Differentiation of R&D organisations and inventors’ networks: effects on knowledge generation and transfer

Individual centrality has been shown to affect knowledge generation and transfer. However, previous studies have not considered the differentiation of R&D organisations. In a differentiated R&D organisation, different norms are formed in each unit, which may affect inventors’ learning behaviour. Additionally, whether inventors are subject to unit norms depends on their intra-unit networks rather than on their intra-firm networks. Furthermore, assuming the differentiation of R&D organisations, two channels for knowledge transfer exist within a firm: intra- and inter-units, and the effects of centrality may differ. Therefore, this study examines the effects of centrality in inventors’ intra-unit networks on knowledge generation and transfer within and between units in the same firm. The results showed that inventor networks had different effects, and to promote inter-unit knowledge transfer, each unit should establish core knowledge and share it with other units.