Knowledge Transfer and Learning in Strategic Alliances; How do Small and Medium Enterprises manage?
(2020) BUSN09 20201Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- Knowledge transfer and learning in strategic alliances is mentioned in the literature as a business instrument to gain new knowledge in order to innovate and improve the competitive advantage. Most of the existing literature has been focusing on large organisations. Therefore, a better understanding about small and medium enterprises (hereafter referred to as SMEs) is necessary. By using a qualitative approach, the researchers aim to investigate the process of knowledge transfer and learning in strategic alliances and analyse how SMEs manage this process. To start, a theoretical framework was developed with six relevant dimensions for knowledge transfer and learning in strategic alliances: SME characteristics, knowledge characteristics,... (More)
- Knowledge transfer and learning in strategic alliances is mentioned in the literature as a business instrument to gain new knowledge in order to innovate and improve the competitive advantage. Most of the existing literature has been focusing on large organisations. Therefore, a better understanding about small and medium enterprises (hereafter referred to as SMEs) is necessary. By using a qualitative approach, the researchers aim to investigate the process of knowledge transfer and learning in strategic alliances and analyse how SMEs manage this process. To start, a theoretical framework was developed with six relevant dimensions for knowledge transfer and learning in strategic alliances: SME characteristics, knowledge characteristics, learning intent, absorptive capacity, trust and conflict. The findings showed that the managerial actions for knowledge transfer and learning in SMEs are primarily taken with commercial outcomes in mind. SMEs prefer knowledge transfer and learning in which the new knowledge directly leads to commercial gains. Furthermore, SMEs manage knowledge transfer and learning in strategic alliances in a dynamic manner based on opportunities that arise during the strategic alliance. The findings also showed that different types of strategic alliances influence how SMEs manage knowledge transfer and learning in strategic alliances. Overall, the different approaches can be generalised in two approaches. The experimental approach is often used to explore business opportunities. The structural approach is more focused towards strategic objectives and has a more systematic way of knowledge transfer and learning. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9019061
- author
- Derks, Richard LU and Hoogenboom, Ruben LU
- supervisor
-
- Ulf Ramberg LU
- organization
- course
- BUSN09 20201
- year
- 2020
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Knowledge Transfer and Learning, Knowledge Sharing, Strategic Alliance, Partnership, Inter-Firm Learning, Small and Medium Enterprises.
- language
- English
- id
- 9019061
- date added to LUP
- 2020-08-17 14:12:55
- date last changed
- 2020-08-17 14:12:55
@misc{9019061,
abstract = {{Knowledge transfer and learning in strategic alliances is mentioned in the literature as a business instrument to gain new knowledge in order to innovate and improve the competitive advantage. Most of the existing literature has been focusing on large organisations. Therefore, a better understanding about small and medium enterprises (hereafter referred to as SMEs) is necessary. By using a qualitative approach, the researchers aim to investigate the process of knowledge transfer and learning in strategic alliances and analyse how SMEs manage this process. To start, a theoretical framework was developed with six relevant dimensions for knowledge transfer and learning in strategic alliances: SME characteristics, knowledge characteristics, learning intent, absorptive capacity, trust and conflict. The findings showed that the managerial actions for knowledge transfer and learning in SMEs are primarily taken with commercial outcomes in mind. SMEs prefer knowledge transfer and learning in which the new knowledge directly leads to commercial gains. Furthermore, SMEs manage knowledge transfer and learning in strategic alliances in a dynamic manner based on opportunities that arise during the strategic alliance. The findings also showed that different types of strategic alliances influence how SMEs manage knowledge transfer and learning in strategic alliances. Overall, the different approaches can be generalised in two approaches. The experimental approach is often used to explore business opportunities. The structural approach is more focused towards strategic objectives and has a more systematic way of knowledge transfer and learning.}},
author = {{Derks, Richard and Hoogenboom, Ruben}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Knowledge Transfer and Learning in Strategic Alliances; How do Small and Medium Enterprises manage?}},
year = {{2020}},
}