Knowledge and Communication

This dissertation explores the individual-level foundations of the knowledge-based view of the firm, from both a theoretical and an empirical perspective. Using a three-essay format, I study the effects of individual-level constructs on organization-level, knowledge-based phenomena. In a theoretical essay I identify the relevant constructs and effects. In the first of two empirical essays, I focus on effects of motivation and attention on the locus of knowledge transfer and on firm boundaries. I find that the motivation initiated by the knowledge directs attention and causes knowledge to be transferred outside firm boundaries, which in turn reduces firm size. In the second empirical essays, I analyze the role of the individual in organizational knowledge creation, using quantitative data on organizational involvement in the strategy process. I find that the benefits of organizational involvement vary with the phase of the strategy process.