This study is motivated by a desire to understand the role of boundary spanners in creating satisfactory alliance. Specifically, the relationships between organizational culture, boundary spanner, and alliance performance were examined. In general, results from an empirical investigation with 116 alliance experiences supported the notion that alliance partners with higher similarity of organizational culture perceived higher alliance performance. By the same token, higher capabilities of boundary spanners lead to higher alliance performance. Furthermore, the relationships between the organizational culture and alliance performance were mediated through their boundary spanners¡¦ capability.

ABSTRACT ¡@¡@With the global economic change and rising pressure of market competition, product-oriented business trend changed into customer-oriented gradually. It becomes an important task about how to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises, response the requirement from customer, and making better interaction with customer. Therefore, the role of boundary spanner has become more and more important for organization. The past research of boundary spanner almost focus on the quantitative research method of personal managerial skills of boundary spanner, validity and verification for boundary spanner personal scale and the performance between boundary spanner and organization. This research adopts the narrative method, taking customer service engineer as example, Start from the borders of boundary spanner, hoping to provide another observation of boundary spanner. The result of research indicates that there are four features of the work of boundary spanner : Practice bring efficient learning, Situated learning lead adaptive behavior, Low profile adapt role conflict and adaptive behavior is negative to continued learning and challenge the management of company. Hope these results could be the reference of academic continued research and company training. Also hope these result could be the inspiration of other customer service engineer and encourage them to make more contributation on their job.

Interfirm collaboration has long been deemed as a fast strategy to obtain organizational competitiveness. The ability of organizations to obtain information from and disseminate knowledge signifies the importance of whether a firm can achieve knowledge creation among the networked firms and firms therefore can gain competitive advantages. The research was conducted using a qualitative approach; case details were collected from firms involving international strategic alliance. The research aims to investigate the influences of boundary spanners, information technology and corporate cultures on organizational competitiveness in strategic alliances. Findings reveal that boundary spanners, cultural issues and information technology are positively related to organizational competitiveness.

Cette thèse explore le rôle de multiculturels dans les multinationales. Les multiculturels sont connus pour leur compétence et leur potentiel culturels susceptibles de contribuer à l’efficacité d’une organisation. Peu d’études à ce jour ont examiné les multiculturels dans les multinationales et pratiquement aucune recherche n’a essayé de comprendre le rôle des multiculturels dans la facilitation d’un processus de travail d’équipe efficace. En vue d’étudier un phénomène qui n’a pas été suffisamment scruté, cette dissertation a mobilisé un travail de terrain ethnographique dans deux multinationales importantes sur une période de 10 mois. Elle étudie les rôles de multiculturels dans des équipes mondiales en se référant à trois contextes : (1) la compétence multiculturelle et son impact sur l’efficacité de l’équipe ; (2) comment les multiculturels influencent les processus de travail d’équipe ; (3) en quoi et comment des facteurs liés au contexte affectent l’aptitude des multiculturels à jouer des rôles. / This dissertation explores multiculturals in global corporations. To date, limited research helps us understand the role of multicultural individuals in facilitating the effective functioning of global teams. To investigate this under-examined phenomenon, this dissertation presents the first empirical study of the roles of multiculturals in organizations by facilitating 10-month ethnographic field work in two MNCs: a leading cosmetic MNC and an auditing and consulting MNC. This dissertation comprises three papers. The first paper develops the theoretical model of bicultural competence and its impact on multicultural team effectiveness. I define bicultural competence, determine its antecedents, and identify two roles that bi/multiculturals might play in promoting multicultural team effectiveness: boundary spanner and conflict mediator. The second paper examines multiculturals’ cultural brokerage role for team work processes in global new product development teams: how multiculturals influence teams’ knowledge processes and handle cross-cultural conflicts (not only collocated but also virtual between corporate headquarters and local subsidiaries). Multiculturals play a critical role that influence knowledge processes and cross-cultural conflict management within global teams where cultural and national heterogeneity seems more complicated than organizational researchers have recognized to date. The third paper investigates boundary conditions and how they impact multiculturals to enact their roles. I compare and contrast multiculturals in two MNCs in different industries. In particular, I identify boundary conditions that have impact on multiculturals in three levels of analysis: organizational; team; individual. Furthermore, I propose what factors challenge or enable multiculturals and accordingly, how multiculturals overcome challenges and use given opportunities in order to perform effectively or yield such challenges in organizations

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Boundary spanners-in-practice are individuals who inhabit more than one social world and bring overlapping place perspectives to bear on the function(s) performed within and across each world. Different from nominated boundary spanners, they are practitioners responsible for the 'translation' of each small world's perspectives thereby increasing collaboration effectiveness to permit the small worlds to work synergistically. The literature on Knowledge Management (KM) has emphasized the organizational importance of individuals performing boundary spanning roles by resolving cross-cultural and cross-organizational knowledge system conflicts helping teams pursue common goals through creation of "joint fields" - a third dimension that is co-jointly developed between the two fields or dimensions that the boundary spanner works to bridge. The Copeland and O'Connor Nondeterministic Model of Engineering Design Activity was utilized as the foundation to develop models of communication mechanics and dynamics when multiple simultaneous interactions of the single nondeterministic user model, the BSIP and two Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), engage during design activity in the Problem-Solving Space. The Problem-Solving Space defines the path through the volumes of plausible answers or 'solution spaces' that will satisfice the problem presented to the BSIP and SMEs. Further model refinement was performed to represent expertise seeking behaviors and the physical and mental models constructed by boundary spanners-in-practice during knowledge domain mapping. This was performed by mapping the three levels of communication complexity (transfer, translation and transformation) to each knowledge boundary (syntactic, semantic and pragmatic) that must be bridged during knowledge domain mapping.

<p>Innovation and entrepreneurship are recognized by many scholars as two of the key factors in company, regional and ultimately national growth. Up until now scholars have focused on macro level research leading to theories such as different innovation systems which explain how society through legislation and other incentives can facilitate the collaboration process between e.g. industry and academy leading to innovation. Despite this interest in the innovation process little effort has been made to elucidate how collaboration and innovation occurs from an individual perspective. This process involves individuals that interact in a knowledge exchange process.</p><p>Boundary spanners have been identified as facilitators and drivers of innovative processes between organizations. Their extensive networks enable them to distinguish collaboration opportunities and win-win situations with outside partners. In most industries boundary spanners are quite uncommon but within the life science sector many employees are potential boundary spanners since they often have an academic background and thus a good network with a major collaboration partner. We decided to look into the life science industry in order to investigate the exchange process in innovation collaborations and the role of academic background among boundary spanners. The research question that has guided this thesis was set to;</p><p>what prominent exchange customs exist among these boundary spanners and what does the background of these individuals have for these exchanges?</p><p>To be able to answer our research question and fulfill our aim we have made a qualitative hermeneutical study. By using a pending approach between deduction and induction we have continuously created understanding during the process of our theoretical and empirical generation. By performing five in-depth interviews with representatives from three different life science organizations we investigated how collaboration processes with academia are built and what role academic background can have for the boundary spanners involved.</p><p>From our empirical findings we derived answers to meet our aim;"identify prominent exchange customs among boundary spanners in innovation processes between academic and industry partners."</p><p>Exchange customs were dependent on foremost networking procedures or procedures indirectly dependent in networks. The actions of searching, screening and signalling were found to be central in the innovation process and for exchange customs. Furthermore we answered two set of sub-purposes;(i) what role does academic background have for the development of exchange customs and procedures pursued by boundary spanners in industry?</p><p>and(ii) how can background knowledge of academia contribute to or mitigate exchanges between boundary spanners in industry and academia?</p><p>The role of academic background was found to contribute significantly to all network dependent activities such as the above mentioned exchange customs. Moreover, we identified the process of academic self contact, i.e. when academia approaches industry with ideas, which could be a direct effect from signalling processes or personal networks. Background knowledge about academia affects exchange customs since it creates a better understanding of the academic partners' needs.</p><p> </p>

Innovation and entrepreneurship are recognized by many scholars as two of the key factors in company, regional and ultimately national growth. Up until now scholars have focused on macro level research leading to theories such as different innovation systems which explain how society through legislation and other incentives can facilitate the collaboration process between e.g. industry and academy leading to innovation. Despite this interest in the innovation process little effort has been made to elucidate how collaboration and innovation occurs from an individual perspective. This process involves individuals that interact in a knowledge exchange process. Boundary spanners have been identified as facilitators and drivers of innovative processes between organizations. Their extensive networks enable them to distinguish collaboration opportunities and win-win situations with outside partners. In most industries boundary spanners are quite uncommon but within the life science sector many employees are potential boundary spanners since they often have an academic background and thus a good network with a major collaboration partner. We decided to look into the life science industry in order to investigate the exchange process in innovation collaborations and the role of academic background among boundary spanners. The research question that has guided this thesis was set to; what prominent exchange customs exist among these boundary spanners and what does the background of these individuals have for these exchanges? To be able to answer our research question and fulfill our aim we have made a qualitative hermeneutical study. By using a pending approach between deduction and induction we have continuously created understanding during the process of our theoretical and empirical generation. By performing five in-depth interviews with representatives from three different life science organizations we investigated how collaboration processes with academia are built and what role academic background can have for the boundary spanners involved. From our empirical findings we derived answers to meet our aim;"identify prominent exchange customs among boundary spanners in innovation processes between academic and industry partners." Exchange customs were dependent on foremost networking procedures or procedures indirectly dependent in networks. The actions of searching, screening and signalling were found to be central in the innovation process and for exchange customs. Furthermore we answered two set of sub-purposes;(i) what role does academic background have for the development of exchange customs and procedures pursued by boundary spanners in industry? and(ii) how can background knowledge of academia contribute to or mitigate exchanges between boundary spanners in industry and academia? The role of academic background was found to contribute significantly to all network dependent activities such as the above mentioned exchange customs. Moreover, we identified the process of academic self contact, i.e. when academia approaches industry with ideas, which could be a direct effect from signalling processes or personal networks. Background knowledge about academia affects exchange customs since it creates a better understanding of the academic partners' needs.

abstract: The study explores the differing roles that a top management team (TMT) and a board play in providing a firm the knowledge to improve its absorptive capacity. Building on the distinction between potential and realized absorptive capacity, initially posited by Zahra and George (2002), I argue that a firm's board of directors and its TMT both act to fill the critical role of knowledge gatekeepers identified by Cohen and Levinthal (1990). But, they play different roles in a firm's efforts to acquire, assimilate, transform and exploit novel information. The engagement of board members with environmental planning through personal experiences as well as prior and current ties shapes the ability of the firm to acquire (i.e., identify and obtain) and assimilate (i.e., analyze, understand, and evaluate) valuable external knowledge. However, because they lack the required in-depth knowledge of the firm's internal operations, they are unable to complete the gatekeeping role. The latter stages of that role depend on the abilities of the TMT to transform (i.e., internalize and converse) and exploit (i.e., use and implement) that knowledge, which depends heavily on their engagement with environmental activities through prior experiences. Thus, the board and TMT are only able to fulfill the roles of knowledge gatekeeper collectively. I develop a set of hypotheses from this core proposition, which I test using the participation of U.S. firms in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). Extremely detailed data on 354 firms from 2008 to 2015 allows me to examine multiple sequential processes, including the decision to participate in the CDP performance relative to the core CDP goal, current internal systems, policies as well as plans, and capabilities to breakdown emissions along various production processes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Business Administration 2018

External knowledge is an important knowledge source for organizations. No matter how good external knowledge is, however, the contribution of external knowledge for organization would decrease if organizations can¡¦t absorb the knowledge effectively. Unlike previous studies, this study applies the ¡¥communication chain¡¦ perspective to investigate the process of organization¡¦s acquisition and absorption of external knowledge. Consulting knowledge is chosen as the study subject of external knowledge. This study argues that consultant and internal lecturer constitute the communication chain of consulting knowledge. Consultants and internal lecturers¡¦ capability of knowledge training and the capability link of knowledge training between consultants and internal lecturers will affect the effectiveness of organization¡¦s absorption of consulting knowledge. This study used triangulation approach to collect empirical data about how organizations acquire quality management knowledge through knowledge trainings provided by quality management (QM) consultants in Taiwan. First, this study did in-depth interviews with 10 QM consultants and 13 QM internal lecturers to collect qualitative data. Based on the data analysis of in-depth interviews and related literature, a questionnaire was developed and used to survey QM consultants and internal lecturers. A total number of 282 valid questionnaires, 47 QM consultants and 235 QM internal lecturers, were finally used to do statistical analysis. We combined and compared the findings of in-depth interviews and statistical analysis to answer research questions of this study. The results showed that QM internal lecturers did ¡¥dual-knowledge learning¡¦ in the communication chain of consulting knowledge and the capability of knowledge training was a combination of various sub-capabilities. QM internal lecturers¡¦ capability of knowledge training, in general, was inferior to QM consultants¡¦ capability of knowledge training. The main reasons resulting in the capability gap could be induced into three dimensions, including lecturer, trainee, and organization. The communication chain perspective provides an innovative and dynamic view to study organization¡¦s acquisition and absorption of consulting knowledge. The findings of this study can make up theoretical or knowledge gaps existed in past studies of knowledge acquisition, absorptive capacity, organizational boundary spanner, consulting industry, and expert-novice study. In addition, the findings also provide some valuable management implications for organizations to absorb the consulting knowledge more effectively as well as for consultants or consulting firms to enhance the quality of their knowledge service.