The role of knowledge absorption in innovation and flexibility of Gilan Province Broadcasting Organization

Academic certificate for master's degree

Field: public administration, orientation: human resources

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate the role of knowledge absorption in innovation and flexibility as well as the agility of the units of the Gilan Central Broadcasting Organization. Considering the importance of obtaining information in today's competitive society, acquiring knowledge for the use of employees and the organization seems necessary and inevitable. Knowledge absorption capacity is defined as the ability of an organization to learn from another organization, on the other hand, innovation is a process in which knowledge is acquired, shared and integrated with the aim of creating new knowledge in order to provide new services to the audience. Also, flexibility can be considered as a connecting index between the system and its external environment to know the degree of system dynamism and also as the ability to change and adapt. Various studies have shown that the concept of knowledge absorption is closely related to innovation and flexibility and accompanies organizations to face challenges and improve innovative performance and achieve success. Considering that the purpose of this research is to study the role of knowledge absorption in the innovation and flexibility of the center of Gilan Broadcasting Organization, the research method is descriptive and correlational. The target statistical population is 35 radio and television units in the center of Gilan, in which the subject of the research is exemplified. Using the available non-probability sampling, 32 units were selected as a sample using Cochran's formula. The data collection tool for measuring the variables is standard questionnaires, the reliability of the tool was calculated using Cronbach's alpha for the knowledge absorption capacity questionnaire of 0.94, the organizational innovation questionnaire of 0.95, and the organizational flexibility questionnaire of 0.96. The obtained data were analyzed with SPSS18 software and the results of the regression test showed that the knowledge absorption capacity and its dimensions have an effect on the innovation and flexibility of the radio and television units of Gilan province. Key words: absorption capacity, knowledge absorption, organizational innovation, flexibility, organizational agility. Introduction: Knowledge absorption capacity refers to a set of organizational processes and trends during which the organization acquires, similar to It builds, transfers and extracts knowledge, to create dynamic capabilities in itself. These capabilities increase the organization's ability to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage (Moradi et al., 2013).

Nowadays, with the formation of complex competitive environments, only organizations can continue their activities that strengthen their performance in important organizational capabilities such as innovation (Farsijani and Nistani, 2015). Carrying out innovative activities provides an inexhaustible source of competitive advantage (Azad and Arshadhi, 2018). Innovative performance is achieved by creating the knowledge needed to develop new products and production processes, or to improve existing processes. Organizations rely on innovation to increase productivity and improve their economic status (Mirfakhraldini et al., 2009). Innovation is a complex activity that applies new knowledge for business purposes. A part of this knowledge is obtained from external sources, hence the ability to exploit external knowledge is a critical factor for innovative capabilities (Fosferi and Tribo[1], 2008). In 1990, Cohen and Levinthal [2] introduced this macroeconomic concept to the field of organizational theories and considered absorptive capacity as an organization's ability to recognize the value of new information from external sources, simulate and apply it for business purposes. Absorptive capacity is not a goal in itself, but it can create important organizational outputs such as innovative performance (Castopoulos[3] et al., 2011).

Knowledge absorption capacity has a close relationship with dynamic and flexible capabilities. From the point of view of dynamic capability, organizations operate as knowledge institutions in the form of knowledge processes (Johntonen[4], 2005). Accordingly, in 2002, Zahra and George expanded the general definition of Cohen and Levinthal (1990) and introduced absorptive capacity as a set of organizational processes and trends during which the organization acquires, simulates, transfers and extracts knowledge to create dynamic capabilities.. These capabilities are related to the creation and use of knowledge and increase the organization's ability to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage (Zahra and George[5], 2002). Today, the development of media and societies have found a direct and close relationship with each other, and a developed society is considered to be able to, along with economic indicators such as per capita income, gross national distribution, etc. Emphasize the criteria of education and information, innovation and creativity. In such a society, the media play a significant role in promoting diverse and necessary awareness by producing and distributing information and help the society in achieving all-round excellence and progress (Hashmi Gilani, 2019). By injecting ideas, the media introduces new roles to people and presents them with a different and better way of life (Rahmani Fazli and Boozari, 2018). The media organization must always adapt and coordinate with the constant and inevitable changes in technology. Media industries will invest in research and development (R&D) units as a key to growth, and governments will push for innovation in this area for the same reason. If the media industry is not flexible to technological advances, it will certainly be pushed aside by similar industries (Kung, 2008, p.220). And further explains that organizational life (in media organizations) requires adaptation to technological developments and flexibility. Innovation is the process of taking creative ideas and transforming them into new products, services, and methods of operation (Robbins, 1991). Innovation, like any objective activity, in addition to genius and talent, requires knowledge, attention and hard work of all involved (Drucker, 1985). The term innovation is a broad concept as a process of using relevant knowledge or information in order to create or introduce new and useful things (Hult, 1998). Therefore, in a general definition, innovation can be defined as any new idea for an organization or an industry or a nation or the world (Khodadad Hosseini, 1378:48). Innovative organizations need a flexible environment to support their innovation. They increase flexibility, the power of adaptation and fertilization, which makes it easier to accept innovations (Nili Aram, 2017). Flexibility is defined as "adaptation to changes", flexibility is one of the most important abilities needed by organizations and companies in the face of environmental changes (Scott, 2007). Flexibility is the secret to survival. The greater this capability, the greater the chance of survival (Maskell, 2001). Therefore, in this regard, to measure innovation, 1. research and development expenses, 2. registered inventions, 3. references made about an invention, and 4. new product will be used, and to measure flexibility, 1. efficiency, 2. responsiveness, 3. multifunctionality of the system, and 4. capability will be used. In a research conducted by Hosseini and Hajipour in 2015 in order to determine the relationship between knowledge absorption capacity, innovation and flexibility in pharmaceutical companies of the country, it revealed the effect of knowledge absorption capacity on innovation and showed its effect as a multi-dimensional activity on innovation. Also, this research showed that flexibility is highly dependent on knowledge absorption capacity (Hosseini and Hajipour, 2016). The concept of knowledge absorption capacity was first proposed at the macroeconomic level and refers to the ability of an economy to use information and knowledge produced outside the borders of a country. Lan and Labatkin (1998) define knowledge absorptive capacity as a firm's ability to learn from another firm. According to the definition of Cohen and Levinthal (1990), absorptive capacity is the ability of organizations to study, analyze and integrate, transform and extract knowledge that can determine the company's competence. In fact, they define absorptive capacity as the organization's ability to learn from external knowledge through the processes of identifying and assimilating and exploiting knowledge (Cohen & Levinthal, 1999). In today's economy, capital and labor alone cannot ensure the survival and success of an organization, and knowledge as a key source in the survival and growth of the organization is of particular importance, what is important is that without sufficient knowledge and information about the internal and external environment of the organization, the survival of an organization faces many problems.