Knowledge Transfers in IJVs: The Complex Role of Disseminative Capacities

Effective knowledge transfer is a key to the success of inter- organizational alliances. Prior research has focused on the absorptive capacity of receiving organizations, ignoring the capacities of sending organizations to disseminate knowledge. We studied knowledge transfer from foreign parent firms to their international joint ventures (IJVs) in South Korea. We developed a theoretical model that examines the impacts of the knowledge senders¡¯ disseminative capacities on knowledge transfer to IJVs. We tested our theory with data from 199 IJVs in South Korea. We found that the willingness of parent firms to share knowledge is manifested in an increased capacity to articulate and codify knowledge and create opportunities to transfer this knowledge. Mediated by the effective use of organizational communication channels, articulation and codification capabilities have a significant impact on the transfer of knowledge. The creation of opportunities for face-to-face interactions between organizations also has an impact on knowledge transfer, but only when senders and receivers have similar products and technologies