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Knowledge transfer from international joint ventures to local suppliers in a developing economy

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Abstract

Using in-depth data from 155 Pakistani auto components suppliers, we study the role of socialization in knowledge transfer from international joint venture assemblers. We find that whereas formal socialization mechanisms enhance the comprehension and speed of knowledge transfer to local suppliers, informal socialization mechanisms enhance comprehension but not speed. Building on structural contingency theory, we find that having a mechanistic organizational structure among knowledge recipients is an antecedent to formal socialization, leading to improved knowledge transfer.

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Notes

  1. Organized suppliers are those suppliers that supply parts directly to the three Pakistani car assemblers, whereas unorganized suppliers supply parts for the aftermarket. The focus of this article is on the organized suppliers.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Area Editor, Jaeyong Song, and three anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments and suggestions during the review process. We also thank Jay Anand, Shoaira Khan, and Tariq Mahmood for their valuable comments on the earlier draft.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hull University Business School, University of Hull, Hull, UK

    Zaheer Khan

  2. Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA

    Oded Shenkar

  3. School of Business, Sejong University, Seoul, South Korea

    Yong Kyu Lew

Authors
  1. Zaheer Khan
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  2. Oded Shenkar
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  3. Yong Kyu Lew
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zaheer Khan.

Additional information

Accepted by Jaeyong Song, Area Editor, 11 February 2015. This article has been with the authors for three revisions.

APPENDIX

APPENDIX

Table A1

Table A1 Construct measurement, reliability, and validity
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Khan, Z., Shenkar, O. & Lew, Y. Knowledge transfer from international joint ventures to local suppliers in a developing economy. J Int Bus Stud 46, 656–675 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1057/jibs.2015.7

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