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Knowledge Transfers over Geographical Distance in Organisations

The Role of Spatial Mobility and Business Networks

Part of the book series: Perspektiven der Humangeographie (PERHUMAN)

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Table of contents (10 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxx
  2. State of the Art

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
    2. Introduction

      • Vanessa Rebecca Hünnemeyer
      Pages 3-26
    3. Expatriation: Social Networks and Knowledge Flows

      • Vanessa Rebecca Hünnemeyer
      Pages 81-117
    4. Situating the Research Question

      • Vanessa Rebecca Hünnemeyer
      Pages 119-121
  3. Data Collection and Results

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 123-123
  4. Critical Discussion

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 249-249
    2. Discussion of Empirical Findings

      • Vanessa Rebecca Hünnemeyer
      Pages 251-263
    3. Final Conclusion

      • Vanessa Rebecca Hünnemeyer
      Pages 265-271
  5. Back Matter

    Pages 273-302

About this book

Current corporate structures based on internationalisation and decentralisation are opposed to the nature of the most important resource: knowledge. The acquisition and exchange of (tacit) knowledge relies on interpersonal interactions and is thus time- and place-dependent. Given that the combination of heterogeneous knowledge stocks furthers innovation, organisations develop strategies to ensure the transfer of knowledge. To enable intra-organisational knowledge flows spatial mobility at the workplace affects a wide range of employees.

The study examines in which ways spatially mobile employees, i.e. expatriates, contribute to those knowledge flows. The study of ego networks reveals not only social dynamics of knowledge transfer, but the geographical framework allows to discuss knowledge flows from a spatial perspective. On the one hand, the empirical results confirm their knowledge transfer function. On the other hand, the relational geographical perspective reveals that expatriates do not represent a homogeneous group, but their roles in the knowledge transfer process, the geographical reach of their networks and their knowledge resources depend on job-, knowledge-, individual- and space-related factors.



Authors and Affiliations

  • Zwickau, Germany

    Vanessa Rebecca Hünnemeyer

About the author

Graduating with a B.Sc. in Applied Geography and M.A. in Urban Studies, Vanessa Hünnemeyer completed her PhD in Economic Geography at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena. Today, she consults federal, state, and municipal governments on issues of regional development.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Knowledge Transfers over Geographical Distance in Organisations

  • Book Subtitle: The Role of Spatial Mobility and Business Networks

  • Authors: Vanessa Rebecca Hünnemeyer

  • Series Title: Perspektiven der Humangeographie

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-31018-9

  • Publisher: Springer Spektrum Wiesbaden

  • eBook Packages: Social Sciences, Social Sciences (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature 2020

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-658-31017-2Published: 31 August 2020

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-658-31018-9Published: 30 August 2020

  • Series ISSN: 2524-3381

  • Series E-ISSN: 2524-339X

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXX, 302

  • Number of Illustrations: 62 b/w illustrations, 10 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Social Sciences, general, Human Geography

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access