Absorptive Capacity and Firm Performance in SMEs: The Mediating Influence of Strategic Alliances

Tessa Christina Flatten, Greta Greve, Malte Brettel · 2011 · European Management Review

Summary. Strategic alliances mediate the relationship between absorptive capacity and firm performance in SMEs. Absorptive capacity—a firm's ability to identify, assimilate, and exploit external knowledge—drives innovation and performance gains primarily through partnerships with other firms. However, this mediation effect weakens for younger SMEs, suggesting that company age and size shape how knowledge absorption translates into business results.

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@article{flatten-2011-absorptive-capacity-firm-performance-smes,
  title   = {Absorptive Capacity and Firm Performance in SMEs: The Mediating Influence of Strategic Alliances},
  author  = {Tessa Christina Flatten and Greta Greve and Malte Brettel},
  journal = {European Management Review},
  year    = {2011},
  doi     = {10.1111/j.1740-4762.2011.01015.x},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-4762.2011.01015.x}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Absorptive Capacity and Firm Performance in SMEs: The Mediating Influence of Strategic Alliances
AU  - Tessa Christina Flatten
AU  - Greta Greve
AU  - Malte Brettel
JO  - European Management Review
PY  - 2011
DO  - 10.1111/j.1740-4762.2011.01015.x
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-4762.2011.01015.x
ER  - 

Details

DOI

10.1111/j.1740-4762.2011.01015.x

Countries

Germany

Regions

Europe

Categories

innovation-networks, entrepreneurship, general-innovation

Added

2026-04-28