Accessing vs sourcing knowledge: A comparative study of R&D internationalization between emerging and advanced economy firms

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Awate, Snehal; Larsen, Marcus M.; Mudambi, Ram
• 署名单位: Indian School of Business (ISB); Copenhagen Business School; Pennsylvania Commonwealth System of Higher Education (PCSHE); Temple University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STUDIES
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2506
• DOI: 10.1057/jibs.2014.46
• 发表日期: 2015
• 页码: 63-86
• 关键词: innovation and R&D; INTERNATIONALIZATION; Emerging market multinationals; catch-up strategies; knowledge flows; Headquarters-subsidiary roles and relations

摘要

Research and development (R&D) internationalization is on the rise for advanced economy multinationals (AMNEs) as well as emerging economy multinationals (EMNEs). We study EMNE R&D internationalization by comparing it to that by AMNEs in the context of an emerging, knowledge-intensive industry. We find that these two are fundamentally different processes. While the internationalization of AMNEs' R&D activities can largely be explained in terms of the twin strategies of competence exploitation and competence creation, EMNE R&D internationalization is rooted in the firms' overall catch up strategy to get on par with industry leaders. An in-depth comparison of knowledge flows reveals that within AMNEs, headquarters often serves the primary source of knowledge for R&D subsidiaries. In contrast, within EMNEs, headquarters accesses knowledge from R&D subsidiaries in advanced economies for innovation catch-up. Within this dichotomy, the innovative capabilities of EMNE headquarters develop more slowly and with greater difficulty than those of AMNE subsidiaries.