A Study On The Impact Of Cultural Differences To Knowledge Transfer In Cross-border Technology Alliances

Cross-border technology alliance as a new model of technological innovation, its appearance is not accidental. With the development of economic globalization, more and more cross-border alliance set up to obtain the necessary business technology, market information, management experience, knowledge elements.But the data show that many cross-border alliance was not successful, the alliance organization's goals can not be completed finally.Many scholars regard the failure of cross-border alliances attributed to cultural differences, which hinder knowledge transfer within the alliance. Cultural differences in technology alliance, reflecting different cultural backgrounds brought about values, ethics, responsibility concept, behavior, attitudes and other aspects of the inconsistency. It is particularly important to study this inconsistency, which affect on the knowledge transfer mechanism in cross-border technology alliances. It can improve efficiency of knowledge transfer in cross-border technology alliance, and could formed important theoretical and practical significance.Existing study on knowledge transfer in cross-border organizational see the cultural differences as a scenario variable and less analyze the impact of knowledge transfer from the perspective of cultural differences. Meanwhile, the existing research more to see the cultural differences as an obstacle to impede the transfer of knowledge. In this paper, based on knowledge transfer process in cross-border technology alliances, analysis the mechanism of cultural differences affect on different stages of knowledge transfer, and to re-examine the the role of cultural differences on knowledge transfer in cross-border organizational.Firstly, through analyzing the process of knowledge transfer, this paper provides a analysis framework of alliances knowledge transfer process in the context of cultural differences. Found that cultural differences as an environmental factor will affect cross-border knowledge transfer and absorption anytime anywhere.Meanwhile, through analyzing the motives and characteristics of cross-border technology alliances, the cultural differences were separated between general technology alliance and cross-border technology alliances, and analyzed the key factors. From the national culture and organizational culture dimensions of cultural differences, this paper analysis that organizational culture put forward by the impact of national culture, cultural differences in cross-border technology alliance is mainly reflected the national culture. Then identify factors affecting on knowledge transfer in cross-border technology alliance, to establish a simple of cultural differences affect the mechanism of knowledge transfer in cross-border technology alliance, and evidence from different situations.What's more, in a view of SD(system dynamics), this paper studied knowledge transfer process in cross-border technology alliances, then examined the cultural differences on cross-border technology alliances knowledge transfer process occurs, the process of knowledge transfer and knowledge absorption process, and established the flow chart and the SD model for knowledge transfer process. After a simulation with the software Vensim PLE, the research suggests that cultural differences in the occurrence of knowledge transfer phase can be regarded as resources or power to promote knowledge transfer occurs; In the knowledge transfer phase, owing to the existence of cultural differences the transfer mechanism will more poweful to improve knowledge transfer; in the absorption phase cultural differences has little effect on the absorption of knowledge and may also hinder the absorption of knowledge.In case studies, this paper thak technology alliance of Chinese enterprises and foreign companies as a typical example. Then from the perspective of the cultural differences discusses the practical problems and solution in the three process of technology transfer process. Through the case study, it's proved that the To verify the conclusions we've got in the theoretical analysis are correctly reasonable.