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The capabilities of the transnational firm: accessing knowledge and leveraging inter-firm relationships

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  • Lipparini, Andrea
  • Fratocchi, Luciano

Abstract

The nature of competition imposes a fundamental re-examination of strategies, both at the corporate and business level. Observation of a large number of firms reveals changes aimed at creating more permeable boundaries for breaking down costs, while increasing efficiency in product innovation and manufacturing. What appears to be relevant in many of these efforts is the emergence of transnational organisational architectures (TOA) in which the value-generating activities are distributed among different countries and actors, and then recomposed at the corporate level without losing efficiency. In this paper, we put forward the proposition that relational capability represents a distinctive competence for the transnational firm. The ability to access new knowledge or complementary capabilities, and to leverage inter-firm relationships and opportunities wherever they arise emerges as a critical factor for success on a global scale.

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  • Lipparini, Andrea & Fratocchi, Luciano, 1999. "The capabilities of the transnational firm: accessing knowledge and leveraging inter-firm relationships," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 17(6), pages 655-667, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eurman:v:17:y:1999:i:6:p:655-667
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    Cited by:

    1. Oladottir, Asta Dis & Hobdari, Bersant & Papanastassiou, Marina & Pearce, Robert & Sinani, Evis, 2012. "Strategic complexity and global expansion: An empirical study of newcomer Multinational Corporations from small economies," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 47(4), pages 686-695.
    2. Ariela Caglio & Angelo Ditillo, 2012. "Interdependence and accounting information exchanges in inter-firm relationships," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 16(1), pages 57-80, February.
    3. Hazar Ben Barka & Sarah Mokaddem, 2012. "Nature of the Director's profile and Knowledge Transfer in Corporate Social Responsibility: A Literature-based Approach," Post-Print hal-00692350, HAL.
    4. Anne Bartel-Radic & Robert Paturel, 2006. "L'apprentissage organisationnel de la compétence interculturelle," Post-Print hal-03566048, HAL.
    5. Alberto Onetti & Hal Steger, 2007. "Formulating an open source business model requires community segmentation and targeted marketing," Economics and Quantitative Methods qf0707, Department of Economics, University of Insubria.
    6. Alessia Pisoni & Alberto Onetti & Luciano Fratocchi & Marco Talaia, 2010. "Managing R&D activities in the Italian red biotech industry. A comparison between Italian independent firms and multinational companies," Economics and Quantitative Methods qf1003, Department of Economics, University of Insubria.
    7. Schmid, Stefan & Schurig, Andreas, 2003. "The development of critical capabilities in foreign subsidiaries: disentangling the role of the subsidiary's business network," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 12(6), pages 755-782, December.

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