Some Patterns in the Transfer of Technology within Multinational Corporations

This article reports on an exploratory field study on manufacturing technology transfers within MNCs. A research design was developed that differentiates among MNCs according to their maturity with respect to International involvement. Trends in technology transfers were analyzed using number of countries with manufacturing subsidiaries and years of involvement in international business as predictor variables. We analyzed total technology exports and imports, new technologies transferred, and the level at which these transfers took place.© 1978 JIBS. Journal of International Business Studies (1978) 9, 108–118