MNC Strategy, Knowledge Transfer Context and Knowledge Flow in MNEs

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajai S. Gaur ◽  
Hongjia Ma ◽  
Baoshan Ge
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Knowledge Flow

scholarly journals Reverse knowledge transfer from Central to Western Europe: Selected Case Studies

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Sonia Ferencikova
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Knowledge Flow ◽  
Case Study Method ◽  
Transitional Country ◽  
Knowledge Transfers ◽  
Reverse Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Parent Companies

Reverse knowledge transfer refers to the knowledge flow from the subsidiaries to the parent companies. The paper analyzes if the subsidiaries located in former transitional country (Slovakia) can create and transfer original knowledge to the parent companies in so-called developed Western Europe and focuses on the drivers, communication channels and contributions of such a knowledge flow for both, the headquarters and the subsidiaries. Qualitative research of four subsidiaries of multinational corporations was conducted to identify reverse knowledge transfers and to study them in-depth using case study method.

MNC strategy, knowledge transfer context, and knowledge flow in MNEs

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 1885-1900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajai S. Gaur ◽  
Hongjia Ma ◽  
Baoshan Ge
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Knowledge Flows ◽  
Knowledge Flow ◽  
Transfer Of Knowledge ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Effective Transfer ◽  
Comprehensive Framework

Purpose Cross-border flow of knowledge is fraught with many challenges. The complexity associated with the organization of multinational corporations (MNCs), and the information asymmetry in foreign locations poses particular challenges to knowledge flow. Yet, effective transfer of knowledge is critical for the survival and performance of MNCs. The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive framework to understand the difficulties in the smooth flow of knowledge in MNCs. Design/methodology/approach The study is conceptual in nature and is based on an extensive review of the extant literature. Findings This review of the literature suggests that knowledge flow in MNCs is affected by country-level, firm-level and individual-level factors. The authors discuss these in the backdrop of the MNC strategy and the knowledge transfer context. The authors present their theoretical model and discuss the implications for advancing research in this domain. Originality/value This is one of the first papers to present a comprehensive framework to understand knowledge flows in MNCs.

Managing reverse knowledge flow in multinational corporations

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 695-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nishant Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Knowledge Flow ◽  
Location Awareness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managerial Attention ◽  
Knowledge Management Practices

Purpose – This study aims to provide insight to the little-researched phenomenon of reverse knowledge flow within multinational corporations (MNCs) and to explain the role of managerial attention in exploiting the prospect of knowledge transfer from subsidiaries located in developing countries. Design/methodology/approach – Existing literature across disciplines has been integrated to provide a clear description of the concept of reverse knowledge flow and managerial attention, in order to explain the role of managerial attention in reverse knowledge transfer activities within MNCs. Two pilot studies were conducted on European MNCs to build the background for this study. Findings – Managerial attention is a key factor in recognising potential source of knowledge within the multinational network, and a prior requirement for knowledge transfer to take place. Attention decisions are partially based on the knowledge source location, awareness/attractiveness, and the strategic importance. Thus, MNCs can adopt managerial practices and control mechanisms to influence the attention of executives and achieve higher knowledge flow from subsidiaries. Research limitations/implications – There is a need to undertake empirical research and in-depth case studies of knowledge management practices using the arguments and framework provided in this article. Practical implications – MNCs can develop mechanisms for overcoming attention biases influence on reverse knowledge flow. The attention based approach can lead to better subsidiary integration and knowledge management practices in MNCs. Originality/value – This study advances the theory on reverse knowledge flow in MNCs by presenting an attention based theoretical framework for effective knowledge transfer.

scholarly journals Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration within and across Firms

Management ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sang-Joon Kim
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Population Level ◽  
The Other ◽  
Levels Of Analysis ◽  
Knowledge Flow ◽  
Transfer Of Knowledge ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
New Knowledge

Knowledge sharing is an interdependent process in which one gives something of value to the other and receives something of value from the other. It ranges from exploring new knowledge from outside to combining existing knowledge with others’ knowledge. Studies on knowledge sharing deal with the transfer of knowledge among social actors (whether individuals or organizations) or even among different fields. Capturing the activities on knowledge flow between social actors has also been widely studied in terms of knowledge transfer. In this sense, the terms of knowledge sharing and knowledge transfer have been used interchangeably. Yet, studies on knowledge sharing have focused on the activities that make knowledge accessible to various social actors. Accordingly, knowledge sharing includes a variety of social interactions between various social actors (within, between, and across organizations), and it doesn’t specify the direction of knowledge flow, including unidirectional, bidirectional, and multidirectional flow of knowledge. This implies that studies on knowledge sharing, as a combinatory term between an object (i.e., knowledge) and an action for it (i.e., sharing), revolve around which knowledge is shared or how a certain knowledge is shared. These two aspects of knowledge sharing can be further elaborated in terms of who takes the initiatives for this. That is, intraorganizational knowledge sharing (i.e., knowledge sharing between or among individuals within an organization) shows differentiated understandings from those of interorganizational knowledge sharing (i.e., knowledge sharing between organizations) or from those of population-level knowledge sharing (i.e., knowledge sharing across populations, industries, fields, or communities). Hence, we can further deepen our knowledge on knowledge sharing by specifying levels of analysis.

scholarly journals The Game Equilibrium of Scientific Crowdsourcing Solvers Based on the Hotelling Model

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guohao Wang ◽  
Liying Yu
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Knowledge Flow ◽  
Flow Process ◽  
Hotelling Model ◽  
Trading Cost ◽  
Game Equilibrium ◽  
Research Problems ◽  
Transfer Cost

Scientific crowdsourcing, which can effectively obtain wisdom from solvers, has become a new type of open innovation to address worldwide scientific and research problems. In the crowdsourcing process, the initiator should satisfy his own research needs by selecting a proper solver from the crowd, and the solver must have multiple competitions in order to obtain scientific research tasks from the initiator. The participants in the scientific crowdsourcing are based on the knowledge flow to realize the value added of knowledge. This paper discusses a few factors, including knowledge utility, knowledge transfer cost, knowledge distance, and knowledge trading cost, which all affect the solvers to achieve game equilibrium and win tasks in scientific crowdsourcing. By referring to the concept of Hotelling model, this paper constructs a game model with the solvers as the participants, and analyses solvers’ behaviours in scientific crowdsourcing and their profit impacts by each of the key elements. The results show that from a crowdsourcing solver’s point of view, increasing knowledge utility, controlling knowledge transfer cost, shortening knowledge distance to the initiator, and leveraging with a knowledge trading cost are four effective approaches to wining the competition of a scientific crowdsourcing task. The research conclusions provide a theoretical basis and practice guidance for crowdsourcing solvers to participate in scientific crowdsourcing from the perspective of the knowledge flow process.

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