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theses

This dissertation examines the evolution of the international knowledge network of leading MNEs in the pharmaceutical industry from 1976 to 2016. It is organized into eight chapters, including three novel empirical studies on the geography and strategy of knowledge sourcing for technology creation, the subsequent use of new applications, and the reciprocal exchange of knowledge. We begin with a literature review on a line of work which can be traced back to an earlier question, ‘under what conditions do MNEs source technology internationally through a network of geographically dispersed affiliates?’. We then provide an analytical structure for which the histories of the pharmaceutical industry are told in Chapter 3. We elaborate on a set of potential research questions arising from this reflective presentation of the historical background of the industry, and describe the organization of the data used in our empirical studies in Chapter 4. We use patents granted between 1976 and 2016 by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USTPO) to examine the sources or antecedents of technological knowledge over time, arranged by the originating organization and its sector of activity as well as the location of inventors. Using these data, we aim to answer questions related to the geographic and strategic dimension of MNE knowledge structures in three studies. In chapter 5 (Study 1), we examine how sourcing patterns may differ depending on the extent to which foreign subunits focus on competence creating (CC) vs competence exploiting (CE) types of inventive activities. In chapter 6, (Study 2), we investigate patterns of intra-MNE diffusion of CC innovations to the home and within the host country settings. In chapter 7 (Study 3), we examine the degree to which geographic profiles of MNEs regulate their interaction with other firms in the industry. Our dissertation offers a neglected way to examine the sourcing activities of contemporary MNEs and provides new insights on patterns of technological knowledge building within and between organizational and spatial boundaries, and their consequences.

ETD_11138

Ph.D.

Includes bibliographical references

ETD doctoral

doi:10.7282/t3-3qfg-s758

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