Absorptive Capacity (Zahra & George)
StrategyReliability: alphas 0.82–0.90 across 4 facets4 sample items
About this scale
A multi-item measure of absorptive capacity across four facets: acquisition, assimilation, transformation, and exploitation of external knowledge.
Sample item(s)
“We frequently scan the environment for new technologies (acquisition)”
“We share knowledge across departments (assimilation)”
“We integrate new knowledge into existing routines (transformation)”
“We use new knowledge to develop new products and processes (exploitation)”
Reliability
Reported internal consistency: alphas 0.82–0.90 across 4 facets. As a rule of thumb, Cronbach’s α ≥ .70 is considered acceptable, ≥ .80 good, and ≥ .90 excellent for established measures.
Notes
Foundational absorptive-capacity framework.
Source & citation
Zahra, S. A., & George, G. (2002): Absorptive capacity: A review, reconceptualization, and extension. Academy of Management Review, Vol. 27, No. 2, pp. 185–203.
Source. Scale details are summarised from the publication cited above. Always consult the original source for the full item set, scoring, and permission to use.
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