International Business Review
Call for papers
Managing
cross-border knowledge for innovation
Knowledge is central to organizations’ goals. Effective knowledge management offers the potential to enhance innovation through rapid learning, and facilitates the development of new technology related to both products and processes (Andersson, Dasí, Mudambi, & Pedersen, 2016). In addition to the efficient exploitation of internal knowledge and resources, multinational enterprises (MNEs) seek to strategize ways to acquire and embed relevant knowledge through connections with external sources (Khedhaouria & Jamal, 2015).
The cross-border sourcing of knowledge is important to MNEs, regardless of home country. Far from being primarily the domain of developed-economy firms, research suggests that emerging-market MNEs (EMNEs) often use acquisitions to achieve rapid learning from foreign operations, in their quest to become key global players (Lynch & Jin, 2016). Perri, Scalera, and Mudambi (2017) identify foreign actors (including MNEs, universities, and research centers) as critical sources of knowledge spillovers for EMNEs, and highlight the importance of innovation networks. Knowledge also flows from emerging to developed economies; this is referred to as ‘reverse knowledge transfer’ in the literature (Driffield, Love, & Yang, 2016).
Cross-border knowledge sourcing is important for internationally-active firms of all sizes. Although academic research has primarily focused on large MNEs, and there is a need for further investigation of foreign knowledge sourcing and transfer that involves smaller firms (Garg & Zhao, 2018). While explicit knowledge may be more accessible, the sourcing of tacit knowledge remains a challenge (Ahammad, Tarba, Liu, & Glaister, 2016; Guo, Jasovska, Rammal, & Rose, 2018; Papa, Dezi, Gregori, Mueller, & Miglietta, 2018); the people-embeddedness of tacit knowledge makes the further study of MNEs; strategies for talent acquisition, management, and retention important.
Furthermore, the Industry 4.0 model that involves increased automation, machine learning, and use of artificial intelligence, along with ambitious national targets such as the ‘Made in China 2025’ plans, the role of institutions and the state in the facilitation (or limitation) of knowledge sourcing, and rapid learning (Ciabuschi, Kong, & Su, 2017) and innovation in service firms (Mol & Brandl, 2018), also warrant further investigation.
For
this special issue, we invite both
conceptual papers and empirical work, which can be based on qualitative,
quantitative, and mixed methods. While not exhaustive, the following list
suggests possible topics that could be addressed in the special issue:
-
The
development of knowledge and capabilities for international business
-
International
knowledge spillovers
-
The
role of global innovation networks in global value chains
-
‘Reverse
knowledge’ adoption and innovation from emerging economies to developed
economies
-
The
role of institutions and the state in promoting the development, acquisition,
sharing, and utilization of knowledge and innovation
-
Knowledge,
entrepreneurial orientation, and international performance
-
Knowledge
transfer between small firms and MNEs
-
Knowledge
sourcing and innovation in knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) firms
-
Talent
management for knowledge and innovation
Guest Editors:
Associate
Professor Hussain G. Rammal - University of Technology Sydney,
Australia.
Professor
Elizabeth L. Rose - University of Leeds, UK.
Associate
Professor João J.M. Ferreira - University of Beira Interior (UBI),
Portugal.
Submission
Information:
• All papers will be
subject to double-blind peer review.
• Authors should follow the IBR guidelines;
see https://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-business-review/ .
• All submissions
should be submitted electronically to https://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-business-review/ choosing SI: knowledge for
innovation as the article
type.
Submission
deadline: 31 August 2020
• Questions about
the Special Issue can be directed to the guest editors: Hussain G. Rammal ([log in to unmask]), Elizabeth L. Rose ([log in to unmask]) and João J.M. Ferreira ([log in to unmask]).
References
Ahammad, M. F., Tarba, S.
Y., Liu, Y., & Glaister, K. W. (2016). Knowledge transfer and cross-border
acquisition performance: The impact of cultural distance and employee retention.
International Business Review, 25,
66-75.
Andersson, U., Dasí, À.,
Mudambi, R., & Pedersen, T. (2016). Technology, innovation and knowledge:
The importance of ideas and international connectivity. Journal of World Business, 51, 153-162.
Ciabuschi, F., Kong, L.,
& Su, C. (2017). Knowledge sourcing from advanced markets subsidiaries:
political embeddedness and reverse knowledge transfer barriers in
emerging-market multinationals. Industrial
and Corporate Change, 26, 311-332.
Driffield, N., Love, J.
H., & Yang, Y. (2016). Reverse international knowledge transfer in MNE:
(Where) does affiliate performance boost parent performance? Research Policy, 45, 491-506.
Garg, P., & Zhao, M.
(2018). Knowledge sourcing by multidivisional firms. Strategic Management Journal, 39, 3326-3354.
Guo, Y., Jasovska, P.,
Rammal, H. G., & Rose, E. L. (2020). Global mobility of professionals and
the transfer of tacit knowledge in multinational service firms. Journal of Knowledge Management, 24(3), 553-567.
Khedhaouria, A., &
Jamal, A. (2015). Sourcing knowledge for innovation: knowledge reuse and
creation in project teams. Journal of
Knowledge Management, 19, 932-948.
Lynch, R., & Jin, Z.
(2016). Knowledge and innovation in emerging market multinationals: The
expansion paradox. Journal of Business
Research, 69, 1593-1597.
Mol, M. J., & Brandl,
K. (2018). Bridging what we know: The effect of cognitive distance on
knowledge-intensive business services produced offshore. International Business Review, 27, 669-677.
Papa, A., Dezi, L.,
Gregori, G. L., Mueller, J., & Miglietta, N. (2018). Improving innovation
performance through knowledge acquisition: the moderating role of employee
retention and human resource management practices. Journal of Knowledge Management, https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-09-2017-0391.
Perri, A., Scalera, V. G.,
& Mudambi, R. (2017). What are the most promising conduits for foreign
knowledge inflows? Innovation networks in the Chinese pharmaceutical industry. Industrial and Corporate Change, 26,
333-355.