The exploration phase of replication:the role of autonomous action for overcoming knowledge boundaries in replicator organizations

Replication strategies rely on the exploration of new knowledge. An important source of new knowledge is the transfer of unit level experience to HQ, a process referred to as reverse knowledge flows. Such knowledge flows are fraught with difficulty as formal mechanisms often break down due to diverging business interests of unit and HQ managers. This study brings together research on knowledge stickiness and autonomous action to provide a new avenue for understanding RKF after formal mechanisms break down. By drawing on an exploratory study of a franchise network, we provide an insight into how autonomous action reduces initiation stickiness, but potentially increases implementation stickiness. Our analysis suggests that the role of autonomous action for reverse knowledge flows is moderated by unit managers’ resource expectations that emerge as a result of autonomous action. Exploring the interplay of autonomous action and knowledge stickiness provides new explanatory means for understanding reverse knowledge flows in replicator organizations