international business and mis approaches to multinational organizational research: the cases of...
TRANSCRIPT
International business and MIS approaches to multinational
organizational research:
The cases of knowledge transfer and MIS workforce outsourcing.
Fred NiedermanSaint Louis University
March 2004
Purpose
For topics of common interest, MIS researchers do not reference IB research IB researchers do not reference MIS research
But they could and should
Two Cases
Knowledge transferMIS personnel off-shoring
Knowledge Transfer – IB Perspective
Lord and Ranff (2000)Marketing knowledge among subsidiariesImplicit and explicit knowledge
Making transfer of knowledge easier
Less-tacit knowledgeMore attention from corporate headquartersMore centralized organization structureMore incentives linked to such transfer of knowledge
Variables with no influence
Relatedness of the host and local countriesCorporate sizeDivision experienceSpecific countries studied (e.g. Russia, China, and India)
* Corporate experience showed marginal influence
Ciborra and Andreu (2000)
Three loops A routinization learning loop
whereby external resources are transformed by learned work practices
A capability learning loopwhere work practices are transformed
into organizational capabilities A strategic loop
where the mission of the firm and the competitive environment screen capabilities in or out of the core capability circle.
Alavi and Leidner (2001)
Knowledge can be viewed from a number of distinct perspectives A state of mind An object A process Access to information Capabilities for influencing actions Results of processed data and/or
information
Enriching Both Areas
A broader framework for multilevel theory in IB – the how as well as the how muchDetailed sets of influences and potential covariates for MIS effectiveness studiesNew questions How do tacit and explicit knowledge interact during
transfer? How do formal (e.g. database/digital libraries/web
conferences) interact with informal (e.g. classroom, transfers, tutorials)
When are the various strategies, alone and in combination, most effective?
Outsourcing -- IB Perspective
Dunning’s Eclectic Paradigm (1977, 1981, 1988, 1993) of ownership, internalization, and location factorsLocation factors will cause an organization to locate in multiple nations
Teece (2000)
Under what conditions is it best to develop new products… from internal development joint venture strategic alliance long term purchase agreement simply buying it on the market?
Lacity and Willcocks line of research
A database of casesOutsourcing projects requires outsourcing laborOutsourced labor can be in the form of Domestic org to foreign org Domestic org to domestic org Domestic org to domestic org with foreign
division Internal to domestic org with foreign division
MIS Personnel and Workforce Research
Descriptive study – Carmel and distributed development teamsLabor markets – Ang and Slaughter and Ferratt and Agarwal different organizational strategiesNational preparation – Trauth and the Ireland case study
Conclusions
In Knowledge Transfer, MIS and IB contribute to deeper understanding of an important business phenomenon
In Personnel Outsourcing, MIS and IB each have the opportunity to raise and address influential business issues
Research in MIS is often “operational” asking how firms can/should do something; IB is often “strategic” asking how what influences have led to particular firm actions in the marketplace
The blending of these concerns lead to opportunities to strengthen both lines of research and to the posing of new questions of interest to practice and research
Questions?