The three core components of the thesis in a broad sense. Expatriation, Japanese organisations and organisational learning. Specifically, this study aims to investigate how different forms of expatriation within organisations contribute to organisational learning, with a particular focus on the acquisition of locally embedded knowledge within international subsidiaries. The main research question examines the consistency between different forms of expatriation, their impact on organisational learning and the importance of local knowledge.
Robby Christiaan Scharff was born on 25 December 1966 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. In 1986, he completed a diploma programme in Marine Engineering after which he sailed on merchant navy ships for several years. He completed a Bachelor of Business Administration at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering at the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, a Master of Science in Procurement at the University of South Wales, a Master of Business Administration at the University of Phoenix, and a Master of Science in Management Research at the University of Bradford. He worked as a lecturer and examiner for the Dutch Institute for Procurement and Supply Chain Management for over 15 years. Besides a full-time managerial role in procurement, he is a part-time lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences in Rotterdam.