Abstract
The nature of coordination of practices between the headquarters and field operations has long been a matter of considerable importance to the management of research and development (R&D). When the firm performs R&D aboard, in foreign locations, the issue of coordination increases in significance. This article reports on interviews with 35 American and 18 European transnational corporations regarding the coordination of their foreign R&D activities. Coordination practices are shown to affect the nature of R&D performed aboard, the means of establishing R&D aboard, the communication and control systems employed, and the patterns of invention and innovation.
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*William A. Fischer is an assistant professor of Business Administration at the University of North Carolina. He recently served as a consultant to UNIDO on the establishment of appropriate R&D programs and policies in developing countries.
**Jack N. Behrman holds the Luther Hodges Distinguished Professorship at The School of Business Administration of the University of North Carolina. He is a former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Domestic and International Business and recently was a member of the U.S. Delegation to the UN Conference on Science and Technology for Development.
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Fischer, W., Behrman, J. The Coordination of Foreign R&D Activities by Transnational Corporations. J Int Bus Stud 10, 28–34 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490641
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490641