Reverse Knowledge Transfer in Multinational Companies: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

The mainstream literature has focused on knowledge transfers from parent companies to subsidiaries, while paying less attention to knowledge created at the subsidiary level. But there is a growing trend to knowledge co-creation, and the responsibility of knowledge creation has shifted from headquarters to the corporation as a whole and its subsidiaries. Using a thorough systematic review over a 15-year period in top-tier journals, this thematic analysis finds interesting literature gaps to be filled and proposes a theoretical framework that conceptualizes the reverse knowledge transfer as a complex process; moreover, we offer a detailed view on the phenomenon of reverse knowledge transfer, seeking to contribute to a better understanding of it and providing a basis to assist corporate managers in global strategic planning and knowledge management and scholars in future academic research in the field.

Relacionando capital intelectual, gestão do conhecimento e sustentabilidade: um modelo conceitual

“…Destaca-se que a gestão do conhecimento pode afetar as estratégias desenvolvidas em nível global por multinacionais, principalmente acerca da transferência de conhecimento, que ocorre tanto da sede para as subsidiárias quanto destas para aquela transferência de conhecimento reversa (Kogut & Mello, 2017). Desta forma, pode-se supor que a criação de técnicas e de práticas para a sustentabilidade em subsidiárias possam ser replicadas tanto pela sede quanto por outras subsidiárias, demonstrando o papel da gestão do conhecimento neste processo.…”

Repatriate knowledge transfer: Antecedents and boundary conditions of a dyadic process

“…While corporate headquarters (HQ) and globally dispersed subsidiaries can learn from each other in several ways, reverse knowledge transfer from foreign subsidiaries to HQ has recently gained in importance (Peltokorpi & Yamao, 2017;Yang, Mudambi, & Meyer, 2008). Access to results of local research and development activities and insights into customer preferences in foreign countries can facilitate the targeted development of products and services for specific groups of customers (Kogut & Mello, 2017). In addition, receiving valuable knowledge from foreign subsidiaries enables HQ to orchestrate intra-organizational knowledge flows among different foreign subsidiaries, thereby ensuring more efficient implementation of global strategies (Ambos, Ambos, & Schlegelmilch, 2006).…”

“…However, our understanding of the factors that shape reverse knowledge transfer is still limited (Kogut & Mello, 2017), in particular when it comes to individuals as knowledge transferors. This represents an important gap in the literature because knowledge is ultimately created and transferred by individuals (Minbaeva, 2013;Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995).…”

“…Furthermore, existing studies have not represented the complex and distinct nature of RKT as they have not discussed the boundary conditions of this reverse knowledge transfer process. Treating RKT as a conventional knowledge transfer process in MNCs ignores the specific challenges and added complexities of reverse knowledge transfer processes (Kogut & Mello, 2017;Oddou et al, 2009;Yang et al, 2008). For example, RKT is particularly challenging because repatriates need to reintegrate into their domestic work units and convince domestic employees, who may have limited international experience and interest in their international knowledge, to receive their knowledge (Burmeister et al, 2015;Oddou et al, 2009).…”

“…Reverse knowledge transfer processes from foreign subsidiaries to HQ, such as RKT, can be much more complex than and distinctively different from conventional knowledge transfer processes from HQ to foreign subsidiaries (Harzing et al, 2016;Kogut & Mello, 2017;Yang et al, 2008). Reverse knowledge transfer processes may be complicated by power imbalances between the HQ, as the all-knowing principal, and foreign subsidiaries, as the more specialized and locally constrained agents (Yang et al, 2008).…”