Host-country traits, intra-firm technology transfer and competitive advantage: A conceptual study

Technological innovations have emerged as crucially significant factor for sustaining market
competition and achieving competitive advantage in the 21st century. The Multinational
Corporations (MNCs) as celebrities of innovation play significant role in diffusing technological
knowledge throughout firms both nationally and internationally. Although numerous studies
exist on technology transfer the majority of existing literature addresses the issues related to
inter-firm transfer of technology only while the area related to intra-firm transfer of technology
has been largely underexposed; study of which is believed to be ideal for fruitful exploration of
profitability in technology transfer projects. Using data from MNCs in Malaysia the current
study for the very first time would attempt to empirically find the effect of host-country traits on
the performance of technology transferred by the MNCs and its subsequent impact on
competitive advantage. Findings of this study are expected to contribute both theoretically in the
body of knowledge and also in terms of practical implication for policy makers and MNCs and
hence enriching the existing literature simultaneously.