Antecedents of Local Personnel Absorptive Capacity in Joint Project Engineering Teams in Nigeria

This study investigates the significance of individual differences on the local personnel capability to acquire knowledge from joint project engineering teams. The model proposes individual's prior experience, learning orientation and perception of partner's support as antecedents of local personnel absorptive capacity. The hypothesized model was validated through the outcome of the structural equation modelling conducted on a cross sectional survey of 248 local personnel of joint project engineering teams in the Nigerian upstream oil industry. All the hypothesized relationships were supported, with the exception of that between learning orientation and ability to assimilate knowledge. Accordingly, the theoretical and practical implications of the findings were explained, with suggestions offered on the direction for future research.