| Summary: | 博士 === 國立政治大學 === 企業管理學系 === 90 === By coming of the knowledge age, to acquire knowledge is a key capability. A potentially important source of competitive advantage for multinational firms is the capacity of their foreign subsidiaries to generate knowledge and innovations based on stimuli and resources resident in the heterogeneous host country environments in which they operate. In this sense, sources of knowledge of subsidiaries become an important issue. The purposes of this research are to identify the influential factors in the choice of knowledge-sourcing mode and proceed empirical tests.
The research develops a hierarchical model of knowledge-sourcing decision and argues that managers have a limited analytical capacity when making complex decision. Mode of knowledge-sourcing decision for MNCs’ subsidiaries can be first classified as MNC-based and nonMNC-based. At the next level of hierarchy, nonMNC-based modes are further split into internal development and strategic alliances. Moreover, there are factors that influence the choice at first level, and that all of these factors do not influence the choice at the second level of the hierarchy. This model can provide a more precise picture of what affects the choice of knowledge-sourcing modes under the information overload and the complexity of the choice decision.
By reviewing literatures on the theory of MNCs, transaction cost economics, resource-based view and the theory of social network, and integrating the result of case analysis, we develop the research framework. We argue that both subsidiary knowledge environment and knowledge specificity are the main factors affecting knowledge-sourcing mode likely to MNC-based or nonMNC-based sources. There are moderators, resource factors. and organizational context factors, affecting the front relationship. Furthermore, subsidiary factors and knowledge uncertainty affect knowledge-sourcing mode likely to internal development or strategic alliances.
The empirical samples were MNCs’ subsidiaries in Taiwan. The unit of analysis was an item of knowledge. By questionnaire survey, the total number of samples is 234. We apply two analysis methods, including the logistic regression and the regression analysis, to make sure the robustness of our results. The empirical results reveal six findings: (1)Strong ownership advantages will promote subsidiary to adopt the MNC-based mode; (2)strong location advantages of the host country will promote subsidiary to adopt the nonMNC-based mode; (3)high location specificity of knowledge will promote subsidiary to adopt the nonMNC-based mode; (4)the extent of headquarter control and social capital of subsidiary managers are moderators affecting the relationship between ownership advantages, the global strategy, location advantages separately and the knowledge-sourcing mode; (5)rich subsidiary resources will promote subsidiary to adopt the internal development mode; (6)high uncertainty of knowledge will promote subsidiary to adopt the strategic alliance mode.
To conclude, the theoretical model possesses a high explanatory power in associating the determinants and the choice of mode. The study has two key contributions. First, it provides a knowledge-sourcing typology that is suitable for MNCs’ subsidiaries. In addition, the results provide supportive evidence for the hierarchical model of knowledge source. Second, for managers, our study shows that there are many factors that affect the adoption of knowledge-sourcing mode and provide a guideline for headquarter managers to adjust their global strategy, design the control system and position their subsidiaries.
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