| This study examined the extent to which strong social ties improved tacit knowledge sharing among a social network of 252 process engineers in a multinational corporation (MNC) in the semiconductor industry, with operations in Germany, the United States, Singapore, and Japan. The study measured the strength of social ties and the extent to which tacit knowledge related to improving manufacturing yields was shared. The hypothesized relationship among the study variables was tested using network correlation and regression techniques. The results indicate that strong social ties improve tacit knowledge sharing and also mediate the slightly negative effect that cultural distance has on tacit knowledge sharing. These findings may help MNCs to realize a sustained competitive advantage from shared tacit knowledge. |
