Openness to international collaboration and tie strength in enhancing knowledge creation

Abstract

This study aims to understand whether and under what condition openness to international collaboration enhances knowledge creation. How the configuration of openness, domestic ties, and foreign ties of an institution affects its knowledge creation is examined in egocentric networks. Using fixed-effects panel data models, we find that a positive association exists between openness and knowledge creation, which is catalyzed by domestic tie strength and diminished by foreign tie strength, and both domestic and foreign tie strength have an inverted U-shaped effect on knowledge creation. The findings contribute to international collaboration and knowledge-based view literature by proposing that maintaining strong domestic ties and a wide range of relatively weak foreign ties simultaneously is an efficient way to leverage international collaboration to integrate domestic and foreign knowledge. It also enriches the strong tie theory by suggesting the strength of strong domestic ties could be reinforced by openness.