Muaz Azinuddin, Nur Shahirah Mior Shariffuddin, Mohd Hafiz Mohd Hanafiah, Ahmad Puad Mat Som & Wan Mohd Adzim Wan Mohd Zain
Abstract: Although there is a prevalence of studies that have analysed crucial components of networks, there is a paucity of empirical efforts that explicitly addresses the intrinsic elements associated with structural knowledge movement in networks within the tourism performance realm. To address this gap, this study systematically investigates the interrelatedness between networks, knowledge transfer, absorptive capacity and tourism performance. The systematic literature review (SLR) method was used to select and analyse relevant research works published for the past 20 years. The results reveal that tourism scholars give knowledge-based variables, namely knowledge transfer, knowledge sharing, and knowledge exchange, scant attention. The findings also highlight the importance of absorptive capacity, a valuable tool for acquiring and processing knowledge derived from the tourism networks. Lastly, the study demonstrates the need for more empirical studies to shed light on the effect of networks, knowledge transfer and absorptive capacity in explaining performance, which is crucial for the competitive and strategic management of tourism businesses.
Keywords: Networks, knowledge transfer, absorptive capacity, tourism performance, systematic literature review