HRM Practices and MNC Knowledge Transfer

ABSTRACT The paper supports the idea that organizations can institute various internal structures, policies and practices to overcome transfer barriers and facilitate the degree of knowledge transfer. I discuss a framework for future empirical research on the relations between human resource management (HRM) practices and knowledge transfer in multinational corporations (MNC). The proposed model is empirically testable, includes a wider range of HRM practices and is not limited to one mode of foreign operations only

HRM Practices Affecting Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation of Knowledge Receivers and their Effect on Intra-MNC Knowledge Transfer.

This paper explores why and how HRM matters for knowledge transfer within multinational corporations. It is built upon the premise that there are certain HRM practices influencing extrinsic and intrinsic motivation of knowledge receivers. It is found that complementarity among HRM practices exists but does not always have a positive effect on knowledge transfer. Three hypotheses derived from these arguments are tested on data from 92 subsidiaries of Danish multinational corporations located in 11 countries

HRM practices and knowledge transfer in MNCS

This chapter introduces HRM practices that help MNCs to overcome knowledge transfer barriers (knowledge-driven HRM practices). It argues that MNCs can institute various HRM practices that impact knowledge transfer barriers associated with behavior of knowledge senders and receivers. HRM practices relevant for absorptive capacity of subsidiary employees form two groups – cognitive (job analysis, recruitment, selection, international rotation, career management, training and performance appraisal) and stimulative (promotion, performance-based compensation, internal transfer, orientation programs, job design and flexible working practices). The application of cognitive HRM practices enhances the ability of knowledge receivers to absorb transferred knowledge, while the use of stimulative HRM practices increases their motivation. Temporary and permanent types of international assignments respectively influence the ability and motivation of expatriate managers to share their knowledge. Keywords: Human Resources; Personnel; Human Resource Management; Multinational Corporations; Organizational Innovation; Organizational Learning

Negative Impact of HRM Complementarity on Knowledge Transfer in MNCs

This paper explores reasons for negative complementarity among HRM practices. It is built upon the premise that there are certain HRM practices influencing extrinsic and intrinsic motivation of knowledge receivers. If those HRM practices are applied in a complementary way, their impact on knowledge-related outcomes will result in crowding effect of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation and be negative. Hypotheses derived from these arguments are tested on the data from 92 subsidiaries of Danish multinational corporations located in 11 countries. Extrinsic/intrinsic motivation, HRM practices, knowledge transfe

the role of disseminative capacity

There is a limited amount of studies, which investigate how different managerial practices may influence the behavior of knowledge senders in multinational corporations (MNCs). This paper addresses this gap by looking at whether and how certain expatriation practices can enhance a) the ability and b) the willingness of expatriates to transfer the knowledge they possess from the headquarters to the respective subsidiaries. By stepping on two bodies of literature, namely the knowledge transfer literature and the expatriation literature, we suggest that MNCs may enhance the expatriates’ willingness to transfer their knowledge through the employment of long-term expatriation practices. Expatriates’ ability to transfer knowledge may be increased through their involvement in short-term assignments, frequent flyers arrangements and international commuters practices. We test empirically the hypotheses on the basis of data from 92 subsidiaries of Danish MNCs located in 11 countries. Key words: knowledge transfer, MNC, expatriation, dissemination capacit

Ny arbejdslivsbalancer under corona-krisen – muligheder og udfordringer for ledelse og medarbejdere

Da Danmark lukkede ned i midten af marts 2020, skulle mange arbejdspladser på kort tid omstrukturere deres ledelse og samarbejde. Særligt distanceledelse var for mange ledere og medarbejdere en ny udfordring – og selv på arbejdspladser, hvor man fra tid til anden allerede havde arbejdet med virtuel ledelse og samarbejde, var det nyt at have virtuelle medier som det eneste ledelsesredskab. Når en altomfavnende krise manifesterer sig, bliver kvaliteter såvel som mangler i ledelse særligt tydelige. Corona-krisen har således været en prisme, hvorigennem vi kan betragte ledelse og arbejde i et nyt lys, og dermed også et værktøj, som kan bruges til at revurdere ledelse såvel som vores forståelse af arbejdets natur. Helt overordnet stiller vores erfaringer fra ledelse og arbejdsliv under corona spørgsmålstegn ved den traditionelle organisering af arbejdet, som stadig mange steder er bundet op på fysisk tilstedeværelse på arbejdspladsen. Spørgsmålet er, hvilke nye arbejdslivsbalancer, coronaen har åbnet muligheder for – og om der er faldgruber i de nye muligheder

Global standardization or national differentiation of HRM practices in multinational companies? A comparison of multinationals in five countries

Drawing on a dataset constructed from a parallel series of nationally representative surveys of multinational companies (MNCs), we compare the performance management (PM) practices of MNCs in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Spain, Denmark and Norway. In each country we analyze data relating to MNCs from that country and of the foreign affiliates of US MNCs. We argue that there is evidence of standardization in the nature of practices across countries, particularly evident in the analysis of US MNCs. Standardization of practices among MNCs is also evident in the rather limited variation in practices between US and indigenous MNCs within each country. Moreover, even where there is evidence of variation across and within countries, this cannot be fully explained by adaptation to local institutional constraints but rather can be seen as the product of how distinct national contexts can promote the take-up of practices.The project was supported by a number of funding bodies and research centres: Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (the SSHRC Major Collaborative Research Initiatives, Initiatives on the New Economy and International Opportunities Fund), the Fonds québécois de recherché sur la société et la culture (Équipes and Regroupements stratégiques), the Canada Research Chair on Globalization and Work, the Interuniversity Research Centre on Globalization and Work (CRIMT); Ireland’s Labour Relations Commission, the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences, the University of Limerick Research Office; Spain’s Ministries of Education and Science (Ref. SEJ2007-03096, Award 01/0010/2006) and Science and Innovation (Ref: ECO2009-10287), the Directorate-General for Scientific Investigation of the Madrid region (Award 06/0009/2000), the BBVA Foundation (Ref. 216/06), the Autonomous University of Madrid/Banco Santander (Ref: CEAL-AL/2011-28), IESE Business School; the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council (Awards RES-000-23-0305 and RES-062-23-2080); Danish Research Council for Independent Research (FSE) (Ref. 275-09-0146); and the European Commission’s International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (FP7 IRSES-GA-2008-230854 – INTREPID

Explaining intra-organizational Knowledge transfer at the individual level

The knowledge-based view has recently been criticized for overlooking individual-level action and interaction in favor of an over-emphasis on the firm-level capabilities. This paper seeks to respond to that criticism by providing some individual-level explanations for a collective-level phenomenon – intraorganizational knowledge transfer. We suggest that variations in individual ability, motivation and the use of interaction opportunities provided by the organization explain part of the variation found in individuallevel knowledge acquisition and use, and that this has an influence on organizational level knowledge transfer within a firm. More specifically, we find that ability and intrinsic motivation are important drivers of individual level knowledge acquisition and use, while extrinsic motivation has no impact. Furthermore, the extent to which an individual uses interaction opportunities provided by the organization influences knowledge transfer both directly and through a moderator effect with ability and person-to-person interaction

The IB/ IHRM interface: exploring the potential of intersectional theorizing

Although the core concepts underlying IB and IHRM provide a common lexicon and epistemology, this commonality is often more implicit than explicit. We highlight not only the common ground but also the lack of critical dialogue between the two fields. This paper asks: What can each field learn from the other? What do scholars from IB learn from IHRM and vice versa? We identify a possible agenda and concerns regarding theory building as a basis for dialogue between the two fields