How multinational companies use organizational mechanisms that encourage social interaction

christina roe steen
Christina Roe Steen´s thesis is based on three papers that contribute to the understanding of How multinational companies use organizational mechanisms that encourage social interaction, thereby building capabilities that facilitate knowledge that lies in the network of units. On Thursday 12 April 2023 Roe Steen will defend her thesis for the PhD degree at NHH.
PhD Defense

30 March 2023 08:51

How multinational companies use organizational mechanisms that encourage social interaction

On Thursday 12 April 2023 Christina Roe Steen will hold a trial lecture on a prescribed topic and defend her thesis for the PhD degree at NHH.

Multinational companies (MNCs) operate a network of multiple units across different national contexts, usually spanning multiple business areas. This network of units provides the MNC access and the opportunity to share and transfer knowledge between the parent company and its subsidiaries. Even though MNCs possess knowledge-based assets that potentially enable them to benefit in terms of competitive advantage, they must also have the capability to transfer knowledge efficiently across company units located in different national contexts.  

Social capital in the sense of mutual trust and common mindsets is essential for knowledge sharing across the MNC. The degree of social capital available is a product of social interaction. The thesis is based on three papers that contribute to the understanding of how MNCs use organizational mechanisms that encourage social interaction, thereby building capabilities that facilitate knowledge that lies in the network of units. 

The literature review identifies 35 formal and informal mechanisms, classified into seven categories. It further proposes how they are related to the facilitation of socialization and social capital and how a possible negative interaction of national differences might influence these. The first empirical paper investigates how the strategic role of the subsidiary, HR structures, and institutional differences between the operational contexts of subsidiaries affect the use of these mechanisms. The second empirical paper examines how formal network management facilitates knowledge sharing in the network, structural social capital, and how the individual network members bring knowledge acquired back to their own working unit. It further investigates how different types of autonomous motivation can influence different parts of the knowledge processes.  

The findings provide MNC managers with a framework to think about how to use and design interventions that enable social interaction to facilitate knowledge sharing processes. Further, it indicates why organizational factors and structures, individual motivation, and differences in institutional contexts need to be taken into consideration.  

Prescribed topic for the trial lecture:

What is social capital? Is the social capital concept useful for practitioners in multinational companies (MNCs)?

Trial lecture:

Jebsen Centre, NHH, 10:15

Title of the thesis:

Governing Knowledge Sharing and Transfer in MNCs by Organizational Mechanisms Enabling Social Interaction

Defense:

Jebsen Centre, NHH, 12:15

Members of the evaluation committee:

Professor emeritus Bjarne Espedal (leader of the committee), Department of Strategy and Management, NHH

Professor Hans Solli-Sæther, NTNU

Professor Elaine Farndale Pennsylvania State University

Supervisors:

Professor emeritus Paul N. Gooderham (main supervisor), Department of Strategy and Management, NHH

Professor Karen Modesta Olsen, Department of Strategy and Management, NHH

The trial lecture and thesis defense will be open to the public.