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Customer Need Knowledge Facilitates Market Opportunity Recognition Through Absorptive Capacity and Technological Knowledge: Evidence from the IT Sector in China

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Listed:
  • Jing Fan

    (School of Economics and Trade, Guangxi University of Finance and Economics)

  • Jiafu Su

    (International College, Krirk University)

  • Stavros Sindakis

    (Chongqing Technology and Business University
    Hellenic Open University)

Abstract

Although there is a consensus in the literature that customer need knowledge plays an important role in market opportunity recognition, little attention has been paid to the mechanism through which customer need knowledge transmits its effect to market opportunity recognition. Integrating theoretical work on market opportunity recognition and marketing, this study builds a model of market opportunity recognition that covers the direct and conditional indirect effects of customer need knowledge. To examine the model, this study conducts an online survey with the aid of a consulting firm. Data are collected from 356 employees of Chinese IT firms using convenience sampling. The data are analyzed by means of structural equation modeling. The findings of this study indicate that the effect of customer need knowledge on market opportunity recognition can be partitioned into direct and conditional indirect elements and that technological knowledge moderates the second stage of the indirect path through absorptive capacity. This study contributes to the literature by elaborating the roles of absorptive capacity and technological knowledge in the relationship between customer need knowledge and market opportunity recognition. In addition, this study provides practical implications which contribute to shed new light on how customer need knowledge facilitates market opportunity recognition.

Suggested Citation

  • Jing Fan & Jiafu Su & Stavros Sindakis, 2024. "Customer Need Knowledge Facilitates Market Opportunity Recognition Through Absorptive Capacity and Technological Knowledge: Evidence from the IT Sector in China," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(1), pages 2192-2217, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jknowl:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s13132-023-01210-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s13132-023-01210-2
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