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A retrospective on: MNC knowledge transfer, subsidiary absorptive capacity, and HRM

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Abstract

In this retrospective, we revisit the goals of the original paper, and we review the studies that have used our paper to discuss the “concept” and the “development” of absorptive capacity. We also propose directions for future research, stressing the need to develop thorough theoretical and empirical models of absorptive capacity as a multi-level and dynamic construct that is contingent on the context in which it is embedded.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Copenhagen Business School, Frederiksberg, Denmark

    Dana B Minbaeva & Torben Pedersen

  2. Bocconi University, Milan, Italy

    Torben Pedersen

  3. Aalto University School of Business, Aalto, Finland

    Ingmar Björkman

  4. Nottingham University Business School China, Ningbo, China

    Carl F Fey

Authors
  1. Dana B Minbaeva
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  2. Torben Pedersen
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  3. Ingmar Björkman
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  4. Carl F Fey
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Correspondence to Dana B Minbaeva.

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Accepted by John Cantwell, Editor-in-Chief, 3 September 2013. This paper was single-blind reviewed.

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Minbaeva, D., Pedersen, T., Björkman, I. et al. A retrospective on: MNC knowledge transfer, subsidiary absorptive capacity, and HRM. J Int Bus Stud 45, 52–62 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1057/jibs.2013.56

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