Technological complexity and the creation of impactful technologies: The role of inventors' international diversity and expertise

IF 5.9 2区管理学 Q1 MANAGEMENT

Journal of International Management Pub Date : 2025-06-01 DOI:10.1016/j.intman.2025.101239

Mario Kafouros , Eva Mavroudi , Murod Aliyev , Junjie Hong

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Given that highly impactful technologies can generate immense value and build competitive advantages for MNEs, it is crucial to understand how they can successfully create them. This study's overarching contribution lies in explaining how MNEs can assemble inventor teams and optimize their composition to overcome the challenges of technological complexity and create highly impactful technologies. Analyzing a sample of 2.3 million technologies created by 183,833 firms across 139 countries, the study reveals that MNEs with teams that are internationally diverse (multi-country) and possess greater technological expertise are better equipped to leverage complex knowledge in technology creation. Importantly, it also indicates that while international diversity is less effective in making teams more innovative across all levels of complexity, its value lies in delaying the point at which extreme complexity hinders technology creation. In contrast, technological expertise helps team create more impactful technologies at any level of complexity but is less effective in postponing the point where extreme complexity becomes overwhelming. These insights underscore that international diversity and technological expertise are complementary, supporting MNE teams in distinct but synergistic ways.

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技术复杂性和有影响力的技术的创造：发明者的国际多样性和专业知识的作用

鉴于极具影响力的技术可以为跨国公司创造巨大的价值并建立竞争优势，了解它们如何成功地创造这些价值至关重要。本研究的主要贡献在于解释了跨国公司如何组建发明人团队并优化其组成，以克服技术复杂性的挑战，创造出具有高度影响力的技术。该研究分析了139个国家183,833家公司创造的230万项技术样本，结果表明，拥有国际多元化（多国）团队并拥有更多技术专长的跨国公司能够更好地利用技术创造中的复杂知识。重要的是，它还表明，虽然国际多样性在提高团队在所有复杂程度上的创新能力方面效果较差，但其价值在于推迟极端复杂性阻碍技术创造的那一点。相比之下，技术专业知识可以帮助团队在任何复杂级别上创建更有影响力的技术，但在延迟极端复杂性变得压倒性的点方面效果较差。这些见解强调，国际多样性和技术专长是互补的，以不同但协同的方式支持跨国公司团队。

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来源期刊

Journal of International Management MANAGEMENT-

自引率

9.80%

发文量

审稿时长

81 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of International Management is devoted to advancing an understanding of issues in the management of global enterprises, global management theory, and practice; and providing theoretical and managerial implications useful for the further development of research. It is designed to serve an audience of academic researchers and educators, as well as business professionals, by publishing both theoretical and empirical research relating to international management and strategy issues. JIM publishes theoretical and empirical research addressing international business strategy, comparative and cross-cultural management, risk management, organizational behavior, and human resource management, among others.