Political boundary spanning roles in MNC knowledge transfer: the cases of Japanese MNCs
通过六家日本跨国公司的案例研究，揭示了三种微观政治谈判模式，结合知识转移策略、单位政治反应和政治边界跨越角色，说明政治边界跨越如何弥补知识转移策略的负面效应。
This study examines the management of intra-organizational micropolitics that are linked to multidirectional knowledge transfer strategies within MNCs. We focus particularly on the roles of boundary spanners who manage political conflict between different MNC units, which we define as ‘political boundary spanning roles’. Through qualitative case studies of six Japanese MNCs, we uncover three distinctive patterns of micropolitical negotiation processes as a combination of MNC knowledge transfer strategies (HQ-centred diffusion, multilateral transfer, and knowledge co-evolution), political responses by MNC units (asserting distinctiveness, asserting independence, and asserting superiority), and political boundary spanning roles (neutraliser, knowledge centre, and arbiter). This study develops a processual view of boundary spanning, highlighting complex interactional processes among various actors and thereby bridge the gap between MNC boundary spanning research and micropolitical studies. We highlight how political boundary spanning efforts of MNC actors effectively complement adverse effects MNC knowledge transfer strategies unintentionally produce, which allows MNC units’ local employees to develop their own knowledge and solutions through the process of knowledge transformation.