Title: Determinants of reverse knowledge transfer: a systematic literature review

Authors: Amir Reza Sinai; Dongcheol Heo

Addresses: Institute for Knowledge and Innovation South East Asia (IKI-SEA), Bangkok University, Bangkok, 10110, Thailand ' Institute for Knowledge and Innovation South East Asia (IKI-SEA), Bangkok University, Bangkok, 10110, Thailand

Abstract: In the context of multinational corporations (MNC), subsidiaries have emerged as vital creators of the knowledge and competencies. In order to remain competitive in a global business environment, MNCs must effectively collect and implement the knowledge of their geographically dispersed network of subsidiaries. The purpose of this study is to investigate reverse knowledge transfer (RKT), the transfer of subsidiary knowledge up to headquarters. Parent companies often remain ineffective in exploiting subsidiary knowledge, even ignoring the competencies available in their subsidiaries. By systematically reviewing the relevant literature on reverse knowledge transfer from 2000 to 2018, this paper has examined the determinants impacting RKT, offering a clear overview of the research so far besides identifying the gaps that could be beneficial for further study.

Keywords: reverse knowledge transfer; RKT; reverse knowledge flow; knowledge management; headquarter-subsidiary relationship.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKMS.2022.121876

International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies, 2022 Vol.13 No.2, pp.213 - 229

Received: 21 Jul 2020
Accepted: 13 May 2021
Published online: 07 Apr 2022 *

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