Handbook of Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management, Second Edition

Abstract

This chapter analyzes the effects of the geographic distribution of organizational units on organizational learning and knowledge transfer. We argue that developments over the last several decades have led to the fragmentation and internationalization of organizational activities. The resultant distribution of employees and organizational units across spatial, temporal, and national boundaries both poses challenges to and provides opportunities for organizational learning. We analyze how characteristics of national, technological, and social contexts moderate the effect of geographic dispersion on organizational learning and knowledge transfer. We discuss how characteristics of the context can facilitate or impair organizational learning and knowledge transfer in geographically distributed organizations. The chapter concludes with a discussion of future research directions that are likely to be productive.