Mapping Internal Knowledge Transfers in Multinational Corporations
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- What are the most frequently studied types of internal knowledge transfers?
- What categories and topics are covered in the literature?
2. Method
- Expressions related to knowledge transfer: knowledge transfer*, knowledge shar* knowledge flow*, knowledge inflow*, knowledge outflow*, knowledge exchange, knowledge transmission;
- Equivalent words for MNCs: multinational*, MNC*, MNE*, TNC*, MNF*, TNE*, TNF*, TNO*, MNO*.
3. Results
3.1. Intra-Unit Knowledge Transfers
3.2. Horizontal Knowledge Transfers
3.3. Conventional Knowledge Transfers
3.4. Reverse Knowledge Transfers
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
5.1. Theoretical Contributions
5.2. Managerial Contributions
5.3. Recommendations for Future Research
5.4. Limitations
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Characteristics of Individuals | IKT | HKT | CKT | RKT | Characteristics of MNC | IKT | HKT | CKT | RKT | Characteristics of HQs | IKT | HKT | CKT | RKT | Characteristics of Subsidiaries | IKT | HKT | CKT | RKT |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | 10 | 16 | 15 | 5 | 28 | 37 | 42 | - | 6 | 13 | 17 | 3 | 31 | 34 | 46 | ||||
Competences, qualifications, or skills | 3 | 7 | 10 | 8 | Expatriates | 1 | 9 | 14 | 14 | Knowledge base or resources | 3 | 5 | 4 | Size | 1 | 22 | 20 | 33 | |
Nationality | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | Transfer, integration, or coordination mechanisms | 1 | 9 | 11 | 17 | Absorptive capacity | 2 | 3 | 7 | Knowledge base or resources | 1 | 12 | 13 | 15 | |
Function or department | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | Size | 1 | 6 | 8 | 7 | Size | 1 | 3 | 6 | Age | 16 | 18 | 28 | ||
Career considerations | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | Formalization | 1 | 5 | 4 | 5 | Motivation or willingness to transfer/absorb knowledge | 1 | 2 | 2 | Absorptive capacity | 9 | 16 | 8 | ||
Gender | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | HRM practices | 1 | 6 | 6 | 5 | Rewards or incentives | 1 | 1 | 1 | Rewards or incentives | 1 | 6 | 6 | 5 | |
Participation or experience in knowledge transfer activities | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | Centralization or decentralization | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | Technology capability or infrastructure | 1 | 1 | 2 | Strategic role or importance | 1 | 7 | 7 | 10 | |
Feelings, expectations, and beliefs | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | Knowledge base or resources | 4 | 4 | 3 | Disseminative capacity | 3 | Autonomy | 1 | 5 | 7 | 11 | ||||
Motivation or willingness | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Commitment, support, or management of knowledge activities | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | Multinationality | 1 | 1 | 3 | Motivation or willingness to transfer/absorb knowledge | 6 | 6 | 9 | ||
Learning capacities or styles | 1 | 3 | 2 | Organizational culture or learning environment | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | Financial and/or business performance | 1 | 2 | Supply chain position, or scope of operations | 5 | 5 | 6 | ||||
Satisfaction | 1 | 1 | Financial and/or business performances | 1 | 1 | Power or control | 1 | 2 | 3 | HRM practices | 5 | 4 | 6 | ||||||
Seniority or hierarchical level | 1 | 3 | Teams, projects, or centres of excellence | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | Resources | 1 | Ownership structure | 4 | 6 | 8 | ||||||
Age | 2 | 3 | Empowerment | 1 | Power or influence | 4 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||||
Mode of entry or establishment | 4 | 5 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||
Knowledge creation or transfer capacities | 3 | 2 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
Technology capability or infrastructure | 3 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
Isolation | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
Resources | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
Disseminative capacity | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
Establishment or internationalization motives | 1 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
Fear of opportunism | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
Teams, projects, or centres of excellence | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
Financial or business performance | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
Multinationality | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
Characteristics of Relationships | IKT | HKT | CKT | RKT | Characteristics of Knowledge Transferred | IKT | HKT | CKT | RKT | KT results | IKT | HKT | CKT | RKT | Characteristics ofExternal Environment | IKT | HKT | CKT | RKT |
6 | 30 | 31 | 47 | 3 | 21 | 29 | 33 | - | 13 | 16 | 19 | 2 | 21 | 23 | 38 | ||||
Frequency of communication | 10 | 6 | 11 | Type | 2 | 13 | 18 | 21 | Subsidiary financial and/or business performances | 6 | 8 | 5 | HQs and/or subsidiaries’ localization | 2 | 14 | 17 | 22 | ||
Internal embeddedness or relational ties and networks | 3 | 11 | 11 | 11 | Tacitness | 1 | 6 | 7 | 6 | Augmented knowledge base or innovation | 4 | 7 | 7 | Industry characteristics | 0 | 14 | 15 | 25 | |
Socialization mechanisms | 3 | 9 | 9 | 12 | Quantity | 4 | 5 | 3 | MNC financial and/or business performances | 3 | 1 | 3 | Economic development or differences | 2 | 5 | 5 | |||
Cultural distance | 1 | 9 | 12 | 20 | Value | 4 | 5 | 3 | Market responsiveness or new product development | 3 | 5 | 6 | Market characteristics or changes | 3 | 3 | ||||
Geographical distance | 1 | 8 | 10 | 10 | Complexity | 3 | 4 | 2 | HQs financial and/or business performance | 1 | National policy forms | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Similarity of practices, values, or vision | 1 | 7 | 8 | 13 | Specificity | 3 | 3 | 1 | Intellectual property rights protection | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
Organizational distance | 1 | 5 | 3 | 8 | Explicitness | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | ||||||||||
Trust | 5 | 5 | 6 | Timing or novelty | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||
External embeddedness | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 | Codification | 2 | 3 | 2 | |||||||||||
Interdependency | 4 | 3 | 2 | Relevance | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||
Linguistic distance | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Embeddedness or stickiness | 1 | 3 | 2 | |||||||||||
Relationship length | 3 | 2 | Articulability | 1 | |||||||||||||||
Cooperation or collaboration | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
Competitiveness | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
Relational distance | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
Legal distance | 1 |
Publication Source | Number of Articles | Percentages (%) |
---|---|---|
Journal of World Business | 12 | 14.12 |
International Business Review | 9 | 10.59 |
Journal of International Business Studies | 6 | 7.06 |
Journal of Knowledge Management | 6 | 7.06 |
Journal of Business Research | 4 | 4.71 |
Journal of International Management | 4 | 4.71 |
Management International Review | 4 | 4.71 |
Human Resource Management | 3 | 3.53 |
Journal of Management | 2 | 2.35 |
Organization Science | 2 | 2.35 |
The International Journal of Human Resource Management | 2 | 2.35 |
European Journal of Innovation Management | 2 | 2.35 |
Others | 28 | 32.94 |
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Castro, R.; Moreira, A.C. Mapping Internal Knowledge Transfers in Multinational Corporations. Adm. Sci. 2023, 13, 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13010016
Castro R, Moreira AC. Mapping Internal Knowledge Transfers in Multinational Corporations. Administrative Sciences. 2023; 13(1):16. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13010016
Chicago/Turabian StyleCastro, Rita, and António Carrizo Moreira. 2023. "Mapping Internal Knowledge Transfers in Multinational Corporations" Administrative Sciences 13, no. 1: 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13010016
APA StyleCastro, R., & Moreira, A. C. (2023). Mapping Internal Knowledge Transfers in Multinational Corporations. Administrative Sciences, 13(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13010016