Transferring apprenticeship training from Germany to the U.S.: An examination of institutionalization processes in relation to governance form

本研究项目的目的是在商业活动国际化的背景下，发展不同治理形式与制度化进程之间关系的理论。这将在实践转移倡议的比较案例研究的基础上完成。更具体地说，我打算比较和对比德国公司主动将双重学徒培训实践转移到其位于美国的外国子公司的三个案例。现有文献表明，这种转移是非常困难的，需要东道国非常高度的制度变革过程。通过对依赖于不同治理模式（层级、网络和集群）进行协调的转移计划进行系统比较，我希望研究这些计划在涉及的活动和过程方面有多大程度的不同。在此背景下，我将测试我的工作假设，根据该假设，在网络中协调的转移倡议将比分别使用层次结构和集群组织的转移倡议对当地制度环境产生更深远和可持续的影响。本研究项目有望对国际商务和组织理论领域的现有文献做出贡献。特别是，它将在依赖于治理形式的制度化过程之间发展一种理论化的关系。

The objective of this research project is to develop a theory of the relationship between different governance forms and institutionalization processes in the context of the internationalization of business activities. This will be accomplished on the basis of a comparative case study of practice transfer initiatives. More specifically, I intend to compare and contrast three cases of initiatives by German companies to transfer dual apprenticeship training practices to their foreign subsidiaries located in the United States. Existing literature suggests that this kind of transfer is very difficult and requires a very high degree of institutional change processes in the host country. With a systematic comparison of transfer initiatives, which are coordinated relying on different governance modes - hierarchy, network, and cluster -, I wish to examine to what extent these initiatives are different in terms of activities and processes involved. In this context, I will test my working hypothesis according to which transfer initiatives that are coordinated in networks will have more far-reaching and sustainable implications for the local institutional environment than those, which are organized using hierarchy and clusters, respectively. This research project promises to contribute to existing literature in the fields of international business and organization theory. In particular, it will develop a theorized relationship between institutionalization processes in dependence on governance forms.