The types, applicability, and transferability of knowledge acquired during international assignments
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14267/VEZTUD.2025.02.01Keywords:
knowledge transfer, international assignments, multinational companiesAbstract
In the 21st century economy, knowledge transfer within multinational companies has become crucial for success, while internationalisation has increased the number of expatriates. Although the determinants of knowledge transfer have appeared in Hungarian studies, the role of expatriates is underexplored, with no study focusing on the types and characteristics of the knowledge acquired by them either. Therefore, the authors’ exploratory study focuses on the types of knowledge gained by Hungarian expatriates and discusses their applicability and transferability in the contexts of home units. Following the introduction of the key factors of knowledge transfer facilitated by expatriates, they present and analyse the types of knowledge acquired during assignments and their characteristics based on 12 semi-structured interviews. Expatriates may increase their professional knowledge, personal and social skills, and contextual and relational knowledge, while their mind-set may change as well. The applicability and transferability of such knowledge at home depend on a number of factors.
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