A framework for ex ante project risk assessment based on absorptive capacity

This paper explores the applicability of the concepts of absorptive capacity and ‘‘ba’’ to ex ante project risk. We develop a hybrid framework to explain knowledge transfer based on these concepts—one that proposes a hybrid transference process. We then apply this framework to develop a methodology and metric for assessing ex ante software project risk, the risk that a new technology introduced into an organization may not be used as designed or may not achieve the anticipated benefits. As a preliminary validation of these concepts, we describe three case studies, employing the framework and metric to show how examining absorptive capacity can help to assess the risk level of software projects. ! 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.