Research on absorptive capacity in the green context: a bibliometric and visualization analysis

Environmental sustainability is increasingly influencing organizational strategies, highlighting the critical role of absorptive capacity in knowledge transfer, learning, innovation, and performance within a green context. Despite a growing body of literature on this topic, a comprehensive review re...

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Main Authors: Chujie Ni, Nor Liza Abdullah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Cogent Business & Management
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311975.2024.2435602
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author Chujie Ni
Nor Liza Abdullah
author_facet Chujie Ni
Nor Liza Abdullah
author_sort Chujie Ni
collection DOAJ
description Environmental sustainability is increasingly influencing organizational strategies, highlighting the critical role of absorptive capacity in knowledge transfer, learning, innovation, and performance within a green context. Despite a growing body of literature on this topic, a comprehensive review remains lacking. This study addresses this need by conducting a bibliometric and visualization analysis of 489 articles from the Web of Science database, providing an overarching understanding of the field’s size, dynamics, structure, and emerging trends. Using performance analysis and science mapping with VOSviewer and CiteSpace software, the research identified the most influential countries, journals, and authors; mapped the intellectual structure through co-citation analysis; and highlighted current research streams through bibliographic coupling, including green innovation, corporate social responsibility efforts, sustainable supply chain management, and inter-organizational learning. Co-word analysis uncovered research hotspots and future directions, emphasizing the centrality of absorptive capacity in linking knowledge acquisition to environmental strategies and organizational performance. Based on these findings, a systematic framework for applying absorptive capacity in the green context was developed, providing practical guidance for managers to enhance sustainability performance and competitive advantage. This study contributes to both absorptive capacity and environmental management literature by offering a holistic overview, synthesizing diverse perspectives, and bridging the gap between academic research and practical implementation.
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spelling doaj-art-90f27c6695d34be882014099ab9478ce2025-01-16T12:32:56ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Business & Management2331-19752025-12-0112110.1080/23311975.2024.2435602Research on absorptive capacity in the green context: a bibliometric and visualization analysisChujie Ni0Nor Liza Abdullah1Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, MalaysiaFaculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, MalaysiaEnvironmental sustainability is increasingly influencing organizational strategies, highlighting the critical role of absorptive capacity in knowledge transfer, learning, innovation, and performance within a green context. Despite a growing body of literature on this topic, a comprehensive review remains lacking. This study addresses this need by conducting a bibliometric and visualization analysis of 489 articles from the Web of Science database, providing an overarching understanding of the field’s size, dynamics, structure, and emerging trends. Using performance analysis and science mapping with VOSviewer and CiteSpace software, the research identified the most influential countries, journals, and authors; mapped the intellectual structure through co-citation analysis; and highlighted current research streams through bibliographic coupling, including green innovation, corporate social responsibility efforts, sustainable supply chain management, and inter-organizational learning. Co-word analysis uncovered research hotspots and future directions, emphasizing the centrality of absorptive capacity in linking knowledge acquisition to environmental strategies and organizational performance. Based on these findings, a systematic framework for applying absorptive capacity in the green context was developed, providing practical guidance for managers to enhance sustainability performance and competitive advantage. This study contributes to both absorptive capacity and environmental management literature by offering a holistic overview, synthesizing diverse perspectives, and bridging the gap between academic research and practical implementation.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311975.2024.2435602Absorptive capacityenvironmental strategygreen innovationorganizational learningbibliometric analysisCorporate Social Responsibility & business ethics
spellingShingle Chujie Ni
Nor Liza Abdullah
Research on absorptive capacity in the green context: a bibliometric and visualization analysis
Cogent Business & Management
Absorptive capacity
environmental strategy
green innovation
organizational learning
bibliometric analysis
Corporate Social Responsibility & business ethics
title Research on absorptive capacity in the green context: a bibliometric and visualization analysis
title_full Research on absorptive capacity in the green context: a bibliometric and visualization analysis
title_fullStr Research on absorptive capacity in the green context: a bibliometric and visualization analysis
title_full_unstemmed Research on absorptive capacity in the green context: a bibliometric and visualization analysis
title_short Research on absorptive capacity in the green context: a bibliometric and visualization analysis
title_sort research on absorptive capacity in the green context a bibliometric and visualization analysis
topic Absorptive capacity
environmental strategy
green innovation
organizational learning
bibliometric analysis
Corporate Social Responsibility & business ethics
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311975.2024.2435602
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