CULTURE AND KNOWLEDGE CO-CREATION: Research Collaboration in the Chinese MNC context

The paper examines the role of home country culture in university-industry research collaboration and knowledge interaction in the Chinese MNC context. We approach the issue by conducting a critical literature review with interviews from Finland and China. The previous studies on university-industry collaboration focus primarily on technology and knowledge transfer. The present study, however, argues that in the Chinese MNC context more interactive types of knowledge interaction like knowledge co-creation should be of key concern, so are various challenges in terms of local culture and interpersonal relationship (Chinese guanxi) that includes for example important organizational processes of interpersonal relationship and trust, intensive communication and interaction, mutual commitment and learning, and being well aware of cultural and knowledge-related differences between collaboration partners.