New Research on Organizational Strategy - Part I

A Replication Perspective of Stickiness: The Role of Accuracy in Knowledge Transfer
Gabriel Szulanski, Strategy and Management, INSEAD/Wharton

Description

Semester: 
Fall 2002
Lecture Time: 
Friday, September 13, 2002 (All day)
Lecture Location: 

Room 4212, School of Education

Abstract

In this paper we present a model of the relationships among barriers to knowledge transfer, replication accuracy and transfer performance, and test that model with a sample of 109 transfers of best practice within eight firms. We posit, and find, that replication accuracy mediates the effect of knowledge transfer barriers on knowledge stickiness documented in previous research, and that the importance of replication accuracy varies across four phases of the transfer process. During the initiation phase we find no relationship between accuracy and stickiness. During the implementation phase, we find a strong significant relationship between accuracy and stickiness, and strong evidence of mediation: full mediation for the effects of the perceived reliability of the source and the quality of the relationship, and partial mediation for the motivation of the source, causal ambiguity and absorptive capacity. During the ramp-up phase, we find a strong relationship between replication accuracy and stickiness, and strong evidence of mediation: full mediation for the source motivation, perceived reliability of the source, and causal ambiguity, and partial mediation for absorptive capacity and retentive capacity. During the integration phase, finally, we find a strong relationship between accuracy and stickiness but only moderate mediation: full mediation for causal ambiguity and partial mediation for absorptive capacity. Overall, these patterns provide strong support for a replication perspective on knowledge transfer and stickiness of organizational practices.

Recording & Additional Notes

Introducer: Jeremy Birnholtz, School of Information