Sharing and developing knowledge of organization culture during international assignments

This article investigates the sharing and development of knowledge of organization culture during international assignments in multinational enterprises (MNE). Organization culture is presented as a category of knowledge, and the value of this knowledge is discussed in the strategic context of MNE integration and the development of global management competencies. In-depth interview data from 21 cases of international assignments across 13 MNEs are analysed, revealing that assignees play a role in sharing knowledge of organization culture through the process of articulating tacit perspectives held across global units. The data also reveal a role for assignments in the development of comprehension of substantive heterogeneity. This article contributes to our understanding of the developmental aspects of assignments, the utility of assignments as a method for knowledge sharing and the role of international assignments in the integration of MNEs.