What are the accelerators of the knowledge transfer from a foreign mother factory?

The utilization of the foreign manufacturing subsidiary capabilities and its transfer

Abstract

Recently, some of the overseas factories building capabilities through local operations and carrying mother factory functions to transfer those capabilities to other overseas factories. However, there are various theories about why overseas factories can operate as mother factories, and further research is needed. This research explores what is the trigger of an overseas factory’s transformation into a mother factory. We reviewed the former research about the mother factory function of overseas factories. By doing so, we can confirm the current research situation and comparatively analyze the concepts proposed by each study. Next, to find a point of contact with theory, we saw the research about knowledge transfer between overseas subsidiaries. Finally, using these results, we present some hypotheses about the factors that lead to the conversion of overseas factories into mother factories.