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MNC strategy, knowledge transfer context, and knowledge flow in MNEs

Ajai S. Gaur (Department of Management and Global Business, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey, USA)
Hongjia Ma (Jilin University, Changchun, China)
Baoshan Ge (Jilin University, Changchun, China)

Journal of Knowledge Management

ISSN: 1367-3270

Article publication date: 8 April 2019

Issue publication date: 28 November 2019

3686

Abstract

Purpose

Cross-border flow of knowledge is fraught with many challenges. The complexity associated with the organization of multinational corporations (MNCs), and the information asymmetry in foreign locations poses particular challenges to knowledge flow. Yet, effective transfer of knowledge is critical for the survival and performance of MNCs. The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive framework to understand the difficulties in the smooth flow of knowledge in MNCs.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is conceptual in nature and is based on an extensive review of the extant literature.

Findings

This review of the literature suggests that knowledge flow in MNCs is affected by country-level, firm-level and individual-level factors. The authors discuss these in the backdrop of the MNC strategy and the knowledge transfer context. The authors present their theoretical model and discuss the implications for advancing research in this domain.

Originality/value

This is one of the first papers to present a comprehensive framework to understand knowledge flows in MNCs.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant Number 71672072, 716020107001].

Citation

Gaur, A.S., Ma, H. and Ge, B. (2019), "MNC strategy, knowledge transfer context, and knowledge flow in MNEs", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 23 No. 9, pp. 1885-1900. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-08-2018-0476

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited

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