The disseminative capability of the sources in cross-border Knowledge transfer process: A case study of a Franco-Japanese joint venture in brazil (original) (raw)
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BAR. Brazilian Administration Review, 2011
Several studies about knowledge transfer in multinational corporations have found that the process is influenced by factors such as absorptive capacity, tacit knowledge and power relations, all of which impact knowledge sharing strategies between corporate headquarters and foreign subsidiaries. A multiple case study of Brazilian subsidiaries of three multinational corporations using in-depth interviews, based on a conceptual model consisting of four propositions, was conducted to identify factors linked to the knowledge transfer process and to assess their influence on that transfer. The first proposition tries to assess explicit knowledge, primarily through the use of IT tools; the second analyzes the role of the subsidiary within the corporate network and how it influences the degree of knowledge sharing. The third assesses the influence of subsidiary absorptive capacity and the fourth analyzes the impact of worker exchange programs on knowledge sharing between headquarters and foreign subsidiaries. Study results confirm the four propositions and enable the identification of relationships between factors, especially explicit knowledge and worker expatriation as complementary factors in knowledge transfer strategies.
Effectiveness and Efficiency of Cross-Border Knowledge Transfer: An Empirical Examination
Journal of Management Studies, 2008
Based on a sample of 102 US organizations, this study examines the impact of knowledge characteristics, recipient learning intent, source attractiveness, and relationship quality on the effectiveness and efficiency of knowledge transfer from the international business affiliates of these organizations. Findings indicate that recipient learning intent and source attractiveness positively impact the effectiveness of knowledge transfer. In addition, recipient learning intent was found to have a positive effect on knowledge transfer efficiency. In particular, results highlight the strong positive impact that the quality of the relationship between the source and the recipient has on both the efficiency and effectiveness of cross-border knowledge transfer. The study also indicates that knowledge value is positively associated with recipient learning intent and that knowledge value, rarity and nonsubstitutability influence source attractiveness. Finally, findings suggest that the relationship between knowledge characteristics and knowledge transfer is partially mediated by recipient learning intent and source attractiveness.
Effective Knowledge Transfer and Knowledge Acquisition in International Joint Ventures
mibes.teilar.gr
The importance of international joint ventures (IJVs), as business arrangements for firms to expand their international activities and enter foreign markets has increased the last years. In today's competitive markets the use of complementary resources in collaborative agreements, is for many enterprises the only means to expand internationally and gain global competitiveness. For many of these firms the importance of knowledge has increased and so has the relevant research and literature. Knowledge is regarded by many as a key competitive factor that contributes to the success of IJVs. It is widely accepted that the reasons for IJV failure are often knowledge related, a fact that underlines the importance of knowledge and knowledge transfer in the success of IJVs. An organization's effective learning process depends on a number of parameters related to the external and internal environment. These parameters, that facilitate the firm's ability to acquire, absorb and use knowledge efficiently, such as the trust between partners, the education level, the cultural distance, the access to knowledge, the prior international experience and the managerial commitment, will be described and explored. Furthermore, the ways to transfer knowledge and the contextual factors affecting this process are discussed. The objectives of the paper are, first, to present and analyze the process of knowledge transfer and the effective learning process in IJVs, and, second, to present a number of hypotheses on the contextual factors that have an impact on knowledge transfer in IJVs where at least one of the parent firms is Greek. These hypotheses will be tested empirically at a later stage.
Knowledge Transfer within Multinational Corporations
Concepts, Methodologies, Tools and Applications (4 Volumes)
A growing interest in the various aspects of knowledge transfer within multinational corporations has been evidenced by a recent surge in empirical research. Despite the fact that the number of empirical studies investigating various aspects of knowledge transfer within multinational corporations has significantly increased, very few insights into the influence of culture on knowledge transfer, however, have come to light. In fact, the cultural aspects and the individuals involved in the transfer and communication of corporate knowledge within multinational corporations seemed to have been overlooked by researchers. This chapter attempts to fill this gap and investigates the impact culture has upon knowledge transfer processes within multinational corporations. It presents a comprehensive intercultural knowledge transfer model and identifies which aspects of national culture hinder and which aspects foster an effective transfer of knowledge.
2016
Effective cross-border knowledge transfer can help to improve the competitiveness of the multinational companies, improve production process or product development, lower the operation cost, reduce errors, and improve profitability. However, cross-border knowledge transfer has always been a challenge for most of the companies especially when it involves communication and trust among a group of local and employees from different cultural background. Cultural diversity always causes the failure of knowledge transfer in actual implementation. Therefore, this study intends to propose a framework for managing cultural diversity and trust of cross-border knowledge transfer in Iskandar Development Region. The objective of this study is to propose a comprehensive framework to examine the key factors that affect employee's participation in cross-border knowledge transfer. Based on focus group study with management of selected multinational companies in Iskandar Development Region, a comp...
Knowledge transfer performance of multinational companies
MIR: Management International …, 2003
Knowledge is ascribed a key role when explaining the existence and the growth of multinational companies (MNCs). The effective dissemination throughout the MNC organization of valuable knowledge acquired by its local affiliates is seen as an important source of competitive advantage. Knowledge differs in characteristics and so do the available transfer mechanism. As such, it is essential that the MNC employs the mechanism of transfer that suits the specific knowledge characteristics. The use of unsuitable transfer mechanisms may cause loss of knowledge in the process of transmission or may involve unnecessarily high communication costs -both with potentially negative effects on the performance of the MNC. Focusing on internationalization knowledge this large-scale empirical study explores the incidence and the performance implications of fit between knowledge characteristics and transfer mechanisms as used by Danish MNCs. It is found that a substantial proportion of the observed MNC knowledge transfer transactions may be classified as 'misfits' and to some extent do these 'misfits' result in impaired performance of the MNCs. (Knowledge Transfer, Knowledge Characteristics, Multinational Companies) __________________________________________________________________ 1 1977, p. 30).
Knowledge Transfer Within Multinationals and Their Foreign Subsidiaries: A Culture-Context Approach
Group & Organization Management, 2009
The authors' research introduces a culture-sensitive approach to the analysis of knowledge transfer in multinational organizations. This article investigates the knowledge itself, how knowledge is represented, and its flow within social structures. The analysis considers forms of knowledge transfer as cultural products, and their interaction with the populations involved. Sociocultural structures as well as specific cultural characteristics of the populations are analyzed in reference to knowledge transfer as well as the interaction between the relevant contexts. Data were collected in two multinational Israeli software development companies and their affiliates in India. The analyses included various qualitative analyses of 96 interviews, informal discussions, documents, including instant messaging chats and observations. The authors show, for example, how the influences of contemporary professional work norms as well as customary behavior from the national context combine to influence who talks to whom, what kind of information is transferred, and the extent to which people of disparate status and background are willing to share.
Journal of Intellectual Capital, 2009
Purpose – Recent research on intra-organizational knowledge-transfer showed that new capability development within multinational corporations shifts from parent companies to foreign subsidiaries. This paper seeks to identify antecedents and barriers for reverse capability-transfer in multinational corporations. Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopts a multiple case study approach based on active interviews at six subsidiaries of a multinational manufacturing company. Findings – The results suggest that subsidiary autonomy, environmental heterogeneity, and managerial initiatives are all necessary antecedents of unique capability development at the subsidiary level, but that companies do not utilize foreign subsidiary-originated capabilities in their home-country operations. The results also show that person-to-person communication is required for intra-MNC capability-transfer in any direction, and that other forms of communication seem to be inefficient. Research limitations/implications – A logical next step is the investigation of the phenomenon at the headquarters level with the goal to identify specific barriers for reverse capability-transfer. Practical implications – The findings support the idea that managers of multinational corporations should recognize that new unique capabilities originate not only at the parent company level but also at the foreign subsidiary level, and that it could be beneficial for the company as a whole to transfer these new capabilities back to the home country operation. Originality/value – The study shows that in-depth interviews provide the richest form of data for this type of research. Moreover, it provides a counter-intuitive perspective on intra-organizational knowledge and capability-transfer in multinational corporations.