中国企业对非洲投资顺向知识转移的影响因素

Influencing factors of forward knowledge transfer of Chinese enterprises'investment in Africa

在中非合作关系不断深入的背景下,中国企业向非洲跨国子公司进行顺向知识转移是提高投资效率的重要手段。基于全球价值链中领先企业向海外落后企业投资的顺向知识转移机制,从转移过程的参与要素入手,分析了中国母公司对非洲子公司投资顺向知识转移的影响因素。通过结构方程模型,对105家在非洲设有子公司的中国跨国公司的调研数据分析验证得到:中国母公司转移能动性、非洲子公司接收能动性和情境相似度对顺向知识转移绩效有显著正向影响,而知识隐嵌性对顺向知识转移绩效作用不显著。最后也对实证结果给出了解释和讨论,并得出管理启示。

With the deepening of China-Africa cooperation,the investment mode of Chinese enterprises in Africa has begun to upgrade from direct capital investment to technological knowledge investment.In this context,forward knowledge transfer from Chinese parent company to African subsidiary is an important means to improve investment efficiency and realize sustainable development of China-Africa cooperation.The success of Chinese enterprises'investment in Africa largely depends on the performance of knowledge transfer from Chinese parent enterprises to African subsidiaries,and the identification of influencing factors of knowledge transfer is the key to improving the performance of knowledge transfer.Therefore,this research will study the factors influencing forward knowledge transfer performance from the Chinese parent company to the African subsidiary.Based on the theoretical framework of knowledge transfer mechanism from leading companies to host companies in global value chain,the influencing factors of forward knowledge transfer performance from Chinese parent company to African subsidiary company are analyzed from the elements involved in the knowledge transfer process.Based on the conceptual framework we have put forward,the survey data of 105 Chinese multinational companies with subsidiaries in Africa are empirically analyzed by using the structural equation model(SEM).The questionnaires are targeted at senior managers and project leaders of both companies.The results show that the transfer capacity-willingness of Chinese parent company,the accepting capacity-willingness of African subsidiaries and contextual similarity have significant positive impact on forward knowledge transfer performance of Chinese parent company to African subsidiary,while knowledge embeddedness-tacitness has no significant effect on knowledge transfer performance.Then the empirical results are explained and discussed,and the following management enlightenment is obtained:(1)As the exporter of knowledge,the Chinese parent company can improve the knowledge transfer performance by cultivating the capacity and willingness to transfer knowledge.In terms of transfer capacity,the Chinese parent company should constantly accumulate experience and methods to impart advanced knowledge to its African subsidiaries.In terms of transfer willingness,the Chinese parent company needs to clarify the strategic role of its African subsidiaries in the knowledge network,and should actively intend to transfer knowledge,reduce knowledge hiding,and avoid unnecessary costs in the process of knowledge transfer.(2)As the importer of knowledge,the African subsidiary can improve the performance of knowledge transfer by cultivating the absorptive capacity and accepting willingness.The African subsidiary can request the Chinese parent company to send management and technical personnel to Africa,train the employees of the subsidiary,or provide opportunities for the African employees to study in China to improve their knowledge absorptive capacity.Besides,through the formation of learning-oriented organizational culture in the subsidiary,positive willingness to receive knowledge can be mobilized to achieve higher knowledge transfer performance.(3)The Chinese parent company and the African subsidiary can construct similar knowledge transfer contexts in terms of knowledge distance,trust relationship,and common cognition to improve knowledge transfer performance.The Chinese parent company and African subsidiary need to pay attention to the coordination of knowledge system in order to reduce the damage of knowledge distance to knowledge transfer performance.Besides,the Chinese parent company and the African subsidiary should be committed to mutual recognition and trust,recognizing the benefits of project cooperation and knowledge transfer.It is also necessary to improve the ability of cross-cultural communication to improve the performance of knowledge transfer from the Chinese parent company to the African subsidiary.