Language, Role Identity, and Knowledge Sharing in Emerging-Economy MNC Headquarters: Evidence From Chinese Parent Country Nationals

In emerging-economy multinational corporation headquarters, parent country nationals (PCNs) become central to coordinating interdependent work and sharing task-relevant knowledge in cross-cultural collaboration. Premised on role identity theory, this study examines how to promote PCNs' knowledge sharing with foreign coworkers. We proposed and tested a moderated mediation model with data collected from 212 Chinese employees who work in Chinese multinational corporations at two time points. Results revealed that PCNs who have higher levels of English language proficiency are more likely to develop international employee role identities, which in turn lead to greater knowledge sharing with their foreign colleagues. Findings also showed that corporate globalization capability strengthens the association between English language proficiency and international employee role identity, in turn contributing to greater knowledge sharing with foreign coworkers. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed.