen, W. M. y Levinthal, D. A. (1990). Absorptive capacity: A new perspective on learning and innovation. Administrative Science Quarterly, 35(1), 128–152. https://doi.org/10.2307/2393553
Cuevas-Vargas, H., Aguirre, J. y Parga-Montoya, N. (2022). Impact of ICT adoption on absorptive capacity and open innovation for greater firm performance. The mediating role of ACAP. Journal of Business Research, 140, 11–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.11.058
Díaz-Peláez, A., González-Cruz, T., Clemente-Almendros, J. A. y Castillo-Martínez, J.-C. (2025). Confronting digital strategic orientation and digital technologies on MSMEs' performance in emerging countries. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences. Publicación anticipada en línea. https://doi.org/10.1002/cjas.70030
Flatten, T. C., Engelen, A., Zahra, S. A. y Brettel, M. (2011). A measure of absorptive capacity: Scale development and validation. European Management Journal, 29(2), 98–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2010.11.002
Flyvbjerg, B. (2006). Five misunderstandings about case-study research. Qualitative Inquiry, 12(2), 219–245. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800405284363
Gong, Y., Yao, Y. y Zan, A. (2022). The too-much-of-a-good-thing effect of digitalization capability on radical innovation: The role of knowledge accumulation and knowledge integration capability. Journal of Knowledge Management, 27(6), 1680–1701. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-05-2022-0352
Grant, M. J. y Booth, A. (2009). A typology of reviews: An analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Information and Libraries Journal, 26(2), 91–108. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-1842.2009.00848.x
Greenan, N. y Napolitano, S. (2023). Digital technologies, learning capacity of the organization and innovation: EU-wide empirical evidence from a combined dataset. Industrial and Corporate Change, 32(6), 1269–1304. https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/dtad064
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M. y Sarstedt, M. (2022). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (3.ª ed.). Sage.
Hansen, A. K., Christiansen, L. y Lassen, A. H. (2025). Technology isn't enough for Industry 4.0: On SMEs and hindrances to digital transformation. International Journal of Production Research, 63(8), 2978–2995. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2024.2305800
Jansen, J. J. P., Van den Bosch, F. A. J. y Volberda, H. W. (2005). Managing potential and realized absorptive capacity: How do organizational antecedents matter? Academy of Management Journal, 48(6), 999–1015. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2005.19573106
Jiménez-Barrionuevo, M. M., García-Morales, V. J. y Molina, L. M. (2011). Validation of an instrument to measure absorptive capacity. Technovation, 31(5–6), 190–202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2010.12.002
Khin, S. y Ho, T. C. F. (2018). Digital technology, digital capability and organizational performance: A mediating role of digital innovation. International Journal of Innovation Science, 11(2), 177–195. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJIS-08-2018-0083
Kogut, B. y Zander, U. (1992). Knowledge of the firm, combinative capabilities, and the replication of technology. Organization Science, 3(3), 383–397. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.3.3.383
Kroh, J., Globocnik, D., Schultz, C., Holdhof, L. y Salomo, S. (2024). Micro-foundations of digital innovation capability: A mixed method approach to develop and validate a multi-dimensional measurement instrument. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 198, 122942. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122942
Lane, P. J., Koka, B. R. y Pathak, S. (2006). The reification of absorptive capacity: A critical review and rejuvenation of the construct. Academy of Management Review, 31(4), 833–863. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2006.22527456
Maldonado, T., Salaiz, A., Vera, D. y Keller, R. T. (2019). Taking stock of the absorptive capacity construct and its dimensions in the context of technological innovation: A meta-analytic approach. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 66(2), 193–207. https://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2018.2817388
Mikhailov, A. y Reichert, F. M. (2020). Influence of absorptive capacity on innovation: A systematic literature review. RAM. Revista de Administração Mackenzie, 21(3), eRAMD190033. https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-6971/eRAMD190033
Müller, J. M., Buliga, O. y Voigt, K.-I. (2021). The role of absorptive capacity and innovation strategy in the design of Industry 4.0 business models: A comparison between SMEs and large enterprises. European Management Journal, 39(3), 333–343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2020.01.002
Orero-Blat, M., Palacios-Marqués, D. y Garrigós-Simón, F. J. (2025). Beyond digital transformation: A multi-mixed methods study on big data analytics capabilities and innovation in enhancing organizational performance. Review of Managerial Science. Publicación anticipada en línea. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-024-00768-8
Quinton, S., Canhoto, A., Molinillo, S., Pera, R. y Budhathoki, T. (2018). Conceptualising a digital orientation: Antecedents of supporting SME performance in the digital economy. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 26(5), 427–439. https://doi.org/10.1080/0965254X.2016.1258004
Roberts, N., Galluch, P. S., Dinger, M. y Grover, V. (2012). Absorptive capacity and information systems research: Review, synthesis, and directions for future research. MIS Quarterly, 36(2), 625–648. https://doi.org/10.2307/41703470
Shah, S. H. H., Lei, S., Ali, M., Doronin, D. y Hussain, S. T. (2024). The role of digital technology and digital innovation towards firm performance in a digital economy. Kybernetes, 53(2), 620–644. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-01-2023-0124
Shee, H., Miah, S. J. y De Vass, T. (2023). The effect of digital transformation and innovation on SMEs' performance in times of COVID-19. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 21(4), 84–98. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.21(4).2023.07
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
Teece, D. J. (2007). Explicating dynamic capabilities: The nature and microfoundations of (sustainable) enterprise performance. Strategic Management Journal, 28(13), 1319–1350. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.640
Teece, D. J., Pisano, G. y Shuen, A. (1997). Dynamic capabilities and strategic management. Strategic Management Journal, 18(7), 509–533. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0266(199708)18:7<509::AID-SMJ882>3.0.CO;2-Z
Todorova, G. y Durisin, B. (2007). Absorptive capacity: Valuing a reconceptualization. Academy of Management Review, 32(3), 774–786. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2007.25275513
Tranfield, D., Denyer, D. y Smart, P. (2003). Towards a methodology for developing evidence-informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207–222. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.00375
Van den Bosch, F. A. J., Volberda, H. W. y de Boer, M. (1999). Coevolution of firm absorptive capacity and knowledge environment: Organizational forms and combinative capabilities. Organization Science, 10(5), 551–568. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.10.5.551
Warner, K. S. R. y Wäger, M. (2019). Building dynamic capabilities for digital transformation: An ongoing process of strategic renewal. Long Range Planning, 52(3), 326–349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2018.12.001
Xie, W., Zou, Y., Guo, H. y Wang, Y. (2024). Digital innovation and core competence of manufacturing industry: Moderating role of absorptive capacity. Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, 60(1), 185–202. https://doi.org/10.1080/1540496X.2023.2210715
Ye, F., Liu, K., Li, L., Lai, K.-H., Zhan, Y. y Kumar, A. (2024). Impact of digital technology usage on firm resilience: A dynamic capability perspective. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 29(3), 433–448. https://doi.org/10.1108/SCM-12-2022-0480
Zahra, S. A. y George, G. (2002). Absorptive capacity: A review, reconceptualization, and extension. Academy of Management Review, 27(2), 185–203. https://doi.org/10.2307/4134351
Zou, T., Ertug, G. y George, G. (2018). The capacity to innovate: A meta-analysis of absorptive capacity. Innovation: Organization & Management, 20(2), 87–121. https://doi.org/10.1080/14479338.2018.1428105