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This study provides theoretical and empirical insights into how firms can enhance their performance strategically and financially by integrating learning and transformational capabilities into research and development (R&D) activities based on the dynamic capabilities approach. To achieve this, the authors propose that transformational capabilities in R&D mediate the relationship between learning capabilities in R&D and competitive advantage.

Using a purposive sampling technique and standardized questionnaires, data were collected from 118 R&D and senior managers. To analyze the data, multiple regression analysis, along with SPSS PROCESS macro (Model 4), was used.

The results support the theoretical assumption that there are direct and indirect positive and significant effects between learning capabilities in R&D and competitive advantage as mediated by transformational R&D capabilities.

This study explores R&D from a dynamic capabilities perspective and suggests that learning capabilities should come first to enhance businesses’ competitive advantage. Furthermore, transformational R&D capabilities can explain the relationship between learning capabilities in R&D and competitive advantage. The authors recommend that researchers should investigate the contributions of R&D to promote competitive advantage.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of knowledge resources on marketing innovation and the way learning capability mediates this relationship. In addition, it evaluates the effect of marketing innovation on the financial performance of hotel firms.

Data from a survey conducted in companies that operate hotel establishments are analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The SEM technique makes it possible to evaluate the multiple and intersected relationships existing among the variables under study.

Collective knowledge has a direct influence on marketing innovation and an indirect effect through the learning capability, but the influence of the knowledge held by individuals on marketing innovation is exercised through the learning capability. In turn, both the learning capability and marketing innovation favor the financial performance of hotel firms.

The study shows that intangible resources play an important role in achieving marketing innovation and financial performance. Because the hospitality industry is composed of firms with different characteristics, it would be relevant to confirm the model in other hospitality businesses. Future studies could analyze possible links between marketing innovation and other types of performance.

Hotel firms can reach higher performance levels if they invest in developing the employees’ knowledge and, fundamentally, in fomenting a higher level of collective knowledge related to the business environment in general. Likewise, the learning capability plays a relevant role in achieving performance in hotels firms.

To date, studies on innovation in the field of hospitality have mainly focused on developing new services, while other types of innovation, such as marketing innovation, have taken a backseat. Likewise, the hospitality literature has paid little attention to knowledge assets. This study deals with both topics, analyzing knowledge resources and the learning capability as possible antecedents of marketing innovation activities. Furthermore, the effect of marketing innovation on the firm’s performance is evaluated.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the underlying mechanisms through which integration capability and learning capability influence IT outsourcing performance from vendor’s perspective.

This paper develops a moderated mediation model to explain the underlying influence processes of integration capability and learning capability on vendor’s performance. A sample of 237 vendor firms was obtained from China through two separated surveys. The hypotheses were tested with the partial least squares method and bias-corrected bootstrapping method.

The empirical results indicate that external integration capability (EIC) mediates the effect of internal integration capability (IIC) on vendor outsourcing performance, and the relationship between EIC and vendor performance is positively moderated by learning capability, while learning capability has a negative moderating effect on the link between IIC and vendor performance. Further, the conditional indirect effect is suggested. The indirect effect of IIC on vendor performance through EIC becomes non-significant when learning capability is low.

This study highlights the counterintuitive notion that learning capability may not always have uniformly positive effects and figure out the mechanism through which integration capability and learning capability can effectively improve IT outsourcing performance.

There has been little research that includes reliable deductions about the positive influence of learning capability on business performance. For this reason, the main objective of the present study is to empirically explore the link between learning capability in organizations and business performance evaluated in both financial and non‐financial terms.

Using data from 111 Spanish companies, research was conducted through a structural equation modelling. In doing so, a measurement model was conducted for the main constructs – learning capability, financial performance and non‐financial performance‐ and examine the paths between them.

The analysis shows the positive link existing between: learning capability and non‐financial performance; and non‐financial performance and financial performance.

This is a detailed empirical examination of learning capability as a source of performance in organizations. It should be of value to all those who think about the role of learning processes and knowledge in organizations, and who care about their effects on competitiveness.

Based on behavioral learning theory, this paper argues that entrepreneurial learning plays an important role in enhancing entrepreneurs' capabilities. With increasing research attention given to entrepreneurs' capabilities, the need to explore the building mechanism has continued to escalate. The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of changes in entrepreneurial learning approaches that influence the improvement of entrepreneurs' capabilities.

The authors sent out 1,200 questionnaires, and 226 were returned, of which 167 were usable. The authors used the difference in difference method and the ordinal logistic regression model to analyze the data and test the hypotheses.

In this paper, the authors report findings using panel data from 167 entrepreneurs. The empirical results show that changes in entrepreneurial learning influence changes in entrepreneurs' capabilities.

Combining theory and evidence from this study, an intertemporal learning model that suggests entrepreneurs' capabilities rest on a self‐reinforcing learning cycle of experiential learning and social network learning from stakeholders is proposed. This is a sense‐making and seizing process affected by entrepreneurs' previous knowledge and their degree of involvement in the organization, which leads them to dedicate increasing resources to the exploration and exploitation of some opportunities, following a process of improving their capabilities.

An empirical verification of the links between learning and capabilities development in the context of China's emerging economy, which has not been studied in the current literature is conducted. This paper provides implications for entrepreneurs in finding the right way to build and enhance capabilities through deployment of learning.

The purpose of this paper is to extend the learning boundaries of traditional project capability, which follows the linear planning paradigm, in order to include non-linear complex projects that cannot be completely specified and planned in advance, and so require continuous learning over their life cycles.

Based on an earlier empirical investigation, where complex-project capability (CPC) is developed through dynamic organizational learning based on non-linear problem solving, the paper examines some of the conceptual and practical implications of this process insight. The focus here is on incomplete pre-given knowledge and emergent knowledge creation during CPC development.

Using the three interrelated dimensions of project type, knowledge creation method, and organizational learning approach, the paper reinterprets Karl Popper’s linear problem solving model for learning in traditional projects by introducing the concept of knowledge entropy (disorder) for learning in non-linear complex projects. The latter follows a path from “order to disorder to order” rather than from “order to order” under traditional assumptions.

By identifying a common learning process at individual, group, and organizational levels, developing CPC can be viewed as a “learning organization”. This multi-level approach facilitates research into distributed organizing for emergent knowledge creation during CPC development.

In contrast to traditional planned projects with up-front prior knowledge, complex projects are characterized by incomplete knowledge. The challenge of dealing with knowledge uncertainty in complex projects through continuous learning has practical implications for project learning, planning, knowledge management, and leadership.

The concept of knowledge entropy (disorder) extends the learning boundaries of traditional projects, where little learning is anticipated, by including complex projects with knowledge uncertainty requiring continuous learning.

The purpose of this paper is to empirically evaluate the mediating role of learning capability on the relationship between technological capability, relational capability and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) performance in developing economy of Africa.

A quantitative survey design was employed to collect the data from owner/manager of manufacturing SMEs in Nigeria. Partial least square structural equation model was used in the evaluation of both the measurement and structural models to determine the reliability and validity of the measurement and test the hypotheses, respectively.

The statistical result indicates a positive relationship between technological capability, learning capability and SMEs performance. Equally, relational capability significantly and positively relates to SMEs learning capability. However, relational capability negatively relates to SMEs performance, while technological capability also negatively relates to learning capability. Furthermore, learning capability mediates the negative relationship of relational capability and SMEs performance to significant positive relationship, while it does not mediate the relationship of technological capability and performance.

The analysis of this study is restricted to only resource-based view and dynamic capability theory. Data of the study were collected once a time on a self-reported technique. The study contributed significantly to the body literature on technological and relational capabilities and performance. It also demonstrated the need for SMEs manager to recognize and appreciate the roles of these strategic capabilities in achieving sustainable competitive position.

Through relational capability SMEs develops efficient collaborative relationship to acquire new techniques, knowledge. This is specifically, essential for SMEs firms from less developing and emerging economies as they are lagging behind at the global competitive platform, and that the possession of specific advantage locally may not be adequately enough to help penetrate the global markets. Similarly, technological capability enable firms to identify acquire and apply new external knowledge to develop operational competencies which may lead to the attainment of superior performance.

Government policies and programs designed to support technological development and innovation must be adjusted to consider the peculiar nature of SMEs firms in terms of technology and innovativeness that enhances competitive position and performance.

This study empirically examined the relationship of technological and relational capabilities and the SMEs learning capability and performance.

It has been argued that a firm's capacity to learn from its market is a source of both innovation and competitive advantage. However, past research has failed to conceptualize market‐focused learning activity as a capability having the potential to contribute to competitive advantage. Prior innovation research has been biased toward technological innovation. However, there is evidence to suggest that both technological and non‐technological innovations contribute to competitive advantage reflecting the need for a broader conceptualization of the innovation construct. Past research has also overlooked the critical role of entrepreneurship in the capability building process. Competitive advantage has been predominantly measured in terms of financial indicators of performance. In general, the literature reflects the need for comprehensive measures of organizational innovation and competitive advantage. This paper examines the role of market‐focused learning capability in organizational innovation‐based competitive strategy. The paper contributes to the strategic marketing theory by developing and refining measures of entrepreneurship, market‐focused learning capability, organizational innovation and sustained competitive advantage, testing relationships among these constructs.

The purpose of this paper is to test a theoretically derived representation of a relationship management capability. The relationship management capability architecture developed from the literature integrated theory on dynamic capabilities, the resource‐advantage theory of competition, and prior capability research in innovation and information technology management.

The second‐order constructs of relationship infrastructure, relationship learning and relationship behaviour argues to represent a relationship management capability (RMC) was assigned measures adapted from the literature, and pilot tested with industry consultants. The final questionnaire was sent to senior executives responsible for customer relationship management in manufacturing and business service firms in the UK. The structural model representing the RMC was shown to be robust with a comparative fit index of 0.91.

Although the low response rate and the subjectiveness of respondents encourage caution in interpreting the research findings, the results suggest that relationship management systems, implemented through collaborative and flexible behaviours, and renewed through adaptive and generative knowledge derived from experience and challenging current relationship management assumptions, are key dimensions of a RMC.

This framework advances and tests a new theoretical perspective of a relationship management capability that incorporates a capacity for renewal. In addition, it provides managers with a tool to evaluate their organisation's relationship management capability at key stakeholder interfaces on attributes that define relationship infrastructure, relationship learning and relationship behaviour, as this capability is renewed over time.

The purpose of this paper is to improve understanding and provide guidance for investments in organizational learning mechanisms for the establishment and evolution of organizational capabilities such as project portfolio management (PPM) and project management capabilities.

A multiple‐case study research project investigates the development of PPM capabilities in six successful organizations across diverse industries.

The research indicates that PPM and organizational learning are dynamic capabilities that enhance an organization's ability to achieve and maintain competitive advantage in dynamic environments. PPM capabilities are shown to co‐evolve through a combination of tacit experience accumulation, explicit knowledge articulation and explicit knowledge codification learning mechanisms. Although all three learning mechanisms are important throughout the establishment and evolution of PPM capability development, the research indicates that the development of an effective PPM capability will require particularly strong investments in enhancing tacit experience accumulation mechanisms and explicit knowledge codification mechanisms during the initial establishment or during periods of radical change to the PPM process.

The research includes a sample of six case studies and the results may not be generalisable. In addition, the research was conducted over a short period of time whereas a longitudinal study would be required to gain more detailed information about the development of capabilities over time.

The findings suggest that managers can enhance and sustain competitive advantage by investing in tacit experience accumulation as well as explicit knowledge articulation and codification learning mechanisms to develop their PPM capability. Strengthened investment in experience accumulation and knowledge codification learning mechanisms is recommended during establishment of the PPM capability.

This paper contributes to the understanding of the links between organizational learning and the development of dynamic capabilities. Original hypotheses are proposed and some initial support for these hypotheses is provided through multiple‐case study research.