Translating theoretical logics across borders: organizational characteristics, structural mechanisms and contextual factors in international alliances

Abstract

In this essay, I critically review the 2006 JIBS Decade Award article by Lyles and Salk ‘Knowledge acquisition from foreign parents in international joint ventures (IJVs): An empirical examination in the Hungarian context’. This article develops theoretical arguments and empirically tests a two-stage research question: (1) What are the organizational characteristics and structural mechanisms between IJV parents that influence knowledge acquisition from the foreign parent, and (2) what is the relationship between knowledge acquisition and performance in Hungarian IJVs? The most important contribution is the focus on both the antecedents and the consequences of knowledge acquisition in IJVs. I also discuss subsequent research that draws heavily on the conceptual or empirical findings of the 2006 JIBS Decade Award paper. I conclude by suggesting areas of future research in the field of knowledge transfer, organizational learning and international strategic alliances.