Knowledge Acquisition and Assimilation in Tourism-Innovation Processes

AbstractThe paper develops a framework and an understanding of the external knowledge absorption in nature-based tourism companies. The concept of potential absorptive capacity is the starting point for exploring how external knowledge (tacit and explicit) is absorbed and assimilated in tourism-innovation processes. Although knowledge is the engine that drives innovation, tourism firms can have problems and challenges when trying to absorb external knowledge for innovation. The main challenge is to access and absorb tacit knowledge. This type of knowledge is personal and sticky and therefore difficult to acquire and assimilate into the existing knowledge pool of organizations. Tacit knowledge is also difficult to imitate and is therefore important for developing original and competitive innovations. In this study, knowledge acquisition and assimilation processes and how knowledge challenges are handled are investigated by adopting a multiple, qualitative case-study strategy that focuses on three Icelandic whale-watching firms. This study contributes to the tourism-innovation discussion by identifying tourism-specific abilities for the acquisition and assimilation of knowledge. The sense-making and strategic interpretation of this knowledge are considered to be important subsequent steps in the innovation process.Key Words: knowledgeinnovationabsorptive capacitynature-based tourism AcknowledgementsThis article is written as part of the research project Northern InSights (http://www.opplevelserinord.no/), which is partly financed by The Research Council of Norway. I would like to thank associate professor (PhD) Dorthe Eide (Bodø Graduate School of Business at University of Nordland) for her constructive comments and contributions throughout the development of the manuscript.