Purpose

This study examines how the characteristics of innovation knowledge exchanged among affiliate firms affect the ownership strategies adopted for their foreign subsidiaries.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs a cross-classified multilevel model to examine a sample of 185 Korean manufacturing affiliates derived from 49 Chaebols engaged in international diversification, along with their 1,110 foreign manufacturing subsidiaries.

Findings

While exploratory innovation knowledge exchange lowers the affiliate's level of ownership in its foreign subsidiary, exploitative innovation knowledge exchange rather increases the affiliate's level of ownership in its foreign subsidiary.

Research limitations/implications

This study advances the literature on intrafirm knowledge exchange by highlighting it as a determinant of ownership strategies. The study further shows that the characteristics of knowledge exchanged at the affiliate level not only determine the ownership structure but also have the potential to shape the direction in which the subsidiary develops its competencies.

Practical implications

This study has practical implications for the managers of business group affiliates. The results suggest that managers should adapt their ownership strategies according to the type of knowledge exchanged at the affiliate level to achieve a balanced and synergistic effect on intraorganizational knowledge exchange.

Originality/value

Previous studies have extensively explored the performance implications related to knowledge exchange. However, there is a notable gap in understanding the mechanisms through which the value of knowledge transferred within an affiliate is realized. To address this gap, this study focuses on ownership strategy as a crucial factor and empirically examines how the characteristics of innovation knowledge exchanged among affiliate firms influence the ownership strategies adopted for their foreign subsidiaries. By investigating this relationship, this study provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics of knowledge exchange and its effect on ownership decisions within business group affiliates.

中文翻译：

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财阀内部的创新知识交流及其外国子公司的所有权结构

目的

本研究探讨了附属公司之间交换的创新知识的特征如何影响其外国子公司所采用的所有权战略。

设计/方法论/途径

本研究采用跨分类多层次模型，对来自 49 家从事国际多元化的财阀的 185 家韩国制造子公司及其 1,110 家外国制造子公司进行了抽样调查。

发现

探索性创新知识交换降低了附属公司在其外国子公司的所有权水平，而利用性创新知识交换反而增加了附属公司在其外国子公司的所有权水平。

研究局限性/影响

本研究通过强调企业内部知识交换是所有权战略的决定因素，推进了有关企业内部知识交换的文献。研究进一步表明，子公司层面知识交换的特征不仅决定了所有权结构，而且有可能塑造子公司发展其能力的方向。

实际影响

这项研究对于业务集团附属公司的管理者具有实际意义。结果表明，管理者应根据分支机构层面知识交换的类型调整其所有权策略，以实现组织内知识交换的平衡和协同效应。

原创性/价值

先前的研究广泛探讨了与知识交换相关的绩效影响。然而，对于实现附属机构内知识转移的价值的机制的理解存在显着差距。为了解决这一差距，本研究将所有权战略作为一个关键因素，并实证检验了附属公司之间创新知识交换的特征如何影响其外国子公司所采用的所有权战略。通过调查这种关系，本研究为知识交换的复杂动态及其对业务集团附属公司内所有权决策的影响提供了宝贵的见解。