Study On Organizational Learning Mechanism During Expatriation In Multinational Corporations

In the era of economic globalization, expatriation has been an effective tool of global management in MNC. Therefore, expatriation is a hot topic in human resources management. This paper focuses on expatriation and organizational learning. Paper presents organizational learning mechanisms in the framework of the expatriation process, from three aspects including the organizational learning process, organizational learning factors, and organizational learning support system. Finally, I present several enlightenment and improvements.First, the article on the expatriate and a literature review of organizational learning, summarized expatriates, knowledge transfer and organizational learning definitions and types from different perspectives. And then the paper believes expatriation is an effective way to transfer tacit knowledge and can help multinational companies to conduct effective organizational learning.The organizational learning under expatriation scenario can be divided into three modules. The first is the period that expatriates are working in subsidiary. The process of organizational learning is the first level-individual learning. The knowledge feature and learning ability of expatriates influence the effect of learning in the subsidiary. Second, expatriates back to the parent company with the knowledge got from subsidiary. The learning level is up to organization level. In the process of knowledge transfer, the willing of knowledge transfer and the form of knowledge transfer are the important factors in the knowledge transfer. Third, the parent company absorbs knowledge with the help of expatriates. The learning level is from a single network throughout the organization. Based on the analysis, the paper comes to the conclusion as follows:(1). Expatriates are not only knowledge senders but also knowledge receiver and transfers. (2). The knowledge that expatriates got from subsidiaries is highly respectable, complicated and creative. (3).The knowledge got from subsidiaries are tacit and strategic know. (4). The features of expatriate social capital is long term, highly interactive and trustable. (5).Parent's knowledge absorptive capacity determines whether the knowledge can be transformed to MNC knowledge.After process analysis and factor analysis, this article builds the supporting system from the organizational features and social capital aspects. Then, combining the processes and factors, I summarize organizational learning mechanism under expatriation situations. Finally, I use Electrolux case to draw out the problems in the expatriation operation.Also I puts forward the enlightenment and improvement.