On the emergence and diffusion of technological capabilities and the theory of the MNC

This paper intersects extant theories of the MNC with empirically observed patterns in the intra-company emergence and diffusion of technological capabilities. It draws upon a database containing the complete patenting history of 24 Swedish multinationals over the 1890-2008 period, which allows for the identification of when and where in the multinational organization new technological capabilities first emerged, and when and to where they...