IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/manint/v59y2019i3d10.1007_s11575-019-00383-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Knowledge Acquisition in International Strategic Alliances: The Role of Knowledge Ambiguity

Author

Listed:
  • Mia Hsiao-Wen Ho

    (National Sun Yat-sen University)

  • Pervez N. Ghauri

    (University of Birmingham)

  • Mario Kafouros

    (University of Manchester)

Abstract

Although prior research has emphasized the importance of international strategic alliances, we have incomplete understanding of how and why some firms succeed in acquiring knowledge from foreign partners, but others fail. We advance understanding of this important issue by examining (1) two key antecedents of knowledge ambiguity (the perceived difficulty of understanding the causal effects of partner’s knowledge and the use of such knowledge) and (2) by identifying how firms can partly overcome the negative effects of knowledge ambiguity on knowledge acquisition in international alliances. Drawing on organizational learning theory, our analysis not only shows (and explains how) knowledge ambiguity affects international knowledge acquisition through the interaction with absorptive capacity, but also identifies what alliance partners can do to reduce knowledge ambiguity and overcome some of its negative consequences, such as choosing foreign partners with a similar institutional context and building strong relationships with such partners.

Suggested Citation

  • Mia Hsiao-Wen Ho & Pervez N. Ghauri & Mario Kafouros, 2019. "Knowledge Acquisition in International Strategic Alliances: The Role of Knowledge Ambiguity," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 439-463, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:manint:v:59:y:2019:i:3:d:10.1007_s11575-019-00383-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s11575-019-00383-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11575-019-00383-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11575-019-00383-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ariff Kachra & Roderick E. White, 2008. "Know‐how transfer: the role of social, economic/competitive, and firm boundary factors," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(4), pages 425-445, April.
    2. Jan Johanson & Jan-Erik Vahlne, 2009. "The Uppsala internationalization process model revisited: From liability of foreignness to liability of outsidership," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(9), pages 1411-1431, December.
    3. Chao, Mike Chen-Ho & Kumar, Vikas, 2010. "The impact of institutional distance on the international diversity-performance relationship," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 93-103, January.
    4. Bernard L. Simonin, 1999. "Ambiguity and the process of knowledge transfer in strategic alliances," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(7), pages 595-623, July.
    5. Bernard L Simonin, 2004. "An empirical investigation of the process of knowledge transfer in international strategic alliances," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 35(5), pages 407-427, September.
    6. Julian Birkinshaw & Henrik Bresman & Robert Nobel, 2010. "Knowledge transfer in international acquisitions: A retrospective," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(1), pages 21-26, January.
    7. Ambos, Tina C. & Ambos, Björn, 2009. "The impact of distance on knowledge transfer effectiveness in multinational corporations," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, March.
    8. Peter J Buckley & Pervez N Ghauri, 2004. "Globalisation, economic geography and the strategy of multinational enterprises," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 35(3), pages 255-255, May.
    9. Kafouros, Mario & Wang, Chengqi & Mavroudi, Eva & Hong, Junjie & Katsikeas, Constantine S., 2018. "Geographic dispersion and co-location in global R&D portfolios: Consequences for firm performance," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(7), pages 1243-1255.
    10. Tsang, Eric W. K., 1999. "A preliminary typology of learning in international strategic alliances," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 211-229, October.
    11. Arvind Parkhe, 1993. "Partner Nationality and the Structure-Performance Relationship in Strategic Alliances," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 4(2), pages 301-324, May.
    12. Bruce Kogut & Harbir Singh, 1988. "The Effect of National Culture on the Choice of Entry Mode," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 19(3), pages 411-432, September.
    13. Ho, Mia Hsiao-Wen & Wang, Fatima, 2015. "Unpacking knowledge transfer and learning paradoxes in international strategic alliances: Contextual differences matter," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 287-297.
    14. Bernard L Simonin, 1999. "Transfer of Marketing Know-How in International Strategic Alliances: An Empirical Investigation of the Role and Antecedents of Knowledge Ambiguity," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 30(3), pages 463-490, September.
    15. Mia Hsiao-Wen Ho & Pervez N. Ghauri & Jorma A. Larimo, 2018. "Institutional distance and knowledge acquisition in international buyer-supplier relationships: The moderating role of trust," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 427-447, June.
    16. Linsu Kim, 1998. "Crisis Construction and Organizational Learning: Capability Building in Catching-up at Hyundai Motor," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(4), pages 506-521, August.
    17. S.A. Lippman & R.P. Rumelt, 1982. "Uncertain Imitability: An Analysis of Interfirm Differences in Efficiency under Competition," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 13(2), pages 418-438, Autumn.
    18. Ji Li & Leonard Karakowsky & Kevin Lam, 2002. "East Meets East And East Meets West: The Case Of Sino‐Japanese And Sino‐West Joint Ventures In China," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(6), pages 841-863, September.
    19. Bo Bernhard Nielsen & Sabina Nielsen, 2009. "Learning and Innovation in International Strategic Alliances: An Empirical Test of the Role of Trust and Tacitness," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(6), pages 1031-1056, September.
    20. Desislava Dikova & Padma Rao Sahib & Arjen van Witteloostuijn, 2010. "Cross-border acquisition abandonment and completion: The effect of institutional differences and organizational learning in the international business service industry, 1981–2001," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(2), pages 223-245, February.
    21. D Minbaeva & T Pedersen & I Björkman & C F Fey & H J Park, 2003. "MNC knowledge transfer, subsidiary absorptive capacity, and HRM," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 34(6), pages 586-599, November.
    22. Zheng Jane Zhao & Jaideep Anand, 2009. "A multilevel perspective on knowledge transfer: evidence from the Chinese automotive industry," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(9), pages 959-983, September.
    23. Anupama Phene & Stephen Tallman, 2014. "Knowledge Spillovers and Alliance Formation," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(7), pages 1058-1090, November.
    24. Henrik Bresman & Julian Birkinshaw & Robert Nobel, 2010. "Knowledge transfer in international acquisitions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(1), pages 5-20, January.
    25. Law, Kuok Kei, 2014. "The problem with knowledge ambiguity," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 444-450.
    26. Ikujiro Nonaka, 1994. "A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(1), pages 14-37, February.
    27. Tzeng, Cheng-Hua, 2018. "How foreign knowledge spillovers by returnee managers occur at domestic firms: An institutional theory perspective," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 625-641.
    28. Raymond Van Wijk & Justin J. P. Jansen & Marjorie A. Lyles, 2008. "Inter‐ and Intra‐Organizational Knowledge Transfer: A Meta‐Analytic Review and Assessment of its Antecedents and Consequences," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(4), pages 830-853, June.
    29. Kafouros, Mario I. & Buckley, Peter J. & Clegg, Jeremy, 2012. "The effects of global knowledge reservoirs on the productivity of multinational enterprises: The role of international depth and breadth," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(5), pages 848-861.
    30. Andrew C. Inkpen, 2000. "Learning Through Joint Ventures: A Framework Of Knowledge Acquisition," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(7), pages 1019-1044, November.
    31. George P. Huber, 1991. "Organizational Learning: The Contributing Processes and the Literatures," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 2(1), pages 88-115, February.
    32. Austrian Institute of Economic Research, 2006. "Competitiveness Report 2006," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 28814, April.
    33. Liu, Chia-Ling (Eunice) & Ghauri, Pervez N. & Sinkovics, Rudolf R., 2010. "Understanding the impact of relational capital and organizational learning on alliance outcomes," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 237-249, July.
    34. Peter J Buckley & Pervez N Ghauri, 2004. "Globalisation, economic geography and the strategy of multinational enterprises," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 35(2), pages 81-98, March.
    35. Piero Morosini & Scott Shane & Harbir Singh, 1998. "National Cultural Distance and Cross-Border Acquisition Performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 29(1), pages 137-158, March.
    36. Inkpen, Andrew, 1998. "Learning, knowledge acquisition, and strategic alliances," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 223-229, April.
    37. Helena Yli‐Renko & Erkko Autio & Harry J. Sapienza, 2001. "Social capital, knowledge acquisition, and knowledge exploitation in young technology‐based firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(6‐7), pages 587-613, June.
    38. Prashant Kale & Harbir Singh & Howard Perlmutter, 2000. "Learning and protection of proprietary assets in strategic alliances: building relational capital," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 217-237, March.
    39. Gary Hamel, 1991. "Competition for competence and interpartner learning within international strategic alliances," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(S1), pages 83-103, June.
    40. Norman, Patricia M., 2004. "Knowledge acquisition, knowledge loss, and satisfaction in high technology alliances," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 57(6), pages 610-619, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Nursyakirah AbdManap & Che Wan Jasimah Wan Mohamed Radzi & Hashem Salarzadeh Jenatabadi, 2023. "Exploring Factors Influencing Technological Capability of Food Manufacturing Firms in Malaysia," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, August.
    2. Fu, Xiaolan & Fu, Xiaoqing (Maggie) & Ghauri, Pervez & Hou, Jun, 2022. "International collaboration and innovation: Evidence from a leading Chinese multinational enterprise," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(4).
    3. Cenk Tufan & Ozlem Yasar Ugurlu, 2022. "The Effect of Trust, Commitment, Knowledge Acquisition, and Dissemination on Relationship Satisfaction: Research into the Turkish Yacht Manufacturing Sector," Journal of Economy Culture and Society, Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 65(65), pages 351-374, June.
    4. Hu, Tiancheng, 2023. "Foreign ownership in joint ventures under knowledge leakage risks: The influence of industrial munificence and dynamism," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    5. Rammal, Hussain G. & Rose, Elizabeth L. & Ferreira, João J., 2023. "Managing cross-border knowledge transfer for innovation: An introduction to the special issue," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(2).
    6. Nadia Zahoor & Francis Donbesuur & Arinze Christian Nwoba & Huda Khan, 2023. "Regional expansion of emerging market SMEs: the roles of domestic market environmental uncertainty and international alliance partner diversity," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 613-643, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ho, Mia Hsiao-Wen & Wang, Fatima, 2015. "Unpacking knowledge transfer and learning paradoxes in international strategic alliances: Contextual differences matter," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 287-297.
    2. Mia Hsiao-Wen Ho & Pervez N. Ghauri & Jorma A. Larimo, 2018. "Institutional distance and knowledge acquisition in international buyer-supplier relationships: The moderating role of trust," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 427-447, June.
    3. Liu, C.-L.E., 2012. "An investigation of relationship learning in cross-border buyer–supplier relationships: The role of trust," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 311-327.
    4. Thomas Hutzschenreuter & Tanja Matt, 2017. "MNE internationalization patterns, the roles of knowledge stocks, and the portfolio of MNE subsidiaries," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 48(9), pages 1131-1150, December.
    5. Liu, Chia-Ling (Eunice) & Ghauri, Pervez N. & Sinkovics, Rudolf R., 2010. "Understanding the impact of relational capital and organizational learning on alliance outcomes," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 237-249, July.
    6. Liu, Chia-Ling (Eunice) & Zhang, Yingying, 2014. "Learning process and capability formation in cross-border buyer–supplier relationships: A qualitative case study of Taiwanese technological firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 718-730.
    7. Minbaeva, Dana & Park, Chansoo & Vertinsky, Ilan & Cho, Yeon Sung, 2018. "Disseminative capacity and knowledge acquisition from foreign partners in international joint ventures," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(5), pages 712-724.
    8. Huang, Ming-Chang & Chiu, Ya-Ping, 2020. "A knowledge tension perspective on management control and performance in international joint ventures," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 26(4).
    9. Byung Il Park & Axèle Giroud & Keith W. Glaister, 2008. "Acquisition of managerial knowledge from foreign parents: evidence from Korean joint ventures," Asia Pacific Business Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(4), pages 527-545, October.
    10. Fu, Xiaolan & Fu, Xiaoqing (Maggie) & Ghauri, Pervez & Hou, Jun, 2022. "International collaboration and innovation: Evidence from a leading Chinese multinational enterprise," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(4).
    11. Hau, Le Nguyen & Evangelista, Felicitas, 2007. "Acquiring tacit and explicit marketing knowledge from foreign partners in IJVs," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(11), pages 1152-1165, November.
    12. Sajjad Jasimuddin & Jun Li & Nicholas Perdikis, 2015. "Linkage between geographic space and knowledge transfer by multinational enterprises: a structural equation approach," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 54(3), pages 769-795, May.
    13. McGuinness, Martina & Demirbag, Mehmet & Bandara, Sasanka, 2013. "Towards a multi-perspective model of reverse knowledge transfer in multinational enterprises: A case study of Coats plc," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 179-195.
    14. Bilgili, Tsvetomira V. & Kedia, Ben L. & Bilgili, Hansin, 2016. "Exploring the influence of resource environments on absorptive capacity development: The case of emerging market firms," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(5), pages 700-712.
    15. Evangelista, Felicitas & Hau, Le Nguyen, 2009. "Organizational context and knowledge acquisition in IJVs: An empirical study," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 63-73, January.
    16. Jacob, Jojo & Belderbos, René & Lokshin, Boris, 2023. "Entangled modes: Boundaries to effective international knowledge sourcing through technology alliances and technology-based acquisitions," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    17. Pak, Yong Suhk & Ra, Wonchan & Lee, Jong Min, 2015. "An integrated multi-stage model of knowledge management in international joint ventures: Identifying a trigger for knowledge exploration and knowledge harvest," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 180-191.
    18. Qi Ai & Hui Tan, 2018. "The intra-firm knowledge transfer in the outward M&A of EMNCs: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing firms," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 399-425, June.
    19. Christine Holmström Lind & Olivia H. Kang, 2017. "The Value-Adding Role of the Corporate Headquarters in Innovation Transfer Processes: The Issue of Headquarters Knowledge Situation," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(4), pages 571-602, August.
    20. Park, Byung Il, 2011. "Knowledge transfer capacity of multinational enterprises and technology acquisition in international joint ventures," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 75-87, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:manint:v:59:y:2019:i:3:d:10.1007_s11575-019-00383-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.