Title: Absorptive capacity in information technology projects: a multiple case study in the telecommunication industry

Authors: Nadia Pedrosa; Luciana Montoni; Cristina Dai Prá Martens; Luciano Ferreira Da Silva; Julio Carneiro Da Cunha

Addresses: Universidade Nove de Julho – UNINOVE, Rua Deputado Salvador Julianelli, s/n - Barra Funda, São Paulo - SP, 05001-900, Brazil ' Universidade Nove de Julho – UNINOVE, Rua Deputado Salvador Julianelli, s/n - Barra Funda, São Paulo - SP, 05001-900, Brazil ' Universidade Nove de Julho – UNINOVE, Rua Deputado Salvador Julianelli, s/n - Barra Funda, São Paulo - SP, 05001-900, Brazil ' Universidade Nove de Julho – UNINOVE, Rua Deputado Salvador Julianelli, s/n - Barra Funda, São Paulo - SP, 05001-900, Brazil ' Universidade Nove de Julho – UNINOVE, Rua Deputado Salvador Julianelli, s/n - Barra Funda, São Paulo - SP, 05001-900, Brazil

Abstract: The aim of the present study is to introduce absorptive capacity (ACAP) use in projects developed by information technology (IT) departments in four telecommunication firms - hereinafter called telecom(s) - in Brazil. Data collection was based on interviews. Data analysis was performed in Atlas.ti software by following a three-level encoding stream, namely: open, axial and selective. According to the results, up-to-date telecoms that follow a more agile project-management methodology are often successful in using ACAP; consequently, they account for shorter time-to-market. The current empirical study on ACAP in project environments was a contribution to the literature, given the scarcity of studies in this field. It also provided a list with five propositions to encourage further research about this topic.

Keywords: absorptive capacity; ACAP; project management; telecommunication companies; telecom; information technology; innovation; knowledge management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPOM.2022.121549

International Journal of Project Organisation and Management, 2022 Vol.14 No.1, pp.36 - 64

Received: 29 Aug 2020
Accepted: 28 Dec 2020
Published online: 18 Mar 2022 *

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