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Björn Ambos
Title
Prof. Ph.D.
Last Name
Ambos
First name
Björn
Email
bjoern.ambos@unisg.ch
Phone
+41 71 224 7610
Now showing
1 - 10 of 10
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PublicationMeeting the challenge of offshoring R&D: an examination of firm- and location-specific factorsThis paper, through a systematic survey of 83 international R&D engagements of 36 German MNCs, seeks to extend previous research on the location decisions of international R&D engagements and inform managers about the critical factors that may be considered when taking this important decision. Covering engagements in 21 countries, we show that the knowledge intensity of the industry as well as variables pertaining to the process school of internationalization play an important role when offshoring R&D.Type: journal articleJournal: R&D ManagementVolume: 41Issue: 2
Scopus© Citations 52 -
PublicationA Dynamic Perspective on Subsidiary AutonomyPrior investigations treated subsidiary autonomy more or less as a static concept, but the headquarters-subsidiary relationship is likely to evolve and result in changing power positions over time. This article examines the static and dynamic impacts of external/internal embeddedness on the autonomy of overseas R&D subsidiaries. Based on data from 73 overseas R&D subsidiaries of German firms, we show that a dynamic perspective indeed produces counterintuitive results, namely that high internal embeddedness in the past may help laboratories gain higher levels of autonomy in the future, whereas high external embeddedness may lead to lower levels of autonomy in the future. Our results indicate that building trust and linking up with headquarters are important strategies for subsidiaries wishing to be granted autonomy in the future.
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PublicationType: journal articleJournal: International Journal of Technology ManagementVolume: 48Issue: 1
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PublicationThe impact of distance on knowledge transfer effectiveness in multinational corporationsThis paper aims to shed light on the interplay of knowledge transfer mechanisms and distance within the MNC. While it is largely undisputed that cross-boarder knowledge flows contribute to the firm's success, our knowledge on the effects of specific transfer mechanisms is scarce. We examine the impact of different dimensions of distance to test the applicability of personal coordination mechanisms (PCM) and technology-based coordination mechanisms (TCM) in situations of differentiation and dispersion. Data on 324 knowledge transfer relationships of MNC units was used to test our hypotheses. While TCM function relatively context-free, we find that PCM are moderated by distance. Our results support moderating effects of geographic, cultural and linguistic distance, which are vital to our understanding of knowledge transfer effectiveness in MNCs.Type: journal articleJournal: Journal of International ManagementVolume: 15Issue: 1
Scopus© Citations 318 -
PublicationEvolution of Organisational Structure and Capabilities in Internationalising Banks: The CEE Operations of UniCredit's Vienna OfficeCross-border integration is the central management issue for banks that expand internationally, and this is especially true in Central and Eastern Europe, where the pace of internationalisation through mergers and acquisitions has been rapid. A critical challenge in cross-border integration is aligning a multinational company's formal organizational structure with the distribution of capabilities across its subsidiary units, and this issue is explored by tracking the co-evolution of organizational structure and capabilities during the internationalisation of a large banking network into this region. Our focus is the Vienna head office of Bank Austria Creditanstalt, which was acquired first by HypoVereinsbank (Germany) and then UniCredit (Italy). Despite its formal role being downgraded during these changes, the unit continued to develop its distinctive capabilities. The key insight our article offers is that managing cross-border integration is not simply about recognizing the value of the distinctive capabilities of individual units and designing formal structures that successfully align with them. It is also about understanding the need for dynamic interaction between formal corporate structure and individual units' desires to retain power and influence, which have significant implications for the development of their organizational capabilities.Type: journal articleJournal: Long Range PlanningVolume: 42Issue: 5-6
Scopus© Citations 17 -
PublicationType: journal articleJournal: International Business ReviewVolume: 15Issue: 3
Scopus© Citations 342 -
PublicationStandortwahl, Management und Performance internationaler F&E-Investitionen in peripheren Volkswirtschaften(Physica-Verlag HD, 2011)
;Ambos, Tina C. ;Puck, Jonas F.Leitl, ChristophType: book section -
PublicationType: book section
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PublicationType: book section
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PublicationOutside the Triad: An Examination of International R&D Investments within Peripheral Economies(Palgrave Macmillan UK - Palgrave Macmillan, 2007)
;Ambos, Tina C. ;Benito, GabrielNarula, RajneeshCorporate R&D, traditionally one of the most shielded and most centralized activities in the corporate value chain, has experienced a rapid internationalization over the last decade and a half. The risks of technology leakages, expensive double inventions, difficulties to control and a desire to reap economies of scale have traditionally led firms to concentrate their R&D activities within close proximity to corporate headquarters (see Ambos and Schlegelmilch, 2004; Pearce, 1989). A changing competitive environment, the increasing dispersion of knowledge and the concentration of competencies in so-called ‘pockets of knowledge’ around the world, has forced firms to absorb the risks of loosening control on their core competencies and to set up R&D units in overseas locations.Type: book sectionVolume: 1st ed. 2007