Influence of national cultural differences on communication and transmission channels in cross-border knowledge transfer : A case study of Q-Med AB

Abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to develop an understanding of if/how national cultural differences influence communication and transmission channels in cross-border transfer of organizational knowledge. To develop such an understanding a single case study has been conducted on Q-Med AB, a Swedish knowledge intensive biotechnology/medical device company. The case study is based on two theories; Gupta & Govindarajan’s (2000) work of four forces that affect effective knowledge transfer and Project GLOBE’s nine cultural dimensions. Our findings confirm that national cultural differences do influence communication and transmission channels when transferring knowledge cross-borders. More specifically, our case study shows that the cultural differences influencing Q-Med AB’s communication and transmission channels are: Power Distance, Institutional Collectivism, In-Group Collectivism, Assertiveness and Performance Orientation. Also language differences are regarded as an important factor by Q-Med AB. However, the results of this thesis are specific for the company studied. Therefore our study only contributes with insights, regarding the influence of cultural differences on communication and transmission channels when transferring knowledge cross-borders, for other knowledge intensive companies facing global challenges. Our findings and conclusions are summarized in our own theoretical model, which brings together the two internationally well-acknowledged theories mentioned above and the results of our case study.