| This dissertation proposes to map the technological and geographical patterns of large multinational corporation (MNC) international innovation network, and explain its re-structuring process by involving the concepts of General Purpose Technology (GPT) and new Techno-Economic paradigm. The research adopts a multi-level approach focused on industry, MNC group, subsidiary and host country/region respectively. It is constituted by a case study and three interdependent empirical studies based on patent and patent citation data drawn from the USPTO Patent Database at Rutgers University. It suggests that internationalization of innovations of MNCs is closely linked to the development of GPTs in foreign subsidiaries. Innovations in GPT fields help firms re-allocate competence-creating activities to at least some foreign subsidiaries which become the new centers of excellence to these firms. More interestingly, only technologies in GPT fields which are outside of an industry's primary areas facilitate technological and geographical diversification of the firm's innovation network. GPTs in non-primary fields are also likely to increase the industrial diversification in the regions of host countries. This research, by linking the concepts of GPT to strategy and IB theory, addresses a gap in conventional MNC literature, which has been focused on internationalization or diversification. It also enriches subsidiary role literature. |
