Improving Global Knowledge Management Through Inclusion of Host Country Workforce Input

2008 ◽  
pp. 167-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongsun Paik
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Knowledge Base ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Host Country ◽  
International Management ◽  
International Strategy ◽  
Foreign Subsidiary ◽  
Global Knowledge ◽  
Inclusive Approach ◽  
Expatriate Managers

Within a framework of international strategy for multinational corporations, this chapter examines the important opportunities afforded by taking a more inclusive approach to the foreign subsidiary host country workforce (HCW). It argues that past international management writing and practice, with its expatriate bias, has neglected consideration of this important resource. Not only can the HCW help expatriate managers be more successful and have a better experience in the host country, but it can contribute to and benefit from the corporate knowledge base, leading to more effective global knowledge management. The authors discuss means by which a multinational corporation can effectively include the HCW in its knowledge management activities.

Level of Control, Staffing Policy, and Training Needs for Overseas Units of Multinational Corporations: An Integrative Approach

2002 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-122
Author(s):  
Hoon Park ◽  
Youngsun Paik ◽  
Cristina Suarez Duffy
Keyword(s):  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Integrative Model ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Cultural Training ◽  
Functional Training ◽  
Training Requirements ◽  
Host Country Nationals ◽  
Foreign Operations ◽  
Expatriate Managers

This paper suggests an integrative model in which MNCs combine staffing policy with training requirements given the level of control over foreign operations. The main premise of the paper is that different levels of control need determine the type of personnel and the extent of training required for managing foreign operations. At the highest level of control need, expatriate managers are provided with extensive cultural training. Conversely, at the lowest level of control need, host country nationals are given minimal functional training. When the control needs are moderate, firms can select either expatriates or host country nationals. Since the costs incurred in extensive functional training for host country nationals are usually greater than those for expatriates who require only a minimal level of cultural training, MNCs tend to prefer expatriates to host country nationals.

Knowledge Management and Its Challenges in Global Business

2013 ◽  
pp. 290-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harish C. Chandan
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Change Management ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Strategic Change ◽  
International Strategy ◽  
Global Knowledge ◽  
Global Business ◽  
Productivity Improvement ◽  
Learning Productivity ◽  
Transactional Leadership Style

Knowledge Management (KM) is an organization-wide, strategic change management initiative dealing with people, processes, and Information Communication Technology (ICT) to achieve a competitive advantage through learning, productivity improvement, and innovation. Based on the current literature review of KM and its challenges in global business, a general framework for KM in terms of leadership, organization, and ICT is proposed. The role of leadership includes developing an international strategy for KM, executing strategic change management, practicing a mix of transformational and transactional leadership style, and developing KM performance metrics. The organizational parameters include learning, processes, culture, and organizational structure. ICT plays a crucial role in the learning and processes to acquire, store, share, and apply knowledge. Some of the KM challenges in global business include global leadership competencies and strategy, project-based flexible global virtual teams, global knowledge integration, and working with ICT gaps across different economies.

A Taxonomy of Potential Contributions of the Host Country National Local Liaison Role in Global Knowledge Management

2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles M. Vance ◽  
Torben Andersen ◽  
Vlad Vaiman ◽  
Jeffrey Gale
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Global Knowledge ◽  
National Local

scholarly journals Determinants of Staff Localization in Headquarters-Subsidiary-Subsidiary Relationships

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 249
Author(s):  
Chan Bok Kim ◽  
Seong-Jin Choi ◽  
Luyao Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Cultural Distance ◽  
Foreign Subsidiary ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
Local Competition ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Local Experience ◽  
Relationship Structure ◽  
The Impact

This paper investigates how cultural distance, the local experience of a foreign subsidiary, and the intensity of local competition jointly affect the staff localization of MNEs’ subsidiaries. While previous studies on the effects of cultural distance have mainly focused on the gap between home and host countries, we extend the existing “home-host” country perspective to the home-intermediary-host country relationship. This study regards Korea as an intermediary country and utilizes 520 observations from a unique survey conducted by the Export-Import Bank of Korea from 2006 to 2013. The results suggest that the impact of cultural distance on staff localization is a function of local experience and competitive environment in the home-intermediate-host relationship structure. This paper makes a theoretical contribution to our understanding of the behavior of multinational corporations by expanding the cultural distance perspective between the home and host countries explored in previous research to the home-subsidiary-subsidiary structure.

Industrial espionage revisited: Host country–foreign multinational corporation legal disputes and the postcolonial imagery

Organization ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 135050842092851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Lyan ◽  
Michal Frenkel
Keyword(s):  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Multinational Corporation ◽  
International Management ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Global Business ◽  
Core Technology ◽  
Industrial Espionage

In this article, we take a postcolonial management approach to exploring the lingering significance of postcolonial imagery in shaping legal disputes between host country and foreign multinational corporations. We apply a critical discourse analysis to the Korea versus Orbotech industrial espionage lawsuit, in which the Korean government accused a foreign multinational corporation of leaking its ‘national core technology’. Through this analysis we demonstrate how industrial espionage discourse was used to fight Korea’s negative reputation as a technological imitator, associate Korea with global technological leaders, and disassociate itself from other ‘imitators’. In response, Orbotech’s industrial espionage discourse has aimed to reproduce Korea’s imitator stigma. Our findings highlight the continual role of the imagined North/South and West/rest symbolic boundaries in constructing global business hierarchies even when the marginalized party—Korea—has already moved to the elite economies club. While international management studies rarely address industrial espionage beyond its technical meaning, we underline the embeddedness of industrial espionage as a discourse in maintaining and disrupting the geopolitical business landscape.

Beginning a journey of knowledge management in a secondary school

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 364-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Wing Chu
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Knowledge Base ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Digital Archive ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Despite the fact that schools should be places where learning occurs, most schools have overlooked the importance of knowledge. In contrast, commercial firms have recognized knowledge as a strategic intangible asset and a key resource of the enterprises. Therefore, enterprises have already harnessed knowledge to a great extent with wide practice of knowledge management (KM). The purpose of this paper is to show that KM could be applied to the education sector similar to the practice in the business world for leveraging intellectual assets. This paper examines how schools can kick off the process of KM implementation. This paper also reports what have been done and what should be done in KM implementation better in a school. This can give insights for schools which will try KM in near future. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a case study in a secondary school to explore how KM can be kicked off and sustained in a school setting. A KM system called knowledge base and a document management system called Digital Archive were developed to serve as the infrastructure for knowledge sharing. Lesson study and communities of practice (CoPs) were adopted to be the platforms for knowledge sharing among teachers in the school. A case study of the processes and lesson learned was done in this paper. Multiple sources of data, including observations, questionnaires and interviews, have been collected for evaluation. Findings In this paper, KM implementation was found to be effective through dual approaches: information-based and people-/interaction-based approaches. A knowledge base and a Digital Archive as knowledge repositories and lesson study and CoPs as platforms for knowledge sharing have been successfully established to facilitate sharing information/knowledge and nurturing a sharing culture and trust. Challenges faced and the related coping strategies during the process of implementation were shared and reflected. It was also found that building sharing culture is the critical turning point of the process of KM implementation. Breaking through the barrier of sharing was found to be very essential to KM implementation. Research limitations/implications This paper adopts case study methodology to report the process of KM implementation in a school. Although these results of the study conducted in one school may not be generalized to other school contexts, the lessons learned in the study will be a strong empirical evidence of research of KM implementation, especially in schools. Because of the limited number of prior studies and the importance of the pioneering work of launching KM implementation, this paper tries to address the research gap by using theory building from cases as a research strategy rather than theory testing research, especially in “how”and“why” in the steps of kicking off KM implementation in an unexplored research area. Practical implications This paper shows a case of KM implementation in a school with thoughtful procedures of implementing information-based and people-/interaction-based approaches. The paper is a showcase that will shed light on the processes and lessons learned and also helps to provide a model for schools who are interested in applying KM in their schools. Social implications Most people might think that KM can be applied only in commercial sector. This paper shows that KM can also be adopted in schools as well as other sectors. Originality/value This paper represents one of the pioneering work of implementing KM in a school. It hopes to make contributions for KM implementation also in the public sector within which are non-profit-making organizations.

scholarly journals An Analysis of Host Country Characteristics that Determine FDI in Developing Countries: Recent Panel Data Evidence

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Tariq Majeed ◽  
Eatzaz Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Panel Data ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
Country Characteristics ◽  
General Method Of Moments

This paper analyzes a range of host country characteristics that determine foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to developing countries, using panel data on 72 countries for the period 1970-2008. Keeping in view the endogeneity problem of the chosen host country’s characteristics, the model is estimated using the General Method of Moments (GMM) technique. The analysis shows that gross domestic product (GDP), economic growth, and per capita income positively affect FDI—a result consistent with the market-seeking behavior of multinational corporations (MNCs). Furthermore, we find that remittances have a significant and positive impact on FDI. On the other hand, inflation and the balance of payments deficit have negative effects on FDI. MNCs are attracted to host countries that are outward looking and follow trade-promoting policies. This is confirmed by the positive effect of openness on FDI flows to developing countries. The study also finds that the effect of military expenditures on FDI is negative and significant. Finally, our analysis finds that the real exchange rate has a significantly negative impact on FDI.

scholarly journals KM Tools : Making Connections

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Research And Development ◽  
Knowledge Base ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Engineer Research ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Experimental Knowledge ◽  
Development Center ◽  
Knowledge Management Tools ◽  
The U.S

Knowledge management is vital to successfully executing research and development programs within the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC). Experimental knowledge management initiatives over the years led to discoveries about the best ways to store and access ERDC’s vast knowledge base. This document highlights several of the effective knowledge management tools that evolved from these discoveries, helping you to find and share knowledge!

Expanding horizons and expatriate adjustment

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rizwan Tahir
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Social Orientation ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Expatriate Managers ◽  
The Right

Purpose Expatriate management is a popular theme in the field of international human resource management in light of the fact that expatriates play a crucial role in a MNC’s global operations. The purpose of this paper is to explore how MNCs select, train, deploy and support expatriate managers during and after their international assignment in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study is based on in-depth interviews with 22 Western expatriate managers who are presently based in the UAE. However, in order the ensure a diverse sample among the participants with regards to their age, professional experience, gender and nationality, purposeful sampling was utilized while selecting the participants. Findings The results of the present study cast light on many shortcomings of the overall expatriation process as they are implemented by MNCs in the UAE. Accordingly, there is a pressing need for MNCs in the UAE to develop strategic expatriation processes, involving the following critical factors: the selection of the right person for the right job; specific and relevant pre-departure and post-arrival cross-cultural training (CCT); practical support for the expatriate employees and their trailing spouses in the host country; and lastly, a clear repatriation strategy to mark a successful conclusion of foreign assignments in the UAE. Research limitations/implications It is acknowledged that the results of this purely qualitative study, based on a relatively small sample size, cannot claim to represent the management theories, practices and realities of all the Western MNCs in the UAE. Moreover, these findings narrate the views and perceptions of this particular cohort of expatriate executives with relation to their selection, pre-departure CCT, adjustment in the UAE and the support and repatriation policies utilized by their companies for doing business in the UAE. Practical implications This study points to the fact that technical skills are mostly considered to be the predominant selection criteria for the expatriate selections in the MNCs. Other abilities, such as language skills and relational and perceptual adjustability are considered to be less important and do not feature overtly in the selection criteria for expatriate positions. The results demonstrate that distinctive features of adjustability, which include expatriates’ willingness to communicate, their social orientation, dynamic anxiety resistance and openness ability are all critical to the adjustment in the host country and should be given more emphasis. Originality/value Regardless of the presence of numerous MNCs in the UAE, it is indeed surprising to see that the topic of the expatriation management process in MNCs in the UAE has received little research attention. The objective of this study is to address this deficiency. Additionally, it is hoped that these findings may also be valuable to MNCs and consultants who are preparing expatriates for international assignments, especially in the Middle East and in particular in the UAE.

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