How Mentorship Improves Reverse Transfer of Tacit Knowledge in Chinese Multinational Companies (MNCs)

Knowledge transfer has long been a major focus of research in the literature on MNCs in developed countries. However, reverse knowledge transfer in MNCs in developing countries (e.g., China) have received limited attention. By integrating mentorship , social capital and international adjustment theories, this study developed a theoretical framework to demonstrate when and how mentoring improves reverse transfer of tacit knowledge in Chinese MNCs. In particular, we propose that (1) mentoring functions (i.e., vocational support, psychological support and role modeling) have positive effects on three dimensions of social capital (i.e., tie strength; trust; shared language and vision), which in turn, improve reverse transfer of tacit knowledge between mentors and mentees. (2) International adjustment of mentors (i.e., work adjustment, interaction adjustment and general adjustment) moderates the relationships of mentoring with tie strength, trust, shared language and vision . A survey should be conducted to test the theoretical model. This research should provide theoretical and practical implications for mentoring and knowledge management of MNCs scholars and practitioners

An Integrated Paradigm for Managing Efficient Knowledge Transfer: Towards a More Comprehensive Philosophy of Transferring Knowledge in the Construction Industry

The efficient knowledge transfer among project group members can help those individuals do their jobs more successfully. However, there are challenges with effective and efficient knowledge transfer within the construction industry. Past research has assumed that all information can be articulated and codified, thus focusing on the transfer that generates the supply of knowledge. There seems not to be a comprehensive strategy for dealing with reverse, intra-firm information transfer that considers several elements and the interconnections between them. The current study developed a conceptual framework that comprehensively overviews knowledge transmission variables. A total of 128 papers from Scopus and Web of Science and publisher databases like Taylor & Francis, Elsevier, Emerald Insight, and Google Scholar were evaluated between 1990 and 2021. The data were evaluated using ATLAS.ti 9 software tool. The study contributed significantly to the impression of knowledge transfer by the construction industry. It also suggests that organisations should inspire and increase the involvement and evaluation of knowledge dissemination. In addition, a set of factors for efficient information transfer was identified and described in detail. Effective communication strategies should include establishing regular and efficient communication, creating a community of practice with common goals, creating a sense of urgency and connection to the challenge, and continuously transferring information amongst organisation members

The roles of the assigned expatriate manager in multinational companies: reviewing the application of existing theoretical frameworks to the operationalisation of expatriate functions in foreign subsidiaries

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the functions that assigned expatriate (AE) managers perform within the foreign subsidiaries of multinational companies (MNCs). Its primary objectives are to explore the extent to which existing theoretical frameworks on expatriate functions adequately capture and explain the way in which managers’ roles are operationalised while on assignment. To do this, a qualitative research design was used to identify the roles performed, the motivation behind these, and the inter-relatedness and operationalisation of these roles at a local subsidiary level. A matched case study approach was undertaken to identify potential organisational and institutional-level influences, which might have helped to shape the use of international management assignments. Four MNCs, two originating from the US and two from Spain, made up the main case study organisations, while eighteen MNCs from a range of countries, (E.g. France, India, Germany, Japan, Denmark) were utilised as minor case studies to further inform the findings from the major case study organisations. In total, fifty-one semi-structured interviews were gained from AE managers, and the global mobility managers (GMMs) and human resource directors (HRDs) who organised international assignments within the chosen MNCs. The results of the multiple case study approach confirmed that the primary reasons for assigning managers to foreign subsidiaries were knowledge transfer, management development, coordination and control as stated by Edstrom and Galbraith’s (1977). In addition to this, it also confirmed the multifaceted and messy nature of these assignments, with AE managers performing several functions at once to fulfil varying individual-, business- and organisation-level (Hocking et al., 2004) objectives and priorities. Each individual assignment was found to be unique, with varying combinations of the three expatriate functions outlined by Edstrom and Galbraith pursued within any single management assignment. The combination of functions performed was found to be shaped by varying environmental-, organisational- and individual-level motivations and objectives. At the organisational level, the formation of regional structures was identified as a key factor influencing increased horizontal movement of AE managers between specific subsidiary units, particularly for the purposes of knowledge transfer and coordination purposes. Finally, regarding how AE managers fulfilled their functions within the local subsidiary, this study has identified several micro-level activities, or ‘role processes’ (Hocking et al., 2004), based on an analysis of the data. Based on the past literature and the findings of this current study, several role processes have been identified and include translator, mentor, apprentice, investigator, internal negotiator, fire-fighter, ambassador, and networker