Building on the knowledge-based view of the firm, this study investigates the usefulness of two organizational integration mechanisms (i.e., formal inter-unit communication and informal connectedness and shared values) to effectively transfer knowledge between MNC units and explores how their effectiveness is affected by different dimensions of cross-national distance. Data on 131 knowledge transfer relationships between units of five Spanish MNCs were used to test the hypotheses. Results reveal that, although both mechanisms are positively associated with knowledge transfer effectiveness, the effect of formal inter-unit communication is comparatively higher. Moreover, this formal integration mechanism seems to work independently of the type of distance that separates the units involved in the transfer. By contrast, the effectiveness of informal integration mechanisms is influenced by economic, geographic and administrative dimensions of distance. Adopting a contingent perspective, and taking into account the multidimensional character of cross-national distance, this article contributes to the literature on knowledge management in international firms by showing which organizational integration mechanisms are more useful to transfer knowledge within MNCs depending on the type of distance that separate their units.

本研究以公司基于知识的观点为基础，调查了两种组织整合机制（即正式的单位间沟通和非正式的联系和共享价值观）在跨国公司单位之间有效转移知识的有效性，并探讨了它们的有效性如何受到影响通过不同维度的跨国距离。五个西班牙跨国公司的单位之间的 131 项知识转移关系的数据用于检验假设。结果表明，虽然这两种机制都与知识转移的有效性呈正相关，但正式的单位间沟通的效果相对较高。此外，这种正式的整合机制似乎独立于分离参与转移的单位的距离类型。相比之下，非正式融合机制的有效性受到距离的经济、地理和行政层面的影响。本文采用偶然的视角，并考虑到跨国距离的多维特征，通过展示哪种组织整合机制在跨国公司内部转移知识取决于距离的类型，从而为国际公司知识管理的文献做出贡献。将他们的单位分开。