Predictors of Individual Knowledge Acquisition Commitment in a Post-Soviet Setting

Abstract

Drawing upon interdisciplinary literature, particularly institutional theory, we tested Nonaka’s (1994) predictors of individual knowledge acquisition commitment among 1,949 employees from four firms in Ukraine, a transition economy where low absorption of knowledge has slowed economic reforms. Five personality traits explained nearly 44% of the variance in knowledge acquisition commitment, but the results concerning the influence of individuals’ perceptions of the organizational context were mixed. The findings affirm the value of individual level research in international management (IM), and underscore the importance of contextualizing theoretical models of knowledge acquisition rather than assuming universality. The results have practical implications for the performance of international joint ventures and subsidiaries that are dependent on host country labor in this context, and for indigenous firms attempting to transfer knowledge from developed economies.