Knowledge exchange in networked organizations: does place matter?

Chris Mabey, Amy L. Y. Wong, Hsiu-Yun Hsieh

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)
157 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

While many studies of knowledge exchange have been undertaken in private and service organizations, government and R&D enterprises, few have studied scientific inter‐organizational collaborations. Furthermore, in the literature on international networks there has been a tendency to assume that knowledge exchange will be inevitably enhanced by global dispersion. Two linked dynamics deserving further study are the role of geographic proximity and the role of information and communication technologies in facilitating knowledge flow across international networks. Studies of intra‐ and inter‐firm knowledge transfer, managerial work values and cultural norms all point to China as being a fascinating counterpoint for the way knowledge exchange might occur in Europe. So in this study of the ATLAS collaboration, a ‘big science’ global network of 3,500 physicists, we explore the perceptions of two subgroups: UK physicists working in Europe and Chinese scientists based in Beijing and HeFei. Findings from 24 interviews and non‐participant observation reveal that face‐to‐face working at European Organization for Nuclear Research (Geneva) is not without its difficulties, but for a variety of sociocultural reasons, it is primarily the Chinese scientists who perceive themselves to be inhibited from full participation in effective knowledge exchange.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)487-500
Number of pages14
JournalR&D Management
Volume45
Issue number5
Early online date30 Oct 2014
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2015

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