A resource-based analysis of realized knowledge relatedness in diversified firms
研究了多元化企业内部知识流动的角色差异，发现知识提供部门业绩更优，而知识接收部门未从内部资源积累中获益，对管理者优化知识网络有参考价值。
The competitiveness of related diversified firms depends upon their ability to exploit knowledge relatedness by using the internal knowledge transfer processes within the organizational network. However, most existing studies deal with potential knowledge relatedness at the corporate level, rather than focusing on realized knowledge flows among divisions at the business unit level. Little is consequently known about the very essence of related diversifiers, i.e., the management of knowledge flows within the corporate knowledge network. This study therefore attempts to bridge this research gap by distinguishing four knowledge roles within related firms and analyzing their relative performance outcomes. Based on a sample of 116 product divisions, results indicate that divisions playing a knowledge provider role outperform those that not play that role, thus signaling unique resource endowments in the formers. On the contrary, those divisions which plays a knowledge receiving role do not benefit from the internal accumulation of resources.