The role of international knowledge acquisition and absorptive capacity as a predictor of international performance

The international business literature recognizes the central role of knowledge and learning as key determinants of the internationalization of firms. While the stages model underlined the influence of experiential learning, new research has shown that there are also other relevant types of knowledge acquisition, which can be structured following Huber's model (1991) as congenital, grafted, vicarious, and search knowledge acquisition. However, knowledge acquisition constitutes only a first step for learning. In this respect, absorptive capacity appears as a useful construct since it integrates knowledge acquisition, assimilation, transformation, and exploitation capacity. This paper analyzes the influence of the types of knowledge acquisition on international performance and considers absorptive capacity dimensions as moderator variables based on a sample of 200 Spanish SME exporters.