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…
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
Keywords
Hiroaki Onoda, Masakazu Kohno, Jun Tamaki, Kazuo Kojima and Hiroyuki Nariai
Aluminum phosphate is useful catalyst for many reactions. There are a lot of reports about catalytic activities of aluminum phosphate, however little reports about the…
Abstract
Aluminum phosphate is useful catalyst for many reactions. There are a lot of reports about catalytic activities of aluminum phosphate, however little reports about the relationship among the preparation, composition, catalytic activity of this phosphate. Phosphates transform to various other phosphates with hydrolysis and dehydration reactions by heating. In this work, some aluminum orthophosphates and condensed phosphates were prepared, and their compositions were estimated. Furthermore, specific surface area, acid strength, the amount of acidic sites, and the catalytic activities for the decomposition of trifluoromethane of these salts were investigated. Aluminum ortho‐ and polyphosphates were prepared in the systems of ortho‐ and poly‐phosphates. The catalytic activity for decomposition of CHF3 was related with a certain degree of specific surface area, acid strength, and the amount of acidic sites. Aluminum orthophosphate with a small amount of sodium cation had higher catalytic activity at lower temperature.