Organisational Creativity and Innovative Performance: The Role of Realised Absorptive Capacity and Customer Orientation in Gastronomic Firms

The dynamic environment of gastronomy firms in developing economies demands the implementation of strategies to enhance innovative performance. This study examines the mediation of realised absorptive capacity and customer orientation in the link between organisational creativity and innovative performance. Using a sample of 207 gastronomic firms in Arequipa (Peru) - a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, the theoretical model was tested using Partial Least Squares structural equation modelling. The results indicate that organisational creativity positively impacts innovative performance, an effect amplified through realised absorptive capacity and customer orientation. The study extends theoretical insights on organisational creativity and innovative performance in gastronomic firms and enriches the dynamic component model by incorporating these mediators. Additionally, it deepens the understanding of open innovation theory by validating the model proposed, contributing to strategic approaches for fostering innovation in the gastronomic sector of developing economies.