Title: The moderating role of firms' structure during the implementation stage of technology transfer in Malaysia

Authors: Fariza Hashim; Sarina Muhamad Noor

Addresses: College of Business Administration, Prince Sultan University, P.O. Box 66833, Riyadh, 11586, Saudi Arabia. ' Faculty of Business Management, University Technology MARA, Arau, 02600, Perlis, Malaysia

Abstract: Technology transfer helps countries to benefit from advanced technology without having to make huge investment in R&D. However, the transferred technology can work well only with appropriate absorptive capacity. In addition, a firm's structure plays a very important role in the relationship between absorptive capacity and technology transfer as it dictates the flow of information and work assignment. This study attempts to fill the gap left by previous studies as they tend to overlook the role of a firm's structure in moderating the relationship between absorptive capacity and the transferred technology. The study was conducted at electrical and electronic manufacturing firms in Malaysia. A multiple hierarchical regressions method was used to identify the moderating effect. The findings suggest that decision-making and formalisation was a pure moderator in the absorptive capacity and technology transfer performance relationship. Hence, management should consider the firm's structure before they embark on transferring any technologies.

Keywords: organisational structures; decision-making; absorptive capacity; technology transfer; Malaysia; moderating roles; implementation stages; advanced technology; R&D; research and development; transferred technology; information flows; work assignment; electrical manufacturing; electronic manufacturing; multiple hierarchical regression; moderating effects; formalisation; pure moderators; international business; entrepreneurship development; entrepreneurs.

DOI: 10.1504/JIBED.2012.048568

Journal for International Business and Entrepreneurship Development, 2012 Vol.6 No.2, pp.142 - 157

Published online: 30 Aug 2014 *

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