Cross-Border Dynamics of IP Modularity: International Patenting in LEDs and Lithium-Ion Secondary Battery Technology

To profit from their inventions, multinational enterprises rely on various appropriation and internationalization strategies. Intellectual property modularity serves as a reliable option to master the tradeoff between owning the “right” (i.e., valuable) patents in a technology and sharing other “less valuable” patents to spur innovation and foster technology dissemination. Through an inductive, multi-case approach looking at light-emitting diodes and lithium-ion secondary battery technology, we expand prior intellectual property modularity to incorporate internationalization effects across borders. Relying on patent classifications, we trace the development of these two technologies and key multinational enterprises in various countries longitudinally from 1990 to 2018. We introduce the Dynamic IP Modularity Application Matrix and demonstrate that integrating the firm and country levels yields insights into dynamic internationalization developments, particularly when considering the drawbacks to intellectual property modularity. Herein, decision-makers need to secure not only currently valuable but also potentially valuable intellectual property to successfully apply an international intellectual property modularity value capture strategy.

International Diversification and MNE Innovativeness: A Contingency Perspective of Foreign Subsidiary Portfolio Characteristics

We advance research on how international diversification affects MNEs’ innovativeness by reconciling contradictory views on the role of international diversification for innovation. We do so by developing a portfolio perspective of MNE innovation that moves beyond foreign R&D subsidiaries to consider firms’ entire international footprints and by theorizing that MNE innovativeness depends on the interplay of geographical (i.e., regional diversification and institutional distance) and organizational (i.e., asset diversification and functional mandate breadth) characteristics of the foreign subsidiary portfolio. We test our proposed relationships on a unique multi-source panel dataset of Japanese listed electronics firms (266 firms and their 4505 subsidiaries between 2007 and 2015 resulting in 1936 firm-year observations and 28,350 subsidiary-year observations). We find that the institutional distance and asset diversification of the foreign subsidiary portfolio constrain the extent to which geographical (regional) diversification can enhance MNEs innovativeness. We also find that, at high levels of geographical diversification, MNEs with low levels of institutional distance and asset diversification in the foreign subsidiary portfolio tend to achieve higher innovativeness. Lastly, we did not find empirical support for functional mandate breadth as affecting how geographical diversification influences MNE innovativeness. Overall, the study highlights that, for a nuanced understanding of MNE innovativeness, managers need an encompassing and deliberate portfolio-level strategy that explicitly considers the interrelatedness of geographical and organizational characteristics.

Effective Recruitment of Engineers From Other Companies: Whether to Pull Individuals or Teams?

This study empirically analyzes effective conditions for cross-border “learning by hiring” in the electronics industry. Many previous studies have indicated that the mobility of engineers serves as a conduit for knowledge diffusion and that knowledge is more likely transferred when the geographical distance is short, that is, when the conduit is short. However, the relationship between conduit thickness and density and the knowledge spillover effect has only rarely discussed. The findings of this study suggest that it is more effective to hire multiple people simultaneously for learning by hiring from companies in other countries.

Interorganizational Knowledge Sharing to Establish Digital Health Learning Ecosystems: Qualitative Evaluation of a National Digital Health Transformation Program in England

Background

The English Global Digital Exemplar (GDE) program is one of the first concerted efforts to create a digital health learning ecosystem across a national health service.

Objective

This study aims to explore mechanisms that support or inhibit the exchange of interorganizational digital transformation knowledge.

Methods

We conducted a formative qualitative evaluation of the GDE program. We used semistructured interviews with clinical, technical, and managerial staff; national program managers and network leaders; nonparticipant observations of knowledge transfer activities through attending meetings, workshops, and conferences; and documentary analysis of policy documents. The data were thematically analyzed by drawing on a theory-informed sociotechnical coding framework. We used a mixture of deductive and inductive methods, supported by NVivo software, to facilitate coding.

Results

We conducted 341 one-on-one and 116 group interviews, observed 86 meetings, and analyzed 245 documents from 36 participating provider organizations. We also conducted 51 high-level interviews with policy makers and vendors; performed 77 observations of national meetings, workshops, and conferences; and analyzed 80 national documents. Formal processes put in place by the GDE program to initiate and reinforce knowledge transfer and learning have accelerated the growth of informal knowledge networking and helped establish the foundations of a learning ecosystem. However, formal networks were most effective when supported by informal networking. The benefits of networking were enhanced (and costs reduced) by geographical proximity, shared culture and context, common technological functionality, regional and strategic alignments, and professional agendas.

Conclusions

Knowledge exchange is most effective when sustained through informal networking driven by the mutual benefits of sharing knowledge and convergence between group members in their organizational and technological setting and goals. Policy interventions need to enhance incentives and reduce barriers to sharing across the ecosystem, be flexible in tailoring formal interventions to emerging needs, and promote informal knowledge sharing.

RD internationalization, domestic technology alliance, and innovation in emerging market

Although R&D internationalization plays an important role in enterprises’ globalization, few studies explore the mechanism of R&D internationalization and emerging market companies’ innovation, or the relationship between R&D internationalization, domestic technology alliances and absorptive capacity. How does the R&D internationalization of emerging market enterprises affect the innovation of those enterprises? Under fierce market competition, do absorption capacity and domestic technology alliances have a significant impact on enterprise innovation? From the perspective of the knowledge-based view, this paper studies 185 enterprises undergoing R&D internationalization in China from 2012 to 2017, using high-dimensional Poisson fixed effects model, we use instrumental (HDFE IV) estimation to explain the impact of R&D internationalization on the innovation of the parent company and the mechanism behind it. The study finds that R&D internationalization positively promotes the parent company’s innovation, and domestic technology alliances and absorptive capacity play a partial mediator role in R&D internationalization. In the face of fierce market competition, domestic technical alliances play a significant role in promoting enterprise innovation, while absorptive capacity plays a negative role in promoting enterprise innovation with the moderating effect of market competition.

Informal Network Structure and Knowledge Sharing in Organizations: An Empirical Study of a Korean Paint Manufacturing Company

This study investigates the potentially different roles of informal social networks in promoting knowledge sharing. Specifically, it aims to examine the effects of the focal subgroup’s between-subgroup network size and strength on knowledge sharing with other subgroups and the moderating effect of within-subgroup network strength on the relationship of between-subgroup network size to knowledge sharing. Two different online surveys were conducted to assess social networks and knowledge sharing at a paint manufacturing company located in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The final sample consisted of 536 employees in 58 teams. The team-level regression results showed that the focal subgroup’s between-subgroup network strength has a significant effect on knowledge sharing with other subgroups, indicating that strong ties among subgroups are more advantageous to external knowledge sharing than weak ties. The results also demonstrated that the focal subgroup’s within-subgroup network strength negatively moderates the effect of its between-subgroup network size on knowledge sharing, indicating that higher levels of between-subgroup network size are positively related to external knowledge sharing when within-subgroup network strength is weak and negatively when within-subgroup network strength is strong. The study’s findings suggest that strong ties among subgroups and weak ties among subgroup members are advantageous to external knowledge sharing.

Microfoundations of R&D Alliance Formation: The Interplay of Scientist Mobility and the Cooperative Context of Collaboration

Alliance research emphasizes that firms can access research and development (R&D) collaboration opportunities when they enjoy relational or geographic embeddedness with potential partners. However, how can firms that are not embedded with prospective partners establish alliances? We emphasize the microfoundations of R&D alliance formation and propose that scientist mobility is an important substitutive mechanism that helps foster collaboration opportunities between firms that are poorly embedded. Specifically, we posit and show that in high-tech industries, scientist mobility is more facilitative for R&D alliance formation when potential partners lack relational ties between them or are not geographically colocated. Our findings demonstrate how incorporation of the competitive labor market context and its interplay with the cooperative context significantly changes the insights of a fundamental research stream emphasizing the importance of the cooperative context for alliance formation.

Whither geographic proximity? Bypassing local R&D units in foreign university collaboration

MNCs often engage in international research collaborations with foreign universities through one of their central R&D laboratories (at headquarters or elsewhere) even though they operate a local R&D unit close to that university, and hence forego the benefits of geographic proximity and local collaboration. Drawing on the knowledge-based theory of the firm, we hypothesize that the choice between distant and local collaboration systematically relates to the knowledge capabilities of the firms' R&D units, the characteristics of the focal knowledge, and local knowledge leakage risks. Analysis of close to 13,000 research collaborations with foreign universities by the world's major biopharmaceutical firms (1995-2015) confirms that collaboration at distance occurs if this allows the firm to benefit from scale and knowledge diversity advantages, if the central unit has strong basic research capabilities, and if collaboration is in a core research domain of the MNC while rival firms are locally present. Maturity of the focal research domain is associated with local collaboration. Our findings qualify the common arguments in favor of collaboration in proximity and suggest that (distant) central R&D units are important orchestrators of research collaboration with universities around the globe.

Learning from Technologically Successful Peers: The Convergence of Asian Laggards to the Technology Frontier

This paper investigates whether firms from developing countries that lag the global technological frontier can learn from technologically successful peers as a means of closing the technological gap with leaders from developed countries. We define technologically successful peers as those that hail from similar home countries, operate in the same industry, and have achieved a certain degree of success in closing the gap with the global technological frontier. We argue that technologically successful peers represent an important reference group for lagging firms and, as such, offer opportunities for lagging firms from developing countries to hasten technological development. We find that lagging firms from developing countries that build upon the knowledge of technologically successful peers achieve higher rates of technological improvement. Moreover, learning from technologically proximal successful peers helps even further with technological improvement. However, there are limits to such learning, with diminishing marginal returns to lagging firms that over rely on successful peers.

Reaping benefits from knowledge transfer – the role of confidence in knowledge

Purpose

This paper aims to develop a conceptual model that examines the role of an individual’s confidence in the transferred knowledge in realizing benefits from such transfers. In so doing, the paper attempts to address the gap in the knowledge transfer (KT) literature pertaining to the inability of recipients to gain benefits from incoming transferred knowledge.

Design/methodology/approach

The conceptual model has been developed by drawing from the literature on socio-cognitive approaches by using psychological variables (individual-level differences in need for closure, regulatory focus and self-efficacy) and contextual factors that include the perceived novelty of knowledge and positive feedback from social interactions, which influence confidence in incoming knowledge.

Findings

The conceptual model builds on the socio-cognitive perspective and explores some of the important issues that could contribute to the individual’s adeptness (or lack thereof) in deriving benefits from transferred knowledge, thus addressing a vital gap in strategy and management literature.

Originality/value

The paper introduces the concept of confidence in knowledge to the KT literature, which could lend valuable insights pertaining to deriving benefits from transferred knowledge. In addition, by highlighting the role of important individual-specific constructs in determining the ability to gain benefits from KT, the paper makes a significant contribution to the stream of research on the micro-foundational bases of strategy. Finally, exploring perceived novelty as a knowledge attribute in this paper adds an interesting perspective to the individuals’ perception of the target knowledge quality and the resulting confidence in the incoming knowledge, which could in turn be moderated by individual differences.

Impacts of malicious attacks on robustness of knowledge networks: a multi-agent-based simulation

Purpose

Malicious attacks extremely traumatize knowledge networks due to increasing interdependence among knowledge elements. Therefore, exposing the damage of malicious attacks to knowledge networks has important theoretical and practical significance. Despite the insights being offered by the growing research stream, few studies discuss the diverse responses of knowledge networks’ robustness to different target-attacks, and the authors lack sufficient knowledge of which forms of malicious attacks constitute greater disaster when knowledge networks evolve to different stages. Given the irreversible consequences of malicious attacks on knowledge networks, this paper aims to examine the impacts of different malicious attacks on the robustness of knowledge networks.

Design/methodology/approach

On the basic of dividing malicious attacks into six forms, the authors incorporate two important aspects of robustness of knowledge networks – structure and function – in a research framework, and use maximal connected sub-graphs and network efficiency, respectively, to measure structural and functional robustness. Furthermore, the authors conceptualize knowledge as a multi-dimensional structure to reflect the heterogeneous nature of knowledge elements, and design the fundamental rules of simulation. NetLogo is used to simulate the features of knowledge networks and their changes of robustness as they face different malicious attacks.

Findings

First, knowledge networks gradually form more associative integrated structures with evolutionary progress. Second, various properties of knowledge elements play diverse roles in mitigating damage from malicious attacks. Recalculated-degree-based attacks cause greater damage than degree-based attacks, and structure of knowledge networks has higher resilience against ability than function. Third, structural robustness is mainly affected by the potential combinatorial value of high-degree knowledge elements, and the combinatorial potential of high-out-degree knowledge elements. Forth, the number of high in-degree knowledge elements with heterogeneous contents, and the inverted U-sharp effect contributed by high out-degree knowledge elements are the main influencers of functional robustness.

Research limitations/implications

The authors use the frontier method to expose the detriments of malicious attacks both to structural and functional robustness in each evolutionary stage, and the authors reveal the relationship and effects of knowledge-based connections and knowledge combinatorial opportunities that contribute to maintaining them. Furthermore, the authors identify latent critical factors that may improve the structural and functional robustness of knowledge networks.

Originality/value

First, from the dynamic evolutionary perspective, the authors systematically examine structural and functional robustness to reveal the roles of the properties of knowledge element, and knowledge associations to maintain the robustness of knowledge networks. Second, the authors compare the damage of six forms of malicious attacks to identify the reasons for increased robustness vulnerability. Third, the authors construct the stock, power, expertise knowledge structure to overcome the difficulty of knowledge conceptualization. The results respond to multiple calls from different studies and extend the literature in multiple research domains.

How Firms Build Isolating Mechanisms for Knowledge: A Study in Offshore Research and Development Captives

Understanding how firms protect their knowledge from leakage is becoming increasingly important, especially when knowledge is not well protected by legal mechanisms such as patents. The rapid rise in research and development (R&D) activities taking place in offshore locations that only offer weak legal protection for intellectual property provides the ideal context to study this question. Using interview and survey data from captive R&D centers of multinational firms in India, we (1) identify five organizational practices that firms use to protect their knowledge from leaking to competitors in offshore locations, (2) consider whether these practices limit knowledge leakage or limit damage from leaked knowledge, and (3) explore whether they are complements or substitutes.

The moderating effect of cultural distance on the cross-border knowledge management and innovation quality of multinational corporations

Purpose

The key to the success of multinational corporations’ (MNCs) business models is the improvement of their innovation quality. From the cross-border knowledge management perspective, this paper aims to analyze the improvement path of innovation quality of MNCs and construct the functional path of the relationships among the knowledge creation, knowledge application and innovation quality of MNCs in the cross-border knowledge management process, so as to achieve the success of their business models. Based on this, this paper introduces cultural distance to further analyze how such relationships will change with the cultural distance level.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from Chinese A-share listed MNCs with production operations located in the Asia-Pacific region from 2014 to 2018, this paper constructs a panel data model to test the mediating effect of knowledge application and the moderating effect of cultural distance on such relationships.

Findings

This paper obtains the following research findings: knowledge creation and knowledge application each have a significant, inverted U-shaped relationship with innovation quality; knowledge creation has a significantly positive correlation with knowledge application and knowledge application has a partial mediating effect on the relationship between knowledge creation and innovation quality; cultural distance has a moderating effect on such relationships. The specific moderating direction depends on the extent of the knowledge creation and knowledge application.

Practical implications

The findings are helpful to MNCs’ managers, providing guidance and serve as a reference for them to make strategic decisions on cross-board knowledge management and business models innovation.

Originality/value

The theoretical contributions are summarized as follows: First, it further enriches and expands the theoretical of knowledge management and innovation quality relationship. Second, it further enriches and expands the theoretical framework of knowledge management. Third, it further enriches the theoretical framework of cross-cultural management.

MNEs Subsidiary Training and Development and Firm Innovative Performance: The Moderating Effects of Tacit and Explicit Knowledge Received from Headquarters

This paper set out to investigate the ways training and development impacts on firm innovative performance as well as the moderating role of knowledge transfer received on training and development and firm innovative performance, using a sample of 229 foreign subsidiaries of multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating in China. We adopt hierarchical linear modeling, and the results of the study reveal that both on-the-job training and development and off-the-job training and development have an influence on the firm innovative performance. Also, the empirical results of the study demonstrate that the moderating effect of tacit and explicit knowledge received on the relationship between both on-the-job training and development and off-the-job training and development and firm innovative performance are stronger. This paper shows that continues updating of skills, ability and knowledge of the workforce through on-the job training and development and off-the job training development programs might boost creativity and innovation of business organizations.

Strategic knowledge management in subsidiaries and MNC performance. The role of the relational context

Purpose

Based on the knowledge-based theories of the MNC, this research aims to develop and test a holistic model to analyse the relationship between the strategic knowledge management (SKM) processes undertaken by subsidiaries and MNC performance. Additionally, it focuses on determining the impact that the relational context can have on knowledge creation and transfer inside the internal network of an MNC.

Design/methodology/approach

The research hypotheses are tested by partial least squares (PLS) with data from a sample of Spanish subsidiaries of foreign multinational firms belonging to high-technology and knowledge-intensive sectors.

Findings

The results confirm that: the implementation of a SKM by a subsidiary positively impacts on knowledge creation; the knowledge created by a subsidiary positively influences knowledge transfer, increasing the knowledge existing in the MNC; the knowledge transfer across all MNC units has a positive impact on MNC performance; the subsidiary’s relational context arises as a mediating variable between the knowledge created by a subsidiary and its transfer to the rest of the MNC.

Originality/value

The research proposes a holistic model that contemplates the joint interaction of the variables knowledge creation, knowledge transfer and performance. In addition, the proposed model contemplates the variable SMK of the subsidiary as the beginning of the knowledge creation-knowledge transfer-performance process. Finally, the mediating role of the relational context in the relationship between knowledge creation and transfer is analysed.

Big data text analytics: an enabler of knowledge management

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of big data text analytics as an enabler of knowledge management (KM). The paper argues that big data text analytics represents an important means to visualise and analyse data, especially unstructured data, which have the potential to improve KM within organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses text analytics to review 196 articles published in two of the leading KM journals – Journal of Knowledge Management and Journal of Knowledge Management Research & Practice – in 2013 and 2014. The text analytics approach is used to process, extract and analyse the 196 papers to identify trends in terms of keywords, topics and keyword/topic clusters to show the utility of big data text analytics.

Findings

The findings show how big data text analytics can have a key enabler role in KM. Drawing on the 196 articles analysed, the paper shows the power of big data-oriented text analytics tools in supporting KM through the visualisation of data. In this way, the authors highlight the nature and quality of the knowledge generated through this method for efficient KM in developing a competitive advantage.

Research limitations/implications

The research has important implications concerning the role of big data text analytics in KM, and specifically the nature and quality of knowledge produced using text analytics. The authors use text analytics to exemplify the value of big data in the context of KM and highlight how future studies could develop and extend these findings in different contexts.

Practical implications

Results contribute to understanding the role of big data text analytics as a means to enhance the effectiveness of KM. The paper provides important insights that can be applied to different business functions, from supply chain management to marketing management to support KM, through the use of big data text analytics.

Originality/value

The study demonstrates the practical application of the big data tools for data visualisation, and, with it, improving KM.

Towards building internal social network architecture that drives innovation: a social exchange theory perspective

Purpose

This paper aims to contribute toward the extension and further development of the social exchange theory. It provides conceptual insights on social networks in geographically dispersed organizations, and how intra-organizational social interactions influence organizational behavior, employees relationship exchange inclination and innovation drive.

Design/methodology/approach

A thematic literature review method was used to conduct an extensive review of relevant literature.

Findings

Guided by the tenets of the social exchange theory, the authors’ analysis and discussions elucidate how intra-organizational social network architecture can be developed, supported and utilized to drive innovations in geographically dispersed organizations.

Research limitations/implications

A general limitation and perhaps also a strength of this type of conceptual paper is that it is a synthesis (thematic discursive analysis) of existing theory and published research. Thus, there are no primary empirical content. However, the issue of empirical evidence is nevertheless mediated by the fact that the discussions and argumentation process generate key propositions which could be validated in subsequent research endeavors. Also, the selection of relevant literature is restricted specifically to the topic of the study. The authors strived to ensure rigor through a robust and comprehensive literature review which was organized thematically according to all the key words in the main and sub-topics covered in Section 2.

Practical implications

The insights presented suggest that management should pay serious attention to organizational design – that is, not only from the conventional contractual obligations point of view, but rather, the increasing importance of social capital should also be given some priority when thinking of resilient ways to encourage collaborations and efficient knowledge management. In other words, intra-organizational social network architecture should be considered as organizational capability and utilized as a toolset for the SIHRM to harness knowledge flow and unleash innovation.

Social implications

As both bonding and bridging ties are not only critical for success of project teams but also intensify knowledge symmetry across different units of the organization, they are a major conduit for sustainable open innovation culture within organization. To develop competitive capabilities throughout the organization, it is important for the SIHRM to be involved in global networking, and as a network leader, the human resource management function must have an awareness of leading trends and developments in social networking. The ability to mobilize the appropriate resources and a sense of timing and context in implementing such architecture within the geographically spread organization is crucial.

Originality/value

The novel contribution of this paper is twofold. First, the study provides an implementable framework which scholars and practitioners could use to develop and test the actualization of an intra-organizational social network architecture in a geographically dispersed organization. Second, the study has provided some key propositions and a well-grounded direction for further research to inspire further development/extension of the social exchange theory.

Revisiting knowledge sharing from the organizational change perspective

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to identify how knowledge sharing literature has discussed task, structure, technology and people as elements of organizational change and to examine the interactions between the four elements of knowledge sharing.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research questions guiding the study are: How do organizational change elements influence knowledge sharing? and What are the critical elements of organizational change in relation to knowledge sharing? Based on Leavitt’s (1965) organizational change model, 133 articles published between 2000 and 2012 from 13 journals were reviewed and analyzed.

Findings

– The total number of articles covering task, structure, technology and people in knowledge sharing was 49, 79, 49 and 97, respectively. Of all references, 97 articles (72 per cent) discussed the important aspects of people, and 79 articles (59 per cent) emphasized the influential role of organizational structure in knowledge sharing. The highest frequency of interactions (48 articles) was the interaction between structure and people (Interaction 5).

Research limitations/implications

– To capture broader phenomena on knowledge sharing in organizational change, multiple data sources and a variety of journals with a longer timeframe should be collected and a more comprehensive review should be conducted. All perspectives of organizational change were not applied to this study. Theoretically, this study attempted to illuminate how knowledge sharing has been explored through the lens of four elements in organizational change and the interactions between the elements. This study attempted to expand the use of Leavitt’s (1965) model by applying interactive relationships among the elements to knowledge sharing.

Practical implications

– The findings can advance strategic and managerial practice by informing the planning and development of knowledge sharing associated with change in organizations. A key question is how to identify the major component of change which will trigger the other changes in the current architecture of knowledge sharing in their organizations. This study suggests that elements of structure and people, when organization face either planned or unplanned change, are critical for successful knowledge sharing by making the interactive connections with other components of change.

Originality/value

– The contributions of this study are that it provides an integrative review in selected journals of knowledge sharing in terms of organizational change. By examining how knowledge sharing studies have addressed the four change factors and multi component changes, this study explains one change in knowledge sharing leads to multi-component changes. Additional contribution is that it makes connections between knowledge sharing and organizational change.

When more is not better: The effect of the number of learning interventions on the acquisition of process-oriented thinking

Given that process-oriented organizations appear to be more successful than function-oriented organizations, organizations increasingly search for effective ways to implement process orientation internally as they grow from having a functional to a process-oriented structure. In this study, we examine whether increasing the number of learning interventions simultaneously used increases the acquisition of process-oriented thinking. The data ( N = 304) indicate that increasing the number of learning interventions contributes to learning process-oriented thinking to a certain extent: using one learning intervention increased the acquisition of process-oriented thinking more than using no learning intervention, and two learning interventions contributed more to learning process-oriented thinking than using a single learning intervention. However, by increasing the number of learning interventions to three, this increase in the acquisition of process-oriented thinking could not be further enhanced. More fine-grained analyses revealed that using multiple learning interventions was beneficial for relatively unstructured but cognitively demanding process-related tasks, whereas using multiple learning interventions did not increase learning acquisition for relatively structured but cognitively less-demanding process-related tasks. Our findings provide insights into how process-oriented knowledge should be fostered.

Exploring different cultural configurations: how do they affect subsidiaries’ knowledge sharing behaviors?

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of different cultural typologies (i.e. innovative, competitive, bureaucratic and community) on employees’ knowledge-sharing processes within multinational corporations (MNCs) by taking a subsidiary perspective. It particularly applies the competing values framework to the study of individuals’ orientations toward sharing knowledge with others while also investigating the influence of top management support on such orientations.

Design/methodology/approach

– To test the proposed hypotheses, in this paper, survey data of 389 employees from six Italian subsidiaries are empirically analyzed by running hierarchical regressions on the two dimensions of knowledge-sharing processes, i.e. knowledge donating and knowledge collecting.

Findings

– The results show that the four types of organizational culture differently affect the knowledge-sharing sub-processes and confirm the importance of a strong top management support to facilitate interpersonal relationships.

Research limitations/implications

– Despite the cross-sectional nature of the data and the limitations arising from the subsidiaries’ position in the country, the findings suggest managers to pay great attention to the positive side of bureaucracy by emphasizing the need for order and efficiency while, at the same time, providing employees with a constant and encouraging support toward knowledge-sharing activities.

Originality/value

– The paper adds empirical evidence to the limited existing research on knowledge-sharing sub-processes of knowledge donating and collecting, extends the understanding of how different organizational cultures affect such processes, and contributes to the literature on MNCs’ knowledge-based activities by adopting a subsidiary perspective.

TAPPING REGIONAL AND CORPORATE SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE FOR INNOVATION: THE MODERATING ROLE OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE DURATION

We develop and test how business entities tap regional and corporate scientific knowledge for their innovations in a revolutionary technology. Building on the knowledge-based view of the firm, we argue that while both regional and corporate scientific knowledge may improve a business entity's innovation, it is the business entity's own accumulative research efforts that improve its ability to absorb regional scientific knowledge. In contrast, we expect and find that the longer the entity has been researching the revolutionary technology, the less likely corporate scientific knowledge will impact the focal entity's innovation. Our results support this theory regarding the moderating effect of a business entity's own accumulative research efforts with corporate scientific knowledge but not with regional knowledge. Further, we find different effects between regional scientific knowledge and innovation among single and multi-location firms.