Subsidiary roles and dual knowledge flows between MNE subsidiaries and headquarters : The moderating effects of organizational governance types

In this paper, we investigate how various types of subsidiary roles affect dual knowledge flows between a focal subsidiary and the multinational enterprise’s headquarters, a thus far overlooked topic in the knowledge management literature. We propose that subsidiaries with a world mandate have a stronger positive impact on dual knowledge flows than subsidiaries with a specialized contributor role. In contrast, we argue that subsidiaries with a local implementer role have a negative impact on dual knowledge flows. Further, we investigate the moderating effect of two different organizational governance types, namely, belonging to a South Korean business group (i.e., Chaebol), and being a small and medium-sized enterprise. Overall, our results from a sample of 1213 foreign manufacturing subsidiaries from 191 South Korean MNEs provide empirical evidence that validates our hypotheses.Peer reviewe

Strategic Ambidexterity and Its Performance Implications for Emerging Economies Multinationals

Acknowledgements: We would like to thank the IBR Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Pervez Ghauri for his overall insightful suggestions, support, and guidance for this special issue. We would also like to thank the authors who have submitted their work. Our thanks also go out to our outstanding reviewers for the valuable comments and feedback given during the review processPeer reviewedPostprin

Knowledge Sharing: A bibliographic Report on the Research Developed during 2008 – 2019

This article aims to provide a bibliographic report on the research developed during 2008 – 2019 regarding knowledge sharing. To achieve this goal, a multi-stage methodology is developed. First of all, a documentary study is employed; this focuses on 3820 articles published on SCOPUS and Web of Science, during 2008 – 2019. Secondly, a quantitative analysis is developed to emphasize the chronological evolution of the research topic and the main journals that served as a vehicle for propagating the research regarding knowledge sharing. Last but not least, a qualitative analysis is performed to create a knowledge map. The results prove that: (i) the analyzed articles regarding knowledge sharing are published in 461 different journals but more than a quarter can be found in 19 journals; (ii) the number of studies increased considerably, especially in the last five years; (iii) 75% of the research production is concentrated in 16 countries and the main research polls are represented by the United States of America (18.34%), United Kingdom (9.47%), and China (6.48%); (iv) the knowledge sharing research concentrates on topics, such as moderation, mediation, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, environmental management, innovation, absorptive capacity, and community; and (v) the research gaps that should be filled by the future studies focus on: supply chain management, crisis management, corporate venturing, and human resource management. The results have both theoretical and practical implications. On the one hand, they extend the literature on knowledge sharing by providing a bibliographic report on how the research regarding knowledge sharing evolved during 2008 – 2019, and they also bring forward the main research gaps. On the other hand, they provide a knowledge map for the policy-makers which can help them decide how to foster knowledge sharing inside and outside the organization

Institutional Conditions for National Technology Capabilities: A Comparative Study of Technology Catch-up in Korea and Japan

What determines technology capabilities and catch-up of countries? Why do the patterns, speed and performance of innovation differ across countries? This thesis seeks to address these questions by linking institutional, organisational and sectoral features of innovation in Korea and Japan which are regarded as the most successful cases of technology catchup. Despite the widespread recognition that innovators are susceptible to institutional conditions and contextual influences, previous empirical studies have not used contextual factors as determinants of innovation. On the other hand, institutional analysis of innovation has addressed national diversity and historical patterns of change based on thick description and qualitative evidence. This thesis provides a new way of explaining the underlying of dynamics of innovation by empirically examining direct correlations between country-specific institutional characteristics and technology capabilities and by testing causal relationships between technology input and output. This thesis employs the national innovation system (NIS) and the late industrialiser perspectives to perform three sets of empirical analyses. The first indentifies key institutional and policy determinants of national technology capabilities based on five sets of cross-sectional data, consisting of 37 high-income countries and 32 middle-income countries. The second examines specific institutional conditions for causal relationships between technology input and output based on time-series data of Korea and Japan. The third investigates technological catchup occurrence, speed and performance to indentify productivity and technology gaps as well as delaying and contributing factors. The findings of the thesis have significant relevance to innovation strategy and policy of other catching-up countries in the process of building indigenous technology capabilities

Transferências internas de conhecimento em empresas multinacionais: uma revisão sistemática da literatura

In the current marketplace, characterised by globalisation, proliferation of technology and hostile competition, the exploitation and management of internal knowledge in companies has become the best vehicle for ensuring a differentiated international positioning, developing organisational knowledge bases, improving performance and growth, as well as to increase market responsiveness. Multinational companies face even more challenges in these processes, since they have to manage multiple knowledge transfers between headquarters and subsidiaries, among subsidiaries, and also within each of these units, in very different cultural, geographic and economic scenarios. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation is to deepen the knowledge about this phenomenon and to uncover the main influencing factors on internal knowledge transfers in multinational companies. Apart from including intra-unit knowledge transfers, this dissertation also analyses transfers between units, namely conventional, horizontal and reverse knowledge transfers. For this purpose, a systematic review of the literature was conducted to synthesise the content of 72 articles. Conclusions were drawn regarding the most recurrent publication years and sources, theoretical foundations, research methods, countries and industries in the literature. Moreover, this dissertation allowed to summarise the results for each type of knowledge transfer, identifying eight thematic categories and 97 topics covered in the literature, thus creating a complete framework of this phenomenon. Some gaps in the literature and contributions to theory, research and management are also highlighted, which will help to advance knowledge in these fields.Nos mercados atuais — marcados pela globalização, pela proliferação da tecnologia e pela competitividade agressiva — a exploração e gestão do conhecimento interno das empresas tornou-se o melhor veículo para assegurar um posicionamento internacional diferenciador, desenvolver a base de conhecimento organizacional, incrementar o desempenho e crescimento das empresas, bem como para aumentar a capacidade de resposta às necessidades dos mercados. As empresas multinacionais atravessam ainda mais desafios na gestão destes processos, pois têm de gerir múltiplas transferências de conhecimento entre sede e subsidiárias, entre subsidiárias e também dentro de cada uma destas unidades organizacionais, em cenários culturais, geográficos e económicos muito distintos. Assim, o objetivo desta dissertação é aprofundar o conhecimento sobre o fenómeno descrito e determinar os principais fatores que influenciam as transferências internas de conhecimento em empresas multinacionais, englobando transferências dentro de uma unidade e transferências entre unidades — incluindo transferências convencionais, horizontais e reversas. Para esse fim, é adotado um método de revisão sistemática da literatura para sintetizar o conteúdo de 72 artigos. Foram tiradas conclusões sobre os anos, as revistas científicas, as bases teóricas, os métodos de investigação, as indústrias e os países mais explorados na literatura. Para além disso, esta dissertação permitiu sumariar os resultados para cada tipo de transferência, identificar oito categorias temáticas e 97 tópicos abordados, criando, assim, um esquema completo sobre este fenómeno. Por fim, são destacadas algumas lacunas na literatura e contribuições para a teoria, a investigação e a gestão, que ajudarão a progressão do conhecimento nestas áreas.Mestrado em Gestã