Abstract: Based on the springboard theory, this study explores the impact of the autonomy of Chinese multinational enterprises’ overseas subsidiaries on reverse knowledge transfer. This study collected data of 132 overseas subsidiaries of Chinese multinational enterprises and tested the hypothesis model with regression analysis. It is found that there is a significant inverse U-shaped curve relationship between overseas subsidiaries’ autonomy and reverse knowledge transfer, reverse market knowledge transfer, and reverse technical knowledge transfer; but the reverse u-shaped relationship between overseas subsidiaries’ autonomy and reverse management knowledge transfer is not significant. The absorption capacity of the parent company negatively moderates the linear relationship between autonomy and reverse management knowledge transfer. The conclusions of this study show that a moderate amount of autonomy granted to overseas subsidiaries by EMNEs is conducive to reverse knowledge transfer, but too much may lead to the phenomenon of “more is not always better”.

摘要： 海外子公司实施逆向知识转移，对母公司获取知识资源，提升竞争实力具有重要意义。本研究收集中国跨国公司的132家海外子公司数据，采用回归分析，检验假设模型，以探究海外子公司自主权，对其逆向知识转移的影响机制。研究发现：海外子公司自主权与逆向知识转移、逆向市场知识转移、逆向技术知识转移之间均存在显著的倒U型曲线关系；自主权与逆向管理知识转移之间的倒U型关系不显著；母公司吸收能力能够负向显著调节自主权与逆向管理知识转移间的关系。研究结论表明：新兴经济体跨国公司赋予海外子公司适度的自主权，有助于实现逆向知识转移，但自主权过多会出现“过犹不及”现象。