Determinants of the feedback-seeking behaviour of subsidiary top managers in multinational corporations

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore potential determinants of the feedback-seeking behaviour (FSB) of subsidiary top managers in multinational corporations (MNCs). The main contribution of the study is that the linkage between FSB and intra-MNC interaction traced in previous studies is complemented with several other determinants. Among these, trust and economic incentives stand out as particularly important. These findings, based on quantitative data from 89 Finnish subsidiaries of foreign MNCs, add to our understanding of individual managerial behaviour in MNCs and have important implications for both scholars and practitioners interested in issues of intra-MNC control, coordination, and knowledge sharing. At the same time, the findings clearly illustrate that FSB is a complex phenomenon with a broad range of determinants, something which should be taken into account in future studies of the topic.