Boundary spanners and intra‐MNC knowledge sharing: The roles of controlled motivation and immediate organizational context

Abstract

Research summary We examine the conditions under which boundary spanners positively contribute to intra‐MNC knowledge sharing. Specifically, we argue that the knowledge‐sharing behavior of boundary spanners should not be taken for granted, as it is affected by the individual's motivation to share knowledge and is contingent upon the immediate organizational context in which the individual is located. An analysis of data covering 482 individuals located in different business units of a Danish MNC confirms our arguments. Managerial summary Boundary spanners are employees who act as knowledge intermediaries between many individuals from within and outside their organizations. They are well connected internally and externally and share knowledge across MNC units to a greater extent than non‐boundary spanners. However, their contribution to knowledge sharing should not be taken for granted as it depends on their motivation and their immediate context.

The boundaries of the firm in global strategy

“…They can be placed on the continuum that links markets to hierarchies by way of intermediate mechanisms. Thus, starting in the hierarchies, we have the analysis by Minbaeva and Santangelo () of how multinationals manage knowledge transfer across borders and the role that boundary spanners play. We then move to two analyses of cross‐border mergers and acquisitions: the study by Xia, Ma, Tong, and Li () on how the experience gained via the network of relationships of the firm supports its cross‐border mergers and acquisition; and the study by Ellis, Lamont, Holmes, Ro, Faifman, DeGhetto, and Parola (2018) on the role that distances in informal and formal institutions between home and host play on mergers and acquisitions.…”

Boundary spanners, HRM practices, and reverse knowledge transfer: The case of Chinese cross-border acquisitions

“…Recent studies investigate boundary spanning activities in inter-organizational relationships, highlighting in particular their critical role in technology scouting (Monteiro & Birkinshaw, 2017) and between foreign firms and their local partners or suppliers in emerging markets (Huang, Luo, Liu, & Yang, 2016;Khan, Lew, & Sinkovics, 2015a). Other studies examine boundary spanning between different units within the same MNE (Minbaeva & Santangelo, 2018), though rarely in post-acquisition contexts (Colman & Rouzies, 2018).…”

Micro-processes of translation in the transfer of practices from MNE headquarters to foreign subsidiaries: The role of subsidiary translators

“…At the organizational level, MNE governance and human resource management can be used as mechanisms to stimulate the mobilization of knowledge (i.e., searching, identifying, acquiring, utilizing, exchanging). Many such mechanisms have been investigated (Gooderham, Minbaeva, & Pedersen, 2011;Minbaeva, Mäkelä, & Rabbiosi, 2012;Minbaeva & Santangelo, 2017); nevertheless, elements such as organizational design and decision-making structure may hinder or enable microprocesses of translation. Flexible and flat organizational designs, empowerment, and inclusive decision making may encourage subsidiary actors to conduct intensive knowledge searches, to break out of their silos, and to mobilize diverse knowledge components into modified or new routines (Tippmann, Scott, & Mangematin, 2014a).…”

“…Flexible and flat organizational designs, empowerment, and inclusive decision making may encourage subsidiary actors to conduct intensive knowledge searches, to break out of their silos, and to mobilize diverse knowledge components into modified or new routines (Tippmann, Scott, & Mangematin, 2014a). More hierarchical and rigid organizational contexts are less conducive to sharing knowledge (Minbaeva & Santangelo, 2017). Although these insights were derived from research on emergent flows rather than our focus of HQ-initiated transfers, the organizational structure of decision-making remains important for the micro-processes of translation of HQ-initiated practices because the goal of the transfer is to replicate a practice to achieve uniformity across the MNE.…”