Impact of Knowledge Characteristics on Technological Capabilities: A Moderated‐Mediation Model Based on Knowledge Distance and External Knowledge Management

This paper aims to identify the mediating mechanisms through which different external knowledge management processes affect the relation between knowledge characteristics and technological capabilities, and to investigate the moderating impacts of knowledge distance on these mechanisms. The study presents a framework primarily based on the integration of technological capability theory and aspects of knowledge management theory. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire survey administered to R&D staff, engineers, and managers within 265 manufacturing and service firms in China. We developed a moderated mediation model analyzing the role of external knowledge management as a mechanism and examining the fully moderating effects of knowledge distance on the initial and subsequent stages of external knowledge management. The results reveal that external knowledge acquisition mediates the relationship between knowledge observability and technological capabilities, while external knowledge transfer mediates the relationship between knowledge teachability and technological capabilities. Furthermore, knowledge distance significantly negatively moderates the mediated effect of external knowledge management between knowledge observability and technological capabilities. A limitation of this empirical research lies in its failure to distinguish knowledge attributes across different industries. Future studies should examine the mechanism of external knowledge management in various industries and the moderating role of other variables, such as technological evolution. This study also offers practical suggestions for firms' managers and policymakers on how to select and apply effective and targeted acquisition or transfer activities for accessing and absorbing external knowledge resources, based on the teachability and observability of knowledge, as well as firms' own knowledge base and capabilities.