Ineffability and socialization within the transfer of tacit knowledge to least developed economies: the case of Cine Group in Mozambique

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyze the multiple roles of socialization within the interorganizational transfer of tacit knowledge between a Brazilian multinational company (MNC) and its subsidiary located in a least developed country. In spite of advances of the literature on the transfer of knowledge within multinational companies (MNCs) and on the role of socialization in this process, two aspects – one theoretical, another empirical – have been neglected: (i) ineffability of tacit knowledge and (ii) transfer of knowledge to least developed countries with low absorptive capacity. We have carried out a case study about Cine Group, a Brazilian company in the media sector, which set up a subsidiary in Maputo (Mozambique) in 2009. Results have evidenced that due the ineffability of tacit knowledge and the context of low absorptive capacity of the subsidiary, socialization may have distinct roles, such as transfer of knowledge, conjoint learning, and behaviour change.