Vijay Govindarajan

Bio: Vijay Govindarajan is an academic researcher from Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine. The author has contributed to research in topics: Strategic business unit & Strategic planning. The author has an hindex of 45, co-authored 99 publications receiving 17883 citations. Previous affiliations of Vijay Govindarajan include University of Pennsylvania & Ohio State University.

Knowledge flows within multinational corporations

Abstract: Pursuing a nodal (i.e., subsidiary) level of analysis, this paper advances and tests an overarching theoretical framework pertaining to intracorporate knowledge transfers within multinational corporations (MNCs). We predicted that (i) knowledge outflows from a subsidiary would be positively associated with value of the subsidiary’s knowledge stock, its motivational disposition to share knowledge, and the richness of transmission channels; and (ii) knowledge inflows into a subsidiary would be positively associated with richness of transmission channels, motivational disposition to acquire knowledge, and the capacity to absorb the incoming knowledge. These predictions were tested empirically with data from 374 subsidiaries within 75 MNCs headquartered in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. Except for our predictions regarding the impact of source unit's motivational disposition on knowledge outflows, the data provide either full or partial support to all of the other elements of our theoretical framework. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Knowledge Flows and the Structure of Control Within Multinational Corporations

Abstract: Virtually all research on strategic control within multinational corporations (MNCs) has focused on macro differences in control systems and processes across entire MNCs. Taking a less macro (i.e., subsidiary-specific contingency perspective), this article examines how, within the same corporation, the nature of corporate control might also vary systematically across subsidiaries. Differences in subsidiary contexts are analyzed along two dimensions: (a) the extent to which the subsidiary is a user of knowledge from the rest of the corporation and (b) the extent to which the subsidiary is a provider of such knowledge to the rest of the corporation.

Business Unit Strategy, Managerial Characteristics, and Business Unit Effectiveness at Strategy Implementation

Abstract: Data from 58 strategic business units (SBUs) reveal that greater marketing/sales experience, greater willingness to take risk, and greater tolerance for ambiguity on the part of the SBU general manager contribute to effectiveness in the case of “build” SBUs but hamper it in the case of “harvest” SBUs.

A Contingency Approach to Strategy Implementation at the Business-Unit Level: Integrating Administrative Mechanisms with Strategy

Abstract: This study focused on what is perhaps the most critical aspect of strategy implementation in large, multibusiness organizations: recognizing that different business units within the same corporation often pursue different strategies and that the administrative mechanisms that corporate headquarters use to manage those businesses should differ. This study compared the results of bivariate and systems approaches to fit. Implications of the results for theory development and managerial practice are discussed.

Linking control systems to business unit strategy: impact on performance

Abstract: Rooted in contingency theory, this paper examines linkages between strategy, incentive bonus system and effectiveness at the strategic busines unit (SBU) level within diversified firms. Data from 58 SBUs reveal (1) that greater reliance on long-run criteria as well as subjective (non-formula) approaches for determining the SBU general managers’ bonus contributes to effectiveness in the case of ‘build’ SBUs but hampers it in the case of ‘harvest’ SBUs, and (2) that the relationship between extent of reliance on short-run criteria and effectiveness is virtually independent of SBU strategy.

Review: Knowledge management and knowledge management systems: conceptual foundations and research issues

Abstract: Knowledge is a broad and abstract notion that has defined epistemological debate in western philosophy since the classical Greek era. In the past few years, however, there has been a growing interest in treating knowledge as a significant organizational resource. Consistent with the interest in organizational knowledge and knowledge management (KM), IS researchers have begun promoting a class of information systems, referred to as knowledge management systems (KMS). The objective of KMS is to support creation, transfer, and application of knowledge in organizations. Knowledge and knowledge management are complex and multi-faceted concepts. Thus, effective development and implementation of KMS requires a foundation in several rich literatures.

Clarifying the Entrepreneurial Orientation Construct and Linking It To Performance

Abstract: The primary purpose of this article is to clarify the nature of the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) construct and to propose a contingency framework for investigating the relationship between EO and firm performance. We first explore and refine the dimensions of EO and discuss the usefulness of viewing a firm's EO as a multidimensional construct. Then, drawing on examples from the EO-related contingencies literature, we suggest alternative models (moderating effects, mediating effects, independent effects, interaction effects) for testing the EO-performance relationship.

Strategic management of small firms in hostile and benign environments

Abstract: This paper reports the results of a study designed to investigate the effective strategic responses to environmental hostility among small manufacturing firms. Data on environmental hostility, organization structure, strategic posture, competitive tactics, and financial performance were collected from 161 small manufacturers. Findings indicate that performance among small firms in hostile environments was positively related to an organic structure, an entrepreneurial strategic posture, and a competitive profile characterized by a long-term orientation, high product prices, and a concern for predicting industry trends. In benign environments, on the other hand, performance was positively related to a mechanistic structure, a conservative strategic posture, and a competitive profile characterized by conservative financial management and a short-term financial orientation, an emphasis on product refinement, and a willingness to rely heavily on single customers.

Market Orientation and the Learning Organization

Abstract: Effective organizations are configurations of management practices that facilitate the development of the knowledge that becomes the basis for competitive advantage. A market orientation, complemen...

Modes of theorizing in strategic human resource management: Tests of universalistic, contingency, and configurational performance predictions

Abstract: The field of strategic human resource management (SHRM) has been criticized for lacking a solid theoretical foundation. This article documents that, contrary to this criticism, the SHRM literature ...