Modeling and Simulation of the Inter-Organizational Knowledge Transfer Impact Factors in Industrial Clusters

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore a phenomenon in knowledge management that has been given scant attention: the influence of cultural distance on inter-organizational knowledge transfer in the context of multinational companies involving headquarters in the USA and a subsidiary in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach Designed as a qualitative exploratory study, data was collected through in-depth interviews of 15 participants and documents review. Findings The findings of this study implied that the theoretically introduced cultural dimensions shall be relevant to analyze the phenomenon of this study. Consequently, through the findings of this study, it is argued that inter-organizational knowledge transfer in multinational companies is influenced by cultural distance. Research limitations/implications This study theoretically and empirically contributes to the debates on knowledge transfer in knowledge management research in general and, inter-organizational knowledge transfer in multinational companies between headquarters and subsidiaries with respect to the influence of cultural distance in particular, through the light of Trompenaars’ (1993) cultural dimensions theory. Practical implications The findings of this study could motivate the practitioners to take into account: the influence of cultural distance on inter-organizational knowledge transfer, if inter-organizational knowledge transfer happens in similar contexts: multinational companies with a headquarters in the USA (a western context) and a subsidiary in Sri Lanka (a non-western context) in the practical business world. Originality/value This study provides theoretical and empirical insights into the influence of cultural distance on inter-organizational knowledge transfer in multinational companies between headquarters and subsidiaries in the selected context while suggesting various avenues for further research toward the influence of cultural distance on such phenomenon in similar/dissimilar contexts.

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Improvement of Organizational Knowledge Transfer through Integration of Functional Silos in Smart Network

Knowledge Management for Competitive Advantage During Economic Crisis - Advances in Business Strategy and Competitive Advantage ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-6457-9.ch017 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 299-309

Author(s):

Ivan Todorović ◽

Mladen Čudanov ◽

Stefan Komazec

Keyword(s):

Public Sector ◽

Knowledge Transfer ◽

Organizational Structure ◽

Organizational Knowledge ◽

Public Enterprises ◽

Organizational Models ◽

Public Companies ◽

The Public ◽

Common Ownership ◽

Isolated Structures

This chapter presents the possibility for improving inter-organizational knowledge transfer in the public sector by implementing adequate organizational change through analysis of public enterprises in one European capital. The structure of public enterprises is often fragmented in groups of specialized companies. Internal organizational models of particular companies are most often functional organizational structure models. Functional organizations are characterized by formation of organizational silos, where knowledge, power, and information can often be trapped and secluded from other parts of organization, among other structural weaknesses. Further, isolated structures exist not only on the level of functions within single organizations but also between different public companies in the same municipality, in spite of common ownership. Thus, knowledge transfer is restrained, not just among functions in individual organizations, but also on even higher levels, among different companies. The main purpose of this chapter is to describe how introduction of smarter, networked organizational forms can reduce these barriers and enable knowledge transfer.

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