Year
2025
Abstract
Organizations often hire employees hoping to acquire new knowledge. While the literature has paid considerable attention to the role of the characteristics of the source of knowledge, the recipient firm, and the knowledge being transferred, it has largely overlooked those of the knowledge being replaced. Using a computational model, we examine how the pre-existing knowledge of the hiring firm—specifically its degrees of internal and external fit—influences its ability to learn. Our findings suggest that firms with lower internal fit absorb new knowledge more quickly, even when controlling for initial external fit. We identify several mechanisms driving this dynamic, demonstrating how persistent resistance to new knowledge and sudden shifts can emerge solely through mutual learning dynamics between individuals and organizations, independent of social or cognitive constraints.
PHAM, D.N., RIOS, L. et WORKIEWICZ, M. (2025). When do firms learn by hiring? How complexity moderates the value of new knowledge. Strategic Management Journal, In press, pp. 1-28.
Keywords