Absorptive and desorptive capacity‐related practices at the network level – the case of SEMATECH

Previous research has predominantly conceptualized absorptive capacity as an intraorganizational phenomenon, primarily by means of quantitative methods. In contrast, this research develops a practice‐based understanding of how an interorganizational network can engage in network absorptive and desorptive capacity‐related (NAC and NDC respectively) activities. SEMiconductor MAnufacturing TECHnologies(SEMATECH) is an interorganizational network to develop innovative semiconductor manufacturing solutions globally. Based upon an in‐depth case study of SEMATECH we add to the literature as follows: first, we introduce NAC and NDC, venturing beyond the organization or dyad as the unit of analysis. Second, we adopt a practice perspective in order to illustrate how SEMATECH is able to engage in NAC‐ and NDC‐related activities, primarily by means of three practices, that is, congregating, roadmapping and offering access. These practices re‐inform each other, allowing SEMATECH, in effect, to coordinate the network's knowledge‐related activities with regard to knowledge outside of the network.