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The role of international assignees' social capital in creating inter-unit intellectual capital: A cross-level model

Author

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  • B Sebastian Reiche

    (IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain)

  • Anne-Wil Harzing

    (Department of Management and Marketing, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia)

  • Maria L Kraimer

    (Department of Management & Organizations, Tippie College of Business, University of Iowa, USA)

Abstract

We conceptualize international assignees as informational boundary spanners between multinational enterprise units, and develop a cross-level model that explores how assignees' social capital translates into inter-unit intellectual capital. First, as knowledge brokers, assignees create inter-unit intellectual capital by linking their home- and host-unit social capital, thereby enabling cross-unit access to previously unconnected knowledge resources. Second, as knowledge transmitters, assignees' host-unit social capital facilitates their creation of individual intellectual capital, which, in turn, translates into inter-unit intellectual capital. We conclude that individual social capital needs to be explicitly transferred to the organizational level to have a sustained effect on inter-unit intellectual capital. Journal of International Business Studies (2009) 40, 509–526. doi:10.1057/jibs.2008.86

Suggested Citation

  • B Sebastian Reiche & Anne-Wil Harzing & Maria L Kraimer, 2009. "The role of international assignees' social capital in creating inter-unit intellectual capital: A cross-level model," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(3), pages 509-526, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:jintbs:v:40:y:2009:i:3:p:509-526
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