Title: From static to dynamic use of inter-firm objects and its impact on innovation performance

Authors: Solmaz Sajadirad; Astrid Heidemann Lassen; Brian Vejrum Wæhrens

Addresses: Center for Industrial Production, Department of Materials and Production, Aalborg University, Denmark ' Center for Industrial Production, Department of Materials and Production, Aalborg University, Denmark ' Center for Industrial Production, Department of Materials and Production, Aalborg University, Denmark

Abstract: Many different objects are used by companies to transfer knowledge to globally distributed subsidiaries. However, tapping into the local knowledge of subsidiaries and transforming this into innovation capabilities remains a challenge for many multinational companies. In this paper, we aim to discuss how different approaches to the use of inter-firm objects can affect companies' abilities to obtain the subsidiaries' knowledge and utilise it to different degrees of innovation performance. For this purpose, we adopted a multiple case study approach consisting of ten multinational companies located in Denmark. Our findings show that companies use inter-firm objects to either control the flow of knowledge and subsidiaries' operations, i.e., the static use, or to create the circumstances favouring a collaborative relationship between headquarter and subsidiaries, i.e., the dynamic use. This paper provides a discussion and perspectives of further research concerning the impact of the different use of inter-firm objects on innovation performance.

Keywords: inter-firm objects; static use; dynamic use; knowledge transfer; multinational companies; headquarter; subsidiaries; boundary object; innovation performance; case studies.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKMS.2020.106305

International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies, 2020 Vol.11 No.2, pp.117 - 136

Accepted: 01 Mar 2019
Published online: 02 Apr 2020 *

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