Os processos de aprendizagem na capacidade absortiva em organizações baseadas em projetos

Abstract

Knowledge, considered one of the main strategic resources of companies, has been the object of growing interest of researchers and managers. The field of project management recognizes its importance by establishing in good practices of project management the process of lessons learned, aiming to save for future projects the knowledge built. Despite the importance of the knowledge built in the project, the relevance of the ability to absorb knowledge to the performance of the project and project-based organizations stands out. The ability to absorb external knowledge recognized as a set of organizational routines is externalized through learning processes. Knowing how these processes occur and relate in different models of organizations is a challenge to be faced. In this line, the research sought to identify and characterize the main learning processes in the structuring stages of the absorptive capacity of project-based organizations. To achieve the objective of the thesis, three sequential studies were developed. Study 1 analyzed the main configurations of absorptive capacity in a project management environment, using the method of systematic literature review, identifying research that relates absorptive capacity with project performance and exchange of knowledge between projects and projects and organizations. To complement the theoretical foundation on absorptive capacity, study 2 was carried out to evaluate the research gaps in absorptive capacity, using a meta-analysis. In study 2, the main areas involved in research with absorptive capacity and their respective gaps were identified. Complementing the research, study 3 was conducted that characterized the main learning processes of the absorptive capacity of project-based organizations. To meet the objective proposed in study 3, a qualitative research was carried out, using the strategy of multiple case study, incorporating two organizations based on projects. As a result of the thesis, it was identified how the learning processes of exploration, assimilation, transformation and exploitation occur in project-based organizations, as well as characterized the practices adopted by companies to execute the processes. The results allowed the creation of a framework demonstrating that the four learning processes relate to each other, as well as the relationship between the project and the organization.