Innovation in multinational corporations: control and communication patterns in international R&D operations

This paper addresses issues of global innovation in multinational corporations by examining the patterns of communication and control in international R&D operations. Using a sample of 110 international R&D units from 15 multinational corporations, we identify three types of R&D unit role (local adaptor, international adaptor, international creator). We show that: (1) each type of R&D unit is managed primarily through a different mode of...