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Knowledge-intensive business services: does dual embeddedness matter?

Najafi-Tavani, Zhaleh; Giroud, Axèle; Sinkovics, Rudolf R.

Authors

Zhaleh Najafi-Tavani

Axèle Giroud



Abstract

Building on network theory, this study investigates knowledge development in subsidiaries in the knowledge-intensive business service (KIBS) sector. Foreign subsidiaries? internal and external networks are divided into three main categories: relations with (1) the local environment (external embeddedness), (2) parent firms (subsidiary?parent firm embeddedness and autonomy), and (3) sister subsidiaries (subsidiary?subsidiary embeddedness). Hypotheses are tested using a sample of 184 subsidiaries, located in the UK, whose parent firms are based outside the UK. While our results indicate that external embeddedness, subsidiary?parent embeddedness, and autonomy are main determinants of knowledge development within KIBS multinational companies, they show no association between subsidiary?subsidiary embeddedness and knowledge development.

Citation

Najafi-Tavani, Z., Giroud, A., & Sinkovics, R. R. (2012). Knowledge-intensive business services: does dual embeddedness matter?. The Service Industries Journal, 32(10), 1691-1705. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2012.665895

Journal Article Type Article
Online Publication Date Mar 5, 2012
Publication Date 2012
Deposit Date Jan 22, 2025
Print ISSN 0264-2069
Electronic ISSN 1743-9507
Publisher Taylor and Francis Group
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 32
Issue 10
Pages 1691-1705
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2012.665895
Keywords Reverse knowledge transfer, embeddedness, Subsidiaries
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2772971