Research Design and Methodology

Chapter 5 presents the method applied in the empirical study. First, some general issues about the research context and possible challenges of knowledge management research in MNCs are discussed. Based on this discussion, it is demonstrated that some of these issues are addressed in the choice of the unit of analysis and the questionnaire design. Two standardized questionnaires are generated, one for headquarters and one for subsidiaries, and pre-test interviews were helpful in refining the instrument. The second section describes the steps in data collection, starting with the choice of the target sample and the sampling process. Informant selection is then described and the final sample presented. The operationalization of constructs is finally outlined and measures used in the study discussed.