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Article
Publication date: 3 July 2017

Hiroyuki Ishihara and Judy Zolkiewski

This paper aims to focus on knowledge transfer between the headquarters and a subsidiary of a multinational corporation (MNC). A framework with type of knowledge, absorptive…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to focus on knowledge transfer between the headquarters and a subsidiary of a multinational corporation (MNC). A framework with type of knowledge, absorptive capacity, disseminative capacity and tie strength is proposed. The framework is verified qualitatively and then further developed by adding another capacity needed by the headquarters: heeding capacity.

Design/methodology/approach

To check the validity of the proposed conceptual framework empirically, interview-based qualitative studies were conducted for two partner programs implemented in the Japanese subsidiary of a US-based IT company. Interviews were undertaken with 17 respondents in the headquarters, the Japanese subsidiary and two alliance partners in Japan.

Findings

It is confirmed that type of knowledge and absorptive capacity clearly affect the effectiveness of knowledge transfer. Also, it is found that the knowledge sender’s disseminative capacity matters. Additionally, a case is found in which network ties mitigate the ineffectiveness caused by low disseminative/absorptive capacity.

Research limitations/implications

In this research, cultural influences have not been considered. Also, this research has not paid attention to inter-organizational knowledge transfer. These provides potential for further research which could explore this complexity in more depth.

Practical implications

It is suggested that the headquarters of a MNC need to have a “heeding capacity” in cases where the target subsidiary’s disseminative capacity is low and tie strength between the subsidiary and the headquarters is weak. It is a capacity for the headquarters to heed what a subsidiary would like to transmit but cannot do well, and this is achieved by listening carefully and not letting language barriers or cultural differences obfuscate the meaning.

Originality/value

By focusing on a dyad between the headquarters and the Japanese subsidiary, the importance of disseminative capacity of a subsidiary is highlighted, which is not often the case in the extant literature. Also, headquarters’ heeding capacity is proposed.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 32 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 October 2007

Robert Parent, Mario Roy and Denis St‐Jacques

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to understand how recent developments in systems thinking and social construction can influence understanding of knowledge transfer (KT); and

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to understand how recent developments in systems thinking and social construction can influence understanding of knowledge transfer (KT); and to propose a new systems‐based knowledge transfer model.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a review of the literature on knowledge transfer, systems thinking and social construction leads to the proposal of a new KT paradigm.

Findings

The Dynamic Knowledge Transfer Capacity model (DKTC) found in this paper identifies the components required for social systems to generate, disseminate and use new knowledge to meet their needs. The model includes pre‐existing conditions, (need and prior knowledge) and four categories of capacities (generative, disseminative, absorptive and adaptive/responsive) that social systems must possess for KT to take place.

Research limitations/implications

The paper shows that the DKTC model is particularly well suited to analyzing complex systems with multiple stakeholders as opposed to small‐scale knowledge transfer systems. Empirical analysis in complex systems environments will help verify, enrich and generalize the model.

Practical implications

The paper sees that in an increasingly knowledge‐based economy, the ability to base decisions on the latest knowledge is vital for the success of organizations. The capacity for effective and sustained exchange between a system's stakeholders (researchers, government, practitioners, etc.); exchanges characterized by significant interactions reflected within the DKTC model, results in the appropriate use of the most recent discoveries in the decision making process.

Originality/value

The paper proposes a new knowledge transfer paradigm that views knowledge as a systemic, socially constructed, context‐specific representation of reality. The proposed knowledge transfer model is in sharp contrast to past attempts, focusing attention on the capacities that must be present in organizations and social systems as a precondition for knowledge transfer to occur.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 11 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 April 2009

Lise Desmarais, Robert Parent, Louise Leclerc, Lysanne Raymond, Scott MacKinnon and Nicole Vézina

The objective of this study is to observe and document the transfer of a train the trainers program in knife sharpening and steeling. This knowledge transfer involved two groups…

Abstract

Purpose

The objective of this study is to observe and document the transfer of a train the trainers program in knife sharpening and steeling. This knowledge transfer involved two groups of researchers: the experts and the learners. These groups are from geographically dispersed regions and evolve in distinct contexts by their language and culture.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper favors the learning history (LH) technique, a methodology that enabled the different participants to share their experience through reiterate interviews.

Findings

Based on the dynamic knowledge transfer capacity model, the absorptive capacity of the train the trainers process appears to have been mobilized. Although there were a number of hitches, people are confident that the project will be successful and that they will put what they have learned to good use in upcoming phases to transfer this program to other organizations.

Research limitations/implications

The conclusions apply solely to a context of interprovincial transfer of a train the trainers program. It is believed that it is important to complete the first‐phase interviews “before” project start‐up. Being unilingual may have prevented some individuals from participating fully when asked to react to the summary documents.

Originality/value

The model is explicit enough to encompass the overall dimensions required to understand the dynamics of knowledge transfer. In a short and geographically dispersed context it was found that adjustments to the methodology were necessary, there was a wealth of data and that LH has fostered necessary adjustments that in turn have mobilized the actors.

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 21 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 2014

Davar Rezania and Noufou Ouedraogo

The purpose of this research is to study the ad hoc problem of developing capabilities for knowledge transfer between various constituencies of an enterprise resource planning…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to study the ad hoc problem of developing capabilities for knowledge transfer between various constituencies of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation project. The paper studies how an ERP project develops ability to network, link, and integrate its various knowledge resources over time.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper conducted a case study of an ERP project, from its initiation in 2008 to its completion in 2011.

Findings

The case demonstrates the dynamics of development of knowledge transfer capacities through ad hoc problem solving. The paper identifies five mechanisms used in this case for the development of knowledge transfer capacities.

Practical implications

Ad hoc problem solving mechanisms demonstrated in this paper can be intentionally planned and utilized in similar projects to enable interaction, integration, and institutionalization.

Originality/value

Even though ad hoc problem solving as a model for change is prevalent in many organizations, studies of ad hoc problem solving capabilities as a mechanism for change are not extensive. This case describes ad hoc mechanisms that foster change and development of knowledge transfer capacities during large IT project implementations.

Details

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 7 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8378

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 July 2015

Dorota Leszczyńska and Erick Pruchnicki

– The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the link between knowledge transfer flow and the location of a multinational corporation (MNC).

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the link between knowledge transfer flow and the location of a multinational corporation (MNC).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors put forward a conceptual approach to formulate the mathematical modelling of a firm’s performance following the decision to join a regional cluster. This model builds on a recent stream of theoretical literature which has investigated the relationship between networks and the creation and diffusion of knowledge. The purpose of this model is to propose a mathematical tool to determine the long-term financial results induced by knowledge transfer from an MNC’s acquired subsidiary located in a cluster to another part of the MNC.

Findings

This study has several important research implications. First, it is a useful step towards a better understanding of how knowledge transfer effects may interact with cluster effects, while explaining subsidiary location performance. Second, it focuses on the most valuable, often highly tacit knowledge competencies.

Research limitations/implications

Other investigations would certainly be welcome to improve the links between the proposed mathematical model and the efficiency of the location of an MNC in a cluster through a quantitative study.

Practical implications

The authors constructed this study with the aim of developing a model that would give us a better understanding of the impact of embedded knowledge on the efficiency of a localization choice made by an MNC.

Originality/value

To date, there has been little in the literature on the profit arising from a multinational firm’s choice of location.

Details

The Multinational Business Review, vol. 23 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1525-383X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 September 2021

Chansoo Park

The purpose of this paper is to assess how the transfer of explicit and tacit knowledge is affected by the knowledge disseminative capacity of a foreign parent firm, with an…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess how the transfer of explicit and tacit knowledge is affected by the knowledge disseminative capacity of a foreign parent firm, with an emphasis on the moderating role of psychic distance, by developing and testing a theoretical model of international joint venture (IJV) learning.

Design/methodology/approach

The author tested the hypotheses with survey data collected from 199 IJVs in South Korea, estimating a structural equation model using AMOS 23.0.

Findings

The author found that the capacity of the foreign parent to disseminate knowledge to the IJV has a greater impact on explicit knowledge transfer than tacit knowledge transfer. He also found that the relationship between disseminative capacity and explicit knowledge transfer is significantly moderated by psychic distance, but the relationship between disseminative capacity and tacit knowledge transfer is not.

Originality/value

The results are critical for IJVs and parent firms seeking to improve knowledge transfer, as they establish the importance of parent firms’ disseminative capacities and the moderating role of psychic distance in the process of both tacit and explicit knowledge transfer. This research addresses the research gap regarding disseminative capacity by providing empirical evidence.

Details

Multinational Business Review, vol. 30 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1525-383X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 February 2023

Paulo Renato de Sousa, José Márcio de Castro, Claudia Fabiana Gohr and Marcelo Werneck Barbosa

This study aims to assess suppliers’ learning from knowledge transfers with a global truck manufacturer, considering both source and supplier capacity, and the cultural proximity…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to assess suppliers’ learning from knowledge transfers with a global truck manufacturer, considering both source and supplier capacity, and the cultural proximity between the parties.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study was conducted between two factories, one in Brazil and one in Germany. This study adopted a mixed-method sequential explanatory approach, which involves a quantitative phase followed by a qualitative one to provide a better understanding of the studied phenomenon. Quantitative data were collected from the automaker’s suppliers in both countries and analyzed using factor and inferential analyses. Qualitative data were obtained from the automaker’s purchasing executives, and from the company’s suppliers in both countries. Content analysis was used to analyze data.

Findings

Results suggest that both the source’s disseminative capacity and suppliers’ absorptive capacity had a positive effect on suppliers’ learning during knowledge transfers. The study also found out that cultural proximity among parties positively moderates the relationship between suppliers’ absorptive capacity and their learning. However, cultural proximity does not moderate the relationship between a source’s disseminative capacity and supplier learning.

Practical implications

This study’s findings are important to foster knowledge transfers by developing absorptive and disseminative capabilities in the automakers industry, in which the implementation of interorganizational learning is quite challenging due to the large number of strategic providers.

Originality/value

This study contributes to theoretical and conceptual consolidation of knowledge transfer, which includes cultural proximity among parties and the source’s and supplier’s disseminative and absorptive capacities, respectively. This study constructs and validates a model of knowledge transfer using a large automaker with a worldwide presence.

Details

The Learning Organization, vol. 30 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-6474

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 November 2018

Anna Fredriksson, Anna Malm and Erik Skov Madsen

The purpose of this paper is through a literature study and a study of the Saab offset cases to identify strategies to increase inter-organizational transfer capability.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is through a literature study and a study of the Saab offset cases to identify strategies to increase inter-organizational transfer capability.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a literature study and a study of three of Saab’s offset cases and Saab’s process for technology transfer.

Findings

This study has identified inter-organizational transfer strategies based on the importance of the hierarchy of decision-making and the change from capacity transfers to capability transfers in offset business. The type of performance goals set in the business agreement decides how to realize the transfer. The hierarchy of decision-making creates a need to align the understanding of the performance goals between the different parts of the organization, which affect the plans for how to transfer knowledge between the organizational as well as the individual levels. To reach the performance goals of the technology transfer, there needs to be a balance between the disseminative capability of the sender and the absorptive capability of the receiver.

Research limitations/implications

This study is based on a single case within a relatively unique industry with an offset perspective and production transfers. Therefore, there is also a need for future studies to confirm the identified relationships within outsourcing/offset within other industries and other types of transfers.

Originality/value

A change from capacity transfers to capability transfers in both outsourcing/offshoring and offset business indicates that more research should be placed on the disseminative capacity of the sender. The literature review revealed that the disseminative capacity of the sender has been the subject of less research than the absorptive capacity of the receiver.

Content available
Article
Publication date: 3 July 2017

Fawaz Baddar ALHussan, Chavi C.Y. Fletcher-Chen and Peter Batt

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Abstract

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 32 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2004

Dana B. Minbaeva and Snejina Michailova

Research on multinational corporation (MNC) knowledge transfer has argued continuously for the behavior of knowledge senders to be a determinant of knowledge transfer. Although…

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Abstract

Research on multinational corporation (MNC) knowledge transfer has argued continuously for the behavior of knowledge senders to be a determinant of knowledge transfer. Although the importance of disseminative capacity regarding knowledge transfer has been illustrated in numerous conceptual studies, substantial empirical support is largely absent. Based on previous studies, re‐operationalizes disseminative capacity as being dependent upon the ability and the willingness of organizational actors to transfer knowledge where and when it is needed in the organization. Using the context of expatriation, suggests that MNCs may apply different mechanisms depending on whether they want to develop expatriates' ability or willingness to transfer knowledge. Suggests that MNCs may enhance expatriates' willingness to transfer knowledge through the employment of long‐term expatriate assignments, whereas expatriates' ability to transfer knowledge may be increased through their involvement in temporary assignments such as short‐term assignments, frequent flyer arrangements, and international commuting. Tests the hypotheses empirically based on data from 92 subsidiaries of Danish MNCs located in 11 countries.

Details

Employee Relations, vol. 26 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0142-5455

Keywords

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