Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Blending talents for innovation: Team composition for cross-border R&D collaboration within multinational corporations

  • Published:
Journal of International Business Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Despite the upsurge in cross-border R&D collaboration within multinational corporations (MNCs), firms often fail to realize the full potential of cross-border R&D teams. We examine under what conditions geographic diversity might lead to higher or lower innovation performance by focusing on the moderating roles of team composition. We first demonstrate that the geographic diversity of an MNC’s research team has a curvilinear (inverted U-shaped) relationship with the team’s innovation performance. Building upon group learning theory, we further claim that this non-linear relationship is strengthened by the technical experience heterogeneity of researchers but weakened by repeated collaboration among researchers. Our analyses on the top 25 multinational pharmaceutical companies and their 59,998 patents registered from 1981 to 2012 provide strong support for our hypotheses. When geographic diversity is relatively low, teams with different levels of technical experience and more fresh collaborators improve performance by amplifying the benefits of sourcing diverse knowledge. With high geographic dispersion, on the other hand, minimal experience heterogeneity and more instances of past collaboration lead to better performance by facilitating the integration of diverse knowledge. The results shed light on the importance of technical and social relationships among researchers in sourcing and integrating location-specific knowledge and ultimately enhancing team performance.

Résumé

Malgré la recrudescence des collaborations transfrontalières en matière de R&D au sein des entreprises multinationales (EMN), les firmes ne parviennent souvent pas à exploiter pleinement le potentiel des équipes transfrontalières de R&D. Nous étudions dans quelles conditions la diversité géographique pourrait conduire à des performances d’innovation plus ou moins élevées en nous concentrant sur les rôles modérateurs de la composition des équipes. Nous démontrons tout d’abord que la diversité géographique de l’équipe de recherche d’une EMN a une relation curviligne (en forme de U inversé) avec les performances d’innovation de l’équipe. En nous appuyant sur la théorie de l’apprentissage en groupe, nous affirmons ensuite que cette relation non linéaire est renforcée par l’expérience technique des chercheurs, mais affaiblie par la collaboration répétée entre les chercheurs. Nos analyses sur les 25 principales multinationales pharmaceutiques et leurs 59 998 brevets déposés entre 1981 et 2012 appuient fortement nos hypothèses. Lorsque la diversité géographique est relativement faible, les équipes ayant des niveaux d’expérience technique différents et des collaborateurs plus récents améliorent les performances en amplifiant les avantages de l’acquisition de connaissances diverses. En revanche, lorsque la dispersion géographique est élevée, une hétérogénéité minimale d’expériences et un plus grand nombre de collaborations antérieures permettent d’améliorer les performances en facilitant l’intégration de connaissances diverses. Les résultats mettent en lumière l’importance des relations techniques et sociales entre les chercheurs dans l’accès et l’intégration de connaissances spécifiques à un lieu et, en fin de compte, dans l’amélioration des performances des équipes.

Resumen

Pese al aumento de la colaboración transfronteriza en I + D en las corporaciones multinacionales (MNCs por sus iniciales en inglés), las empresas con frecuencia no se dan cuenta de todo el potencial de los equipos transfronterizos de I + D. Examinamos en qué condiciones la diversidad geográfica podría llevar a un mayor o menor rendimiento de innovación centrándonos en los papeles moderadores de la composición del equipo. Primero, demostramos que la diversidad geográfica del equipo de investigación de una corporación multinacional tiene una relación curvilínea (en forma de U invertida) con el rendimiento de innovación del equipo. Basándonos en la teoría del aprendizaje en grupo, afirmamos además que esta relación no lineal es fortalecida con la experiencia técnica de los investigadores, pero debilitada por la colaboración repetida entre los investigadores. Nuestros análisis sobre las 25 principales empresas farmacéuticas multinacionales y sus 59.998 patentes registradas entre 1981 y 2012 proporcionan un fuerte apoyo a nuestras hipótesis. Cuando la diversidad geográfica es relativamente baja, los equipos con diferentes niveles de experiencia técnica y colaboradores más nuevos mejoran el rendimiento al amplificar los beneficios de adquirir conocimientos diversos. Con una alta dispersión geográfica, por otro lado, la heterogeneidad de la experiencia mínima y más casos de colaboración pasada llevan a un mejor rendimiento al facilitar la integración de conocimientos diversos. Los resultados arrojan luz sobre la importancia de las relaciones técnicas y sociales entre los investigadores en la obtención e integración de conocimientos específicos de la ubicación y, en última instancia, en la mejora del rendimiento del equipo.

Resumo

Apesar do aumento da colaboração transfronteiriça em R&D entre empresas multinacionais (MNCs), as empresas geralmente não conseguem compreender todo o potencial de equipes de R&D transfronteiriças. Examinamos sob que condições a diversidade geográfica pode levar a um maior ou menor desempenho de inovação, concentrando-nos em papéis moderadores da composição da equipe. Primeiro, demonstramos que a diversidade geográfica de uma equipe de pesquisa de uma MNC tem uma relação curvilínea (em forma de U invertido) com o desempenho de inovação da equipe. Com base na teoria da aprendizagem em grupo, afirmamos ainda que esse relacionamento não linear é fortalecido pela experiência técnica de pesquisadores, mas enfraquecido pela repetida colaboração entre pesquisadores. Nossas análises nas 25 principais empresas farmacêuticas multinacionais e suas 59.998 patentes registradas de 1981 a 2012 fornecem forte suporte para nossas hipóteses. Quando a diversidade geográfica é relativamente baixa, equipes com diferentes níveis de experiência técnica e colaboradores mais novos aprimoram o desempenho pela ampliação dos benefícios da obtenção de conhecimentos variados. Com alta dispersão geográfica, por outro lado, mínima heterogeneidade da experiência e mais ocorrências de colaboração pregressa levam a um melhor desempenho pela facilitação da integração de conhecimentos variados. Os resultados lançam luz sobre a importância das relações técnicas e sociais entre pesquisadores na obtenção e integração de conhecimentos específicos do local e, finalmente, na melhoria do desempenho da equipe.

摘要

尽管跨国公司(MNC)中的跨境研发(R&D)合作激增, 企业仍经常无法充分获得跨境R&D团队的全部潜力。我们通过关注团队组成的调节作用, 研究了在什么条件下地理多样性可能导致更高或更低的创新绩效。我们首先证明,跨国公司研究团队的地域多样性与团队的创新绩效之间具有曲线(倒U形)关系。在团组学习理论的基础上, 我们进一步提出, 这种非线性关系因研究人员的技术经验而加强, 但因研究人员之间的从复合作而减弱。我们对1981-2012年间排名前25的跨国制药公司及其59,998项专利的分析为我们的假设提供了有力的支持。当地理多样性相对低时, 具有不同技术经验水平和更多新合作者的团队通过扩大获取各种知识的好处来改善绩效。另一方面, 由于高度的地理分散, 最小的经验异质性和较多的以往合作实例通过促进各种知识的集成而提高了绩效。研究结果揭示了研究人员之间的技术和社会关系在采购和整合特定于位置的知识并最终提高团队绩效方面的重要性。

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Ahuja, G., & Katila, R. 2001. Technological acquisitions and the innovation performance of acquiring firms: A longitudinal study. Strategic Management Journal, 22(3): 197–220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alcácer, J., & Chung, W. 2007. Location strategies and knowledge spillovers. Management Science, 53(5): 760–776.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alcácer, J., & Gittelman, M. 2006. Patent citations as a measure of knowledge flows: The influence of examiner citations. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 88(4): 774–779.

    Google Scholar 

  • Amabile, T. M. 1983. The social psychology of creativity: A componential conceptualization. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 45(2): 357–376.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ambos, T. C., & Ambos, B. 2009. The impact of distance on knowledge transfer effectiveness in multinational corporations. Journal of International Management, 15(1): 1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ambos, T. C., Ambos, B., Eich, K. J., & Puck, J. 2016. Imbalance and isolation: How team configurations affect global knowledge sharing. Journal of International Management, 22(4): 316–332.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ambos, T. C., Ambos, B., & Schlegelmilch, B. B. 2006. Learning from foreign subsidiaries: An empirical investigation of headquarters’ benefits from reverse knowledge transfers. International Business Review, 15(3): 294–312.

    Google Scholar 

  • Amiot, C. E., Terry, D. J., & McKimmie, B. M. 2012. Social identity change during an intergroup merger: The role of status, similarity, and identity threat. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 34(5): 443–455.

    Google Scholar 

  • Angrist, J. D., & Pischke, J. S. 2009. Mostly harmless econometrics: An Empiricist’s companion. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Apesteguia, J., Azmat, G., & Iriberri, N. 2012. The impact of gender composition on team performance and decision making: Evidence from the field. Management Science, 58(1): 78–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Argote, L. 2013. Organizational learning: creating, retaining and transferring knowledge. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong, D. J., & Cole, P. 2002. Managing distances and differences in geographically distributed work groups. In P. Hinds & S. Kiesler (Eds.): Distributed work: 167–186. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aryee, S., Wyatt, T., & Stone, R. 1996. Early career outcomes of graduate employees: The effect of mentoring and ingratiation. Journal of Management Studies, 33(1): 95–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Asakawa, K., Park, Y., Song, J., & Kim, S. J. 2018. Internal embeddedness, geographic distance, and global knowledge sourcing by overseas subsidiaries. Journal of International Business Studies, 49(6): 743–752.

    Google Scholar 

  • Audretsch, D. B., & Feldman, M. P. 1996. R&D spillovers and the geography of innovation and production. The American Economic Review, 86(3): 630–640.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baba, M. L., Gluesing, J., Ratner, H., & Wagner, K. H. 2004. The contexts of knowing: Natural history of a globally distributed team. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25(5): 547–587.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bantel, K. A., & Jackson, S. E. 1989. Top management and innovations in banking: Does the composition of the top team make a difference? Strategic Management Journal, 10(S1): 107–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnard, C. I. 1948. The functions of the executive. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker, G. 1964. Human capital: a theoretical and empirical analysis with special reference to education. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Belderbos, R., Olffen, W. V., & Zou, J. 2011. Generic and specific social learning mechanisms in foreign entry location choice. Strategic Management Journal, 32(12): 1309–1330.

    Google Scholar 

  • Belderbos, R., Sleuwaegen, L., Somers, D., & De Backer, K. 2016. Where to locate innovative activities in global value chains. OECD Science, Technology and Industry Policy Papers, No. 30

  • Bell, S. T., Villado, A. J., Lukasik, M. A., Belau, L., & Briggs, A. L. 2011. Getting specific about demographic diversity variable and team performance relationships: A meta-analysis. Journal of Management, 37(3): 709–743.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berry, H. 2014. Global integration and innovation: Multicountry knowledge generation within MNCs. Strategic Management Journal, 35(6): 869–890.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berry, H., & Kaul, A. 2015. Global sourcing and foreign knowledge seeking. Management Science, 61(5): 1052–1071.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boh, W. F., Ren, Y., Kiesler, S., & Bussjaeger, R. 2007. Expertise and collaboration in the geographically dispersed organization. Organization Science, 18(4): 595–612.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boutellier, R., Gassman, O., & von Zedtwitz, M. 2000. Managing Global innovation: Uncovering the secrets of future competitiveness. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brandon, D. P., & Hollingshead, A. B. 2004. Transactive memory systems in organizations: Matching tasks, expertise, and people. Organization Science, 15(6): 633–644.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cantwell, J. 1989. Technological Innovation and multinational corporations. New York: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cantwell, J. 2017. Innovation and international business. Industry and Innovation, 24(1): 41–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, J. R., & Zmud, R. W. 1999. Channel expansion theory and the experiential nature of media richness perceptions. Academy of Management Journal, 42(2): 153–170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Castellani, D., & Lavoratori, K. 2020. The lab and the plant: Offshore R&D and co-location with production activities. Journal of International Business Studies, 51(1): 121–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, J., Sokal, R. R., & Ruhlen, M. 1995. Worldwide analysis of genetic and linguistic relationships of human populations. Human Biology, 67(4): 595–612.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chung, W., & Alcácer, J. 2002. Knowledge seeking and location choice of foreign direct investment in the United States. Management Science, 48(12): 1534–1554.

    Google Scholar 

  • Commins, B., & Lockwood, J. 1979. The effects of status differences, favoured treatment and equity on intergroup comparisons. European Journal of Social Psychology, 9(3): 281–289.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cox, T. H., & Blake, S. 1991. Managing cultural diversity: Implications for organizational competitiveness. The Executive, 5(3): 45–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cramton, C. D. 2001. The mutual knowledge problem and its consequences for dispersed collaboration. Organization Science, 12(3): 346–371.

    Google Scholar 

  • Criscuolo, P. 2006. The ‘home advantage’ effect and patent families. A comparison of OECD triadic patents, the USPTO and the EPO. Scientometrics, 66(1): 23–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Criscuolo, P., & Verspagen, B. 2008. Does it matter where patent citations come from? Inventor vs. examiner citations in European patents. Research Policy, 37(10): 1892–1908.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cronbach, L. J. 1987. Statistical tests for moderator variables: Flaws in analyses recently proposed. Psychology Bulletin, 102(3): 414–417.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummings, J. N., & Haas, M. R. 2012. So many teams, so little time: Time allocation matters in geographically dispersed teams. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 33(3): 316–341.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeCarolis, D. M., & Deeds, D. L. 1999. The impact of stocks and flows of organizational knowledge on firm performance: An empirical investigation of the biotechnology industry. Strategic Management Journal, 20(10): 953–968.

    Google Scholar 

  • Doz, Y. L. & Wilson, K. 2014. Don’t isolate innovation in an R&D lab. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2014/12/dont-isolate-innovation-in-an-rd-lab. Accessed 29 May 2019.

  • Eckel, C. C., & Grossman, P. J. 2005. Managing diversity by creating team identity. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 58(3): 371–392.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edmondson, A. C., Dillon, J. R., & Roloff, K. S. 2007. Three perspectives on team learning: Outcome improvement, task Mastery, and group process. Academy of Management Annals, 1(1): 269–314.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eggers, J. P., & Kaul, A. 2018. Motivation and ability? A behavioral perspective on the pursuit of radical invention in multi-technology incumbents. Academy of Management Journal, 61(1): 67–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Faraj, S., & Sproull, L. 2000. Coordinating expertise in software development teams. Management Science, 46(12): 1554–1568.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feldman, M. P., & Florida, R. 1994. The geographic sources of innovation: technological infrastructure and product innovation in the United States. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 84(2): 210–229.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferdows, K. 1997. Making the most of foreign factories. Harvard Business Review, 75(2): 73–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleming, L. 2001. Recombinant uncertainty in technological search. Management Science, 47(1): 117–132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foss, N. J., & Pedersen, T. 2002. Transferring knowledge in MNCs: The role of sources of subsidiary knowledge and organizational context. Journal of International Management, 8(1): 49–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foss, N. J., & Pedersen, T. 2019. Microfoundations in international management research: The case of knowledge sharing in multinational corporations. Journal of International Business Studies, 50(9): 1594–1621.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frost, T. S. 2001. The geographic sources of foreign subsidiaries’ innovations. Strategic Management Journal, 22(2): 101–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frost, T. S., & Zhou, C. 2005. R&D co-practice and ‘reverse’ knowledge integration in multinational firms. Journal of International Business Studies, 36(6): 676–687.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson, C. B., & Gibbs, J. L. 2006. Unpacking the concept of virtuality: The effects of geographic dispersion, electronic dependence, dynamic structure, and national diversity on team innovation. Administrative Science Quarterly, 51(3): 451–495.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson, C., & Vermeulen, F. 2003. A healthy divide: Subgroups as a stimulus for team learning behavior. Administrative Science Quarterly, 48(2): 202–239.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilson, L. L., Lim, H. S., Luciano, M. M., & Choi, J. N. 2013. Unpacking the cross-level effects of tenure diversity, explicit knowledge, and knowledge sharing on individual creativity. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 86(2): 203–222.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gluesing, J., Alcordo, T., Baba, M., Britt, D., Wagner, K. H., McKether, W., et al. 2003. The development of global virtual teams. In C. B. Gibson & S. G. Cohen (Eds.): Creating conditions for effective virtual teams: 353–380. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint.

    Google Scholar 

  • Govindarajan, V., & Gupta, A. K. 2001. Building an effective global business team. MIT Sloan Management Review, 42(4): 63–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Govindarajan, V., & Ramamurti, R. 2011. Reverse innovation, emerging markets, and global strategy. Global Strategy Journal, 1(3–4): 191–205.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant, R. M. 1996. Prospering in dynamically-competitive environments: Organizational capability as knowledge integration. Organization Science, 7(4): 375–387.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guimera, R., Uzzi, B., Spiro, J., & Amaral, L. A. N. 2005. Team assembly mechanisms determine collaboration network structure and team performance. Science, 308(5722): 697–702.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, A. K., & Govindarajan, V. 2000. Knowledge flows within multinational corporations. Strategic Management Journal, 21(4): 473–496.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haans, R. F., Pieters, C., & He, Z. L. 2016. Thinking about U: Theorizing and testing U-and inverted U-shaped relationships in strategy research. Strategic Management Journal, 37(7): 1177–1195.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hagendoorn, L., & Henke, R. 1991. The effect of multiple category membership on intergroup evaluations in a north Indian context: Class, caste and religion. British Journal of Social Psychology, 30(3): 247–260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, B. H. 2000. A note on the bias in the Herfindahl based on count data. Available at: http://users.nber.org/~edegan/w/images/d/d0/Hall_(2005)_-_A_Note_On_The_Bias_In_Herfindahl_Type_Measures_Based_On_Count_Data.pdf

  • Hambrick, D. C., Cho, T. S., & Chen, M. J. 1996. The influence of top management team heterogeneity on firms’ competitive moves. Administrative Science Quarterly, 41(4): 659–684.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harzing, A. W., & Feely, A. J. 2008. The language barrier and its implications for HQ-subsidiary relationships. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 15(1): 49–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinds, P., & Mortensen, M. 2005. Understanding conflict in geographically distributed teams: The moderating effects of shared identity, shared context, and spontaneous communication. Organization Science, 16(3): 290–307.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoisl, K., Gruber, M., & Conti, A. 2017. R&D team diversity and performance in hypercompetitive environments. Strategic Management Journal, 38(7): 1455–1477.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hollingshead, A. B., & Brandon, D. P. 2003. Potential benefits of communication in transactive memory systems. Human Communication Research, 29(4): 607–615.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horwitz, S. K., & Horwitz, I. B. 2007. The effects of team diversity on team outcomes: A meta-analytic review of team demography. Journal of Management, 33(6): 987–1015.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hsu, C. W., Lien, Y. C., & Chen, H. 2015. R&D internationalization and innovation performance. International Business Review, 24(2): 187–195.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang, K. G., & Li, J. 2019. Adopting knowledge from reverse innovations? Transnational patents and signaling from an emerging economy. Journal of International Business Studies, 50(7): 1078–1102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hymer, S. H. 1976. International operations of national firms: A study of direct foreign investment. Boston, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Iwasa, T., & Odagiri, H. 2004. Overseas R&D, knowledge sourcing, and patenting: An empirical study of Japanese R&D investment in the US. Research Policy, 33(5): 807–828.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaffe, A. B., Trajtenberg, M., & Henderson, R. 1993. Geographic localization of knowledge spillovers as evidenced by patent citations. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 108(3): 577–598.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janis, I. L. 1972. Victims of groupthink: A psychological study of foreign-policy decisions and fiascoes. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jarvenpaa, S. L., & Leidner, D. E. 1999. Communication and trust in global virtual teams. Organization Science, 10(6): 791–815.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jehn, K. A., Northcraft, G. B., & Neale, M. A. 1999. Why differences make a difference: A field study of diversity, conflict and performance in workgroups. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(4): 741–763.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, G. R. 1986. Socialization tactics, self-efficacy, and newcomers’ adjustments to organizations. Academy of Management Journal, 29(2): 262–279.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, G. R., & George, J. M. 1998. The experience and evolution of trust: Implications for cooperation and teamwork. Academy of Management Review, 23(3): 531–546.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kano, L., Tsang, E. W. K., & Yeung, H. W. 2020. Global value chains: A review of the multi-disciplinary literature. Journal of International Business Studies. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-020-00304-2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kedia, B. L., & Mukherjee, D. 2009. Understanding offshoring: A research framework based on disintegration, location and externalization advantages. Journal of World Business, 44(3): 250–261.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiesler, S., & Cummings, J. N. 2002. What do we know about proximity and distance in work groups? A legacy of research. In P. Hinds & S. Kiesler (Eds.): Distributed work: 57–80. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, C., & Song, J. 2007. Creating new technology through alliances: An empirical investigation of joint patents. Technovation, 27(8): 461–470.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kogut, B., & Chang, S. J. 1991. Technological capabilities and Japanese foreign direct investment in the United States. Review of Economics and Statistics, 73(3): 401–413.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kogut, B., & Zander, U. 1992. Knowledge of the firm, combinative capabilities, and the replication of technology. Organization Science, 3(3): 383–397.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kogut, B., & Zander, U. 1993. Knowledge of the firm and the evolutionary theory of the multinational corporation. Journal of International Business Studies, 24(4): 625–645.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kogut, B., & Zander, U. 1996. What firms do? Coordination, identity, and learning. Organization Science, 7(5): 502–518.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kozlowski, S. W., & Bell, B. S. 2003. Work groups and teams in organizations. In W. C. Borman, D. R. Ilgen, & R. J. Klimoski (Eds.): Handbook of psychology: Industrial and organizational psychology (Vol. 12, pp. 333–375). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lahiri, N. 2010. Geographic distribution of R&D activity: How does it affect innovation quality? Academy of Management Journal, 53(5): 1194–1209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lanjouw, J. O., & Schankerman, M. 1999. The quality of ideas: Measuring innovation with multiple indicators. NBER Working Paper. No. 7345. Available at http://www.nber.org/papers/w7345.

  • Levine, J. M., Choi, H. S., & Moreland, R. L. 2003. Newcomer innovation in work teams. In P. B. Paulus & B. A. Nijstad (Eds.): Group creativity: Innovation through collaboration: 202–224. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewin, A. Y., & Peeters, C. 2006. Offshoring work: Business hype or the onset of fundamental transformation? Long Range Planning, 39(3): 221–239.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, K. 2004. Knowledge and performance in knowledge-worker teams: A longitudinal study of transactive memory systems. Management Science, 50(11): 1519–1533.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, M., & Simerly, R. L. 2002. Environmental dynamism, capital structure and innovation: An empirical test. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 10(2): 156–171.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liang, D. W., Moreland, R., & Argote, L. 1995. Group versus individual training and group performance: The mediating role of transactive memory. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21(4): 384–393.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luo, Y., & Shenkar, O. 2006. The multinational corporation as a multilingual community: Language and organization in a global context. Journal of International Business Studies, 37(3): 321–339.

    Google Scholar 

  • Magerman, T., Van Looy, B., & Debackere, K. 2015. Does involvement in patenting jeopardize one’s academic footprint? An analysis of patent-paper pairs in biotechnology. Research Policy, 44(9): 1702–1713.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mansour-Cole, D. 2001. Team identity formation in virtual teams. In M. M. Beyerlein, D. A. Johnson, & S. T. Beyerlein (Eds.): Advances in interdisciplinary studies: Virtual teams (Vol. 8, pp. 41–58). Oxford, UK: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martínez, C. 2010. Patent families: When do different definitions really matter? Scientometrics, 86(1): 39–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • McPherson, M., Smith-Lovin, L., & Cook, J. M. 2001. Birds of a feather: Homophily in social networks. Annual Review of Sociology, 27, 415–444.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montoya-Weiss, M. M., Massey, A. P., & Song, M. 2001. Getting it together: Temporal coordination and conflict management in global virtual teams. Academy of Management Journal, 44(6): 1251–1262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray, F. 2002. Innovation as co-evolution of scientific and technological networks: Exploring tissue engineering. Research Policy, 31(8–9): 1389–1403.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nardi, B. A., & Whittaker, S. 2002. The place of face-to-face communication in distributed work. In P. Hinds & S. Kiesler (Eds.): Distributed work: 83–110. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nemeth, C. J., & Kwan, J. L. 1987. Minority influence, divergent thinking and detection of correct solutions. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 17(9): 788–799.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nemeth, C. J., & Wachtler, J. 1983. Creative problem solving as a result of majority vs minority influence. European Journal of Social Psychology, 13(1): 45–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nerkar, A. 2003. Old is gold? The value of temporal exploration in the creation of new knowledge. Management Science, 49(2): 211–229.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ngwenyama, O. K., & Lee, A. S. 1997. Communication richness in electronic mail: Critical social theory and the contextuality of meaning. MIS Quarterly, 21(2): 145–167.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nieto, M. J., & Rodriguez, A. 2011. Offshoring of R&D: Looking abroad to improve innovation performance. Journal of International Business Studies, 42(3): 345–361.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Leary, M. B., & Mortensen, M. 2010. Go (con) figure: Subgroups, imbalance, and isolates in geographically dispersed teams. Organization Science, 21(1): 115–131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Owen-Smith, J., & Powell, W. W. 2004. Knowledge networks as channels and conduits: The effects of spillovers in the Boston biotechnology community. Organization Science, 15(1): 5–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perretti, F., & Negro, G. 2007. Mixing genres and matching people: A study in innovation and team composition in Hollywood. Journal of Organization Behavior, 28(5): 563–586.

    Google Scholar 

  • Porac, J. F., Wade, J. B., Fischer, H. M., Brown, J., Kanfer, A., & Bowker, G. 2004. Human capital heterogeneity, collaborative relationships, and publication patterns in a multidisciplinary scientific alliance: A comparative case study of two scientific teams. Research Policy, 33(4): 661–678.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reagans, R., Argote, L., & Brooks, D. 2005. Individual experience and experience working together: Predicting learning rates from knowing who knows what and knowing how to work together. Management Science, 51(6): 869–881.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosen, B., Furst, S., & Blackburn, R. 2007. Overcoming barriers to knowledge sharing in virtual teams. Organizational Dynamics, 36(3): 259–273.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenkopf, L., & Nerkar, A. 2001. Beyond local search: Boundary-spanning, exploration, and impact in the optical disk industry. Strategic Management Journal, 22(4): 287–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sachdev, I., & Bourhis, R. Y. 1987. Status differentials and intergroup behaviour. European Journal of Social Psychology, 17(3): 277–293.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scalera, V. G., Perri, A., & Hannigan, T. J. 2018. Knowledge connectedness within and across home country borders: Spatial heterogeneity and the technological scope of firm innovations. Journal of International Business Studies, 49(8): 990–1009.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmeisser, B. 2013. A systematic review of literature on offshoring of value chain activities. Journal of International Management, 19(4): 390–406.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schumpeter, J. A. 1934. The theory of economic development: An inquiry into profits, capital, credit, interest, and the business cycle. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shan, W., & Song, J. 1997. Foreign direct investment and the sourcing of technological advantage: evidence from the biotechnology industry. Journal of International Business Studies, 28(2): 267–284.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaw, M. E. 1976. Group dynamics: The psychology of small group behavior (Vol. 2). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simon, H. 1981. The sciences of the artificial. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, J. 2008. Distributed R&D, cross-regional knowledge integration and quality of innovative output. Research Policy, 37(1): 77–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, H., Kryscynski, D., Li, X., & Gopal, R. 2016. Pipes, pools, and filters: How collaboration networks affect innovative performance. Strategic Management Journal, 37(8): 1649–1666.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skilton, P. F., & Dooley, K. J. 2010. The effects of repeat collaboration on creative abrasion. Academy of Management Review, 35(1): 118–134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, K. G., Smith, K. A., Olian, J. D., Sims, H. P., O’Bannon, D. P., & Scully, J. A. 1994. Top management team demography and process: The role of social integration and communication. Administrative Science Quarterly, 39(3): 412–438.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sole, D., & Edmondson, A. 2002. Situated knowledge and learning in dispersed teams. British Journal of Management, 13(S2): 17–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Song, J. 2014. Subsidiary absorptive capacity and knowledge transfer within multinational corporations. Journal of International Business Studies, 45(1): 73–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Song, J., Almeida, P., & Wu, G. 2003. Learning by hiring: When is mobility more likely to facilitate interfirm knowledge transfer? Management Science, 49(4): 351–365.

    Google Scholar 

  • Song, J., Asakawa, K., & Chu, Y. 2011. What determines knowledge sourcing from host locations of overseas R&D operations? A study of global R&D activities of Japanese multinationals. Research Policy, 40(3): 380–390.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorenson, O., & Fleming, L. 2004. Science and the diffusion of knowledge. Research Policy, 33(10): 1615–1634.

    Google Scholar 

  • Szulanski, G. 1996. Exploring internal stickiness: Impediments to the transfer of best practice within the firm. Strategic Management Journal, 17(S2): 27–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tajfel, H. 1974. Social identity and intergroup behaviour. Information (International Social Science Council), 13(2): 65–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tajfel, H. 1982. Social psychology of intergroup relations. Annual Review of Psychology, 33(1): 1–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teece, D. J. 1996. Firm organization, industrial structure, and technological innovation. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 31(2): 193–224.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tenzer, H., Pudelko, M., & Harzing, A. W. 2014. The impact of language barriers on trust formation in multinational teams. Journal of International Business Studies, 45(5): 508–535.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teodoridis, F. 2018. Understanding team knowledge production: The interrelated roles of technology and expertise. Management Science, 64(8): 3625–3648.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, J. D. 1967. Organizations in action: Social science bases of administrative theory. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turkina, E., & Van Assche, A. 2018. Global connectedness and local innovation in industrial clusters. Journal of International Business Studies, 49(6): 706–728.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, J. C. 1975. Social comparison and social identity: Some prospects for intergroup behaviour. European Journal of Social Psychology, 5(1): 1–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, J. C., Hogg, M. A., Oakes, P. J., Reicher, S. D., & Wetherell, M. S. 1987. Rediscovering the social group: A self-categorization theory. Cambridge, MA: Basil Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Uzzi, B., & Spiro, J. 2005. Collaboration and creativity: The small world problem. American Journal of Sociology, 111(2): 447–504.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, H. 1980. A heteroskedasticity-consistent covariance matrix estimator and a direct test for heteroskedasticity. Econometrica, 48(4): 817–838.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, K. Y., & O’Reilly, C. A. 1998. Demography and diversity in organization. In B. M. Staw & R. M. Sutton (Eds.): Research in organizational behavior (Vol. 20, pp. 77–140). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, K., & Doz, Y. L. 2012. 10 rules for managing global innovation. Harvard Business Review, 90(10): 84–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamin, M., & Otto, J. 2004. Patterns of knowledge flows and MNE innovative performance. Journal of International Management, 10(2): 239–258.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zaheer, S. 1995. Overcoming the liability of foreignness. Academy of Management Journal, 38(2): 341–363.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahra, S. A., & George, G. 2002. Absorptive capacity: A review, reconceptualization, and extension. Academy of Management Review, 27(2): 185–203.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zajonc, R. B. 1968. Attitudinal effects of mere exposure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 9(2): 1–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zander, U., & Kogut, B. 1995. Knowledge and the speed of the transfer and imitation of organizational capabilities: An empirical test. Organization Science, 6(1): 76–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zucker, L. G., Darby, M. R., & Brewer, M. B. 1998. Intellectual human capital and the birth of U.S. biotechnology enterprises. The American Economic Review, 88(1): 290–306.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2016S1A5A2A01026323) and the Institute of Management Research, Seoul National University.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gies College of Business, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 South Sixth Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA

    Eunkwang Seo

  2. Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, 701 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90089-1424, USA

    Hyo Kang

  3. Graduate School of Business, Seoul National University, 59-Rm706, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, South Korea

    Jaeyong Song

Authors
  1. Eunkwang Seo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hyo Kang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jaeyong Song
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jaeyong Song.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Accepted by Mary Ann Von Glinow, Senior Editor, 13 April 2020. This article has been with the authors for three revisions.

Appendices

Appendix 1

See Table 7.

Table 7 Sensitivity tests with different year windows
Full size table

Appendix 2

See Table 8.

Table 8 Regression analyses after excluding examiners’ citations
Full size table

Appendix 3

See Table 9.

Table 9 Regression analyses after excluding self-citations
Full size table

Appendix 4

See Table 10.

Table 10 Regression analyses without inventors with no patents
Full size table

Appendix 5

See Table 11.

Table 11 Regression analyses after winsorizing extreme values
Full size table

Appendix 6

See Table 12.

Table 12 Regression with assignee location fixed effects
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Seo, E., Kang, H. & Song, J. Blending talents for innovation: Team composition for cross-border R&D collaboration within multinational corporations. J Int Bus Stud 51, 851–885 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-020-00331-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-020-00331-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation