Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
  • Publication
    Subsidiary managers' knowledge mobilizations: Unpacking emergent knowledge flows
    Knowledge flows are a key source of advantage for multinational corporations (MNCs); however the nuances of knowledge flow practices and their micro-foundations require further theoretical development. Using qualitative data on 40 cases of subsidiary managers' knowledge mobilizations, this paper unravels micro-level practices of knowledge flows in MNCs. We find that subsidiary managers' knowledge mobilizations initiate a complex pattern of subsidiary knowledge inflows, pinpointing the significance of lateral and bottom up exchanges (locally as well as internationally). We use these insights to distinguish between two types of subsidiary knowledge flows: deliberate and emergent, and discuss how their differences have profound implications for the investigation of MNC knowledge flows and their micro-foundations.
      471Scopus© Citations 40
  • Publication
    Problem solving in MNCs: How local and global solutions are (and are not) created
    It is widely acknowledged in the international business literature that subsidiaries can make a strategic contribution to multinational corporations (MNCs). Departing from the common focus on subsidiary role, contexts and organizational MNC factors, this study explores the micro-level details of managers' actions and interactions. We conducted an in-depth qualitative study into 38 problem-solving processes employed across four subsidiaries. Taking a non-routine problem-solving perspective on how subsidiaries contribute strategically to renewing MNC competences, this paper uncovers four problem-solving approaches: local template adaptation; superior technology creation; local template creation; and global principle creation. The findings depict how the way problems are framed influences knowledge search and solution-finding activities, and how these different activities may result in local and global solutions. The paper extends insights into MNC innovation and subsidiary initiative by detailing how subsidiary managers navigate different problem-solving approaches, and contributes to discussions on the micro-foundations and social aspects of MNC knowledge flows, revealing factors that trigger distance-spanning knowledge search.
      557Scopus© Citations 71
  • Publication
    Progressing the relational perspective on MNCs: Beyond headquarters-subsidiary relationships
    Purpose: Today’s MNCs need to adopt smart ways of organizing to tap into the potential of their complex internal and external relationships. This requires MNCs to identify the relevant relationships and to develop appropriate relational skills and capabilities. Hence this chapter addresses two key questions: what kind of relational structures and qualities are conducive to value creation, and how can MNCs best develop and utilize their complex relationships? Methodology/approach: The chapter reviews the main developments in the area of MNC organizing to date. Subsequently three examples of novel on-going research into MNC relationships are presented. Finally avenues for future research and links to related areas in international business research are discussed. Findings: The relational perspective on the MNC is well-established. Past research, however, has mostly taken the view of the headquarters-subsidiary dyad without fully conceptualizing the multiplicity of relationships and interdependencies of individuals, groups, and units in the MNC. This chapter uncovers the relational skills required to improve MNC value creation abilities by influencing and leveraging connections among disparate units and individuals to tap their expertise and creative potential. This includes insights into abilities for managing and balancing multiple networks, abilities for mobilizing relevant network actors when driving bottom-up processes, and abilities for facilitating connections and collaboration among different actors. Originality/value: This chapter advances the understanding and practice of multinational organizing. It presents novel ways to systematically address the complexities and interdependencies of relational effects on the ability of MNCs to create value.
      402
  • Publication
    Boundary capabilities in MNCs: Knowledge Transformation in Creative Solution Development
    The management of knowledge across country units is critical to multinational corporations (MNCs). Building on the argument that boundary spanning leads to the development of creative problem solving outcomes, this study advances the concept of MNC knowledge transformation and examines its relationship with solution creativity. Using questionnaire data on 67 problem solving projects, we find that opportunity formation is an underlying mechanism linking MNC knowledge transformation to the development of creative solutions. These insights contribute to our understanding of boundary spanning in global organizations by substantiating MNC knowledge transformation and elaborating the relationship between boundary spanning and creative solution development. If successful at knowledge transformation, collaborators from across the MNC can construct previously unimagined opportunities for the generation of creative outcomes.
      254
  • Publication
    Stimulating Knowledge Search Routines and Architecture Competences: The Role of Organizational Context and Middle Management
    Organizations following a replication strategy emphasize template leverage at the expenses of routine modification or routine generation. This issue is particularly important for organizations operating in dynamic environments, as these business contexts require organizations to engage in continuous renewal for their long-term success. We undertook a detailed investigation of middle managers' knowledge search routines in Gamma, a leading ICT multinational corporation (MNC), to unravel how the organizational context influences their search actions, solution development and routine development. We find that a flexible organizational structure, and not storing knowledge in central repositories, trigger knowledge search routines and mobilize diverse knowledge components for the architecture of new solutions. These findings contribute toward our understanding of micro-foundations of capability evolution in the context of a replication strategy, by uncovering the dual workings of organizational context elements in both enabling and challenging middle managers' knowledge search actions. It also extends our understanding of the role of middle managers in capability evolution by revealing the importance of architecture competences in developing solutions that renew routines, as well as the role of organizational context for the development of such competences.
    Scopus© Citations 24  443
  • Publication
    Subsidiaries as Learning Engines: Understanding Middle Managers' Search for Knowledge as Micro-Foundation
    A lot of research on MNC knowledge flows has concentrated on the organizational conditions that promote learning through a more efficient reuse of existing knowledge. Departing from this predominant research stream and recognizing the important role of middle managers in learning processes, we investigated how subsidiary middle managers actually search for knowledge when dealing with problems and evaluated the outcomes in terms of generating organizational adaptation. Using multiple case studies of three ICT subsidiaries and 33 knowledge search processes, we uncover how subsidiary middle managers' knowledge search which tackles distance and dynamically integrates diverse knowledge sources can generate learning outcomes. We thus argue that the middle managers’ pro-active and self-initiated search for knowledge is a micro-foundation of subsidiary learning. The findings contribute by offering a micro-perspective of how middle managers' actions generate organization-level outcomes, extending theory on knowledge flows and subsidiary learning.
      271
  • Publication
    The Two Faces of Knowledge Search: New Solutions and Capability Development
    Searching for knowledge to solve non-routine problems allows middle managers not only to design new solutions but also to develop organizational capabilities. We focus on knowledge search to develop our understanding of how individuals engage with organizational knowledge in practice, how they acquire and use knowledge, and the implications for organizational knowledge development. Investigating middle managers' knowledge search practices in response to non-routine events, we uncover four practices: isolating; overcoming knowledge distribution challenges; socializing; and mastering solution development. From these, we identify two aspects of knowledge search: not only can it produce new solutions but it can also have different effects in terms of developing organizational capabilities, either modifying existing routines or creating new ones. We argue that organizations with a knowledge use advantage, namely, an ability to mobilize accessible knowledge by organizing for knowledge circulation and a socialized search that deals with the organization’s challenges of knowledge distribution in order to master solution development – especially at mid-level – can pursue capability development. We discuss the implications of our findings for the literature on organizational knowledge and middle managers’ roles in organizational knowledge processes.
      376Scopus© Citations 39