Innovation and the Transfer of Organizational Learning
Innovation and the Transfer of Organizational Learning
It is commonly argued that a key factor shaping the competitive position of multinationals is their capability to identify innovations made within the firm, and subsequently transfer these across their operations. This chapter examines the process of innovation and the transfer of innovations in US multinationals. It focuses on the ways in which innovative employment practices are identified in one part of a firm’s operations, and then transferred to sites in different countries. In doing so, it examines the contribution of different perspectives on organizational learning, contrasting the information-processing, contingency, national business system, and micro-political approaches. The evidence concerning the transfer of practices from the domestic operations of American multinationals to their foreign subsidiaries is reviewed, drawing on the findings of earlier chapters. The extent to which the case study firms transfer across borders practices that originated in their overseas operations is considered.
Keywords: US multinationals, organizational learning, knowledge transfer, innovation, national business systems, micro-political approach
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