Distance to Customers, Absorptive Capacity, and Innovation in High‐Tech Firms: The Dark Face of Geographical Proximity

Manuela Presutti, Cristina Boari, Antonio Majocchi, Xavier Molina-Morales · 2017 · Journal of Small Business Management

Summary. This study of 158 high-tech firms in Italy finds that geographical proximity to customers does not drive innovation as commonly assumed. Instead, relational proximity to key customers works together with a firm's absorptive capacity to boost innovation. The research challenges the prevailing view that being physically close to customers automatically enhances innovative performance.

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Presutti, M., Boari, C., Majocchi, A., & Molina-Morales, X.. (2017). Distance to Customers, Absorptive Capacity, and Innovation in High‐Tech Firms: The Dark Face of Geographical Proximity. Journal of Small Business Management. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsbm.12323

@article{presutti-2017-distance-customers-absorptive-capacity-innovation,
  title   = {Distance to Customers, Absorptive Capacity, and Innovation in High‐Tech Firms: The Dark Face of Geographical Proximity},
  author  = {Manuela Presutti and Cristina Boari and Antonio Majocchi and Xavier Molina-Morales},
  journal = {Journal of Small Business Management},
  year    = {2017},
  doi     = {10.1111/jsbm.12323},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1111/jsbm.12323}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Distance to Customers, Absorptive Capacity, and Innovation in High‐Tech Firms: The Dark Face of Geographical Proximity
AU  - Manuela Presutti
AU  - Cristina Boari
AU  - Antonio Majocchi
AU  - Xavier Molina-Morales
JO  - Journal of Small Business Management
PY  - 2017
DO  - 10.1111/jsbm.12323
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1111/jsbm.12323
ER  -

Details

DOI: 10.1111/jsbm.12323
Countries: Italy
Regions: Europe
Categories: innovation-networks, regional-innovation-systems, innovation-theory, general-innovation
Added: 2026-04-28