An Analysis of Global R&D Activities of Japanese MNCs in the US From the Knowledge-Based View

摘要

We examined 79 Japanese MNCs' R&D subsidiaries in the US from the knowledge-based view. We found: 1) subsidiaries' R&D strategies encouraged some types of knowledge flows, but discouraged other types; 2) autonomous R&D subsidiaries promoted knowledge flows from local environments to the subsidiary; 3) process-oriented incentives promoted technical knowledge flows between a subsidiary and its headquarters; 4) knowledge flows and R&D strategies contributed to a subsidiary's knowledge accumulation; 5) organizational factors such as autonomy and process-oriented incentives contributed more to a subsidiary's overall performance than the subsidiary's R&D strategies did.