Free Case Study On History

International and Comparative Human Resource Management

Barriers like governance forms and task structures are not the root of the problems within global collaborative ventures, so trying to change them does not improve collaborations.

Migratory knowledge moves quickly, but embedded knowledge moves slowly.

The organizational structure of knowledge architecture is unique to each company and is considered as embedded.
Tacit knowledge is difficult to communicate verbally or in written form; the degree of the tacitness of knowledge varies across societal contexts and national borders.
It is the degree of tacitness and the way the tacit knowledge is created, configured and employed that leads to asymmetrical knowledge transfer and operational barriers.
Asymmetry between two companies is measured by the ‘absorptive capacity;’ it is defined as whether or not a company has access, can understand, and take advantage of knowledge from their partner.

‘Diluted technology partnerships’ do not provide the optimum advantages of working collaboratively, without a rigid division of labor.

A as a small number of experts as gatekeepers and receptors can have disadvantages as well as advantages that need to be evaluated.

The differences between migratory and embedded knowledge need to be distinguished.

Solve problems in the context of the nature of the knowledge and its cultural embeddedness, not the structural barriers of governance and the arrangement of tasks.
The knowledge structures and work systems of the partners need to be identified, understood and changes need to be made where barriers exist.
The concentration of management when problem solving needs to be on the degree of differences in the tacit knowledge due to societal context.

Reference

Lam, A. 1997. Embedded firms, embedded knowledge: Problems of collaboration and knowledge transfer in global cooperative ventures. Organization Studies, 18(6): 973-996.