Agency problem, institutions, and technology policy: Explaining Taiwan's semiconductor industry development

Taiwan has made significant progress in the semiconductor industry with government agencies and bureaucrats as the driving forces over the past 30 years. Taiwan's impressive achievement in the semiconductor industry clearly indicates that the government failures and agency problem usually associated with deep government involvement did not occur in Taiwan. Why is that the case? This paper proposes a principal-agent framework for technology policy and applies the framework to discuss the institutional arrangements through which bureaucrats were controlled effectively in executing the semiconductor industry policies in Taiwan. By analyzing the institutional and organizational arrangements Taiwanese leaders made to mitigate the agency problem, this paper brings bureaucrats into the popular developmental state theory and emphasizes that the success of state intervention should not be taken for granted, and it also brings politics into technology policy analysis and stresses the importance and complexity of agency problem in technology policy.     

台湾高新技术企业与传统企业技术创新管理模式的比较研究

对比了台湾高新技术企业与传统企业技术创新管理的模式差异,认为二者对企业文化、市场导向、质量管理、研究发展、策略管理、技能管理6类影响技术创新因素,与对应的技术创新管理人员所需具备能力认同均有较大差异。在当前环境下,台湾传统产业复兴模式已不可能重复台湾高技术发展之路,台湾传统企业应该建立更为"进取型"的技术创新管理模式。     

Supporting the free market: Information technology policy in Hong Kong

Economic policy in Hong Kong is frequently cited as a shining example of the laissez‐faire model for development, with minimal government intervention. However, the government has played a bigger role in the economy than is often recognized, responding to market failures, social problems, and the needs of the business community. Information technology (IT) policy in Hong Kong has mirrored the colony's laissez‐faire economic strategy, with little government effort to promote the production or use of IT products and services. Hong Kong has become an advanced user of IT in several economic sectors and an assembly site for personal computer hardware. However, like much of the manufacturing sector, the computer industry is moving much of its production to China, causing concern about the future of Hong Kong's economy. While some people feel that Hong Kong can flourish as a financial and business services center, others feel that this role will be diminished as the Chinese economy liberalizes and other centers develop in mainland China. They argue that Hong Kong needs to upgrade its technological capabilities and develop technology‐intensive activities such as R&D and software development to complement China's manufacturing activities. The government has begun to respond with limited measures to encourage R&D, train more scientists, engineers, and managers, and support technology start‐ups. Hong Kong has the potential to develop software and information services industries to serve the Chinese market. It also can apply IT to other sectors to maintain its leadership as a financial, business services, transportation, and communications center.     

innovation in canada: an update

In October 1971 the Science Council of Canada published a report on the lowly status of innovative activities in domestic manufacturing. Early in 1972, and again a year later, the Senate Special Committee on Science Policy added some further notes of concern about innovation in the industry in the second and third volumes of its Report. This article reviews the relevant conclusions and recommendations of these documents as well as the government action which had - or had not - been taken in response to them by the autumn of 1975. Attention has been focussed primarily on the federal government which has, for example, introduced several favourable tax measures, passed legislation to screen certain activities of foreign companies, established a new policy to encourage the further processing of natural resources prior to export, and has instructed its own departments and agencies to contract out more of their research requirements to the private sector. It has also encouraged its Ministry of State for Science and Technology to study industrial problems and to develop policies for their solution, and it has established a new bank to provide extended financial assistance and management services to small companies. But the government has still to comply with the Science Council's principal recommendation that an overall national strategy for manufacturing should be formulated.The industry is in some doubt about its future. In the short term, this uncertainty is likely to be aggravated by the difficult economic situation in the industrial world as a whole. The major impediments to innovation in manufacturing in Canada are therefore likely to remain in place for some time to come.     

E-Commerce to Protect the Network Relationships: The Case of Taiwan's PC Industry

Although Taiwan is one of the world's leading producers of information products, it lags behind advanced countries in the application of information technologies. The strength of Taiwan's industry lies in its low-cost manufacturing capabilities, which in recent years have been undermined by rising wages. Faced with a massive relocation of production activities to China, the Taiwanese government is trying to prevent the hollowing out of domestic industry by encouraging local firms to embrace new information technologies to strengthen their ties to multinational firms. The initiative aims at enhancing the flexibility of production and speeding up responses to the market through concerted actions by brand marketers, parts suppliers, and assemblers. New technologies underscore new working methods that erect entry barriers to protect existing network relationships.     

我国汽车业竞争格局特征及金融危机后的战略选择

本文从竞争态势和产业结构两个方面分析了国内汽车业竞争格局特征。认为跨国公司主导的联盟网络竞争态势、分散的空间分布和低市场集中度是当前主要的竞争格局特征,这些不同的竞争特征相互强化,形成了对我国汽车业发展不利的约束条件。金融危机为我国汽车业改变不利地位提供了机遇,而正确的战略决策是成功抓住机遇的关键。     

我国行业组织发展的问题与对策

行业组织是企业活动与政府行为有机结合的重要纽带，是建立健全社会主义市场经济体系的重要组成部分。市场经济体制下对社会经济活动的管理需要宏观层的政府调控，也需要微观层的企业自律，还客观需要行业组织中观层次的协调与监管。本文分析了我国行业组织发展的现存问题及成因，并在此基础上对如何健全行业组织、完善市场协调监管机制进行了探讨，提出了八点建设性意见。     

政府研发补贴有助于企业创新效率提升吗？——基于模糊集定性比较分析（fsQCA）的研究

政府研发补贴是各国普遍采用的促进企业创新活动的政策，如何发挥其应有效能是学术界和政策制定者关注的重要问题。以高端装备制造业上市公司为研究样本，采用MinDS模型测度考虑非期望产出的创新效率，应用模糊集定性比较分析方法（fsQCA）研究了各要素联动如何作用于企业创新效率。结果表明：（1）身处欠佳市场环境中的民营企业若能取得政府补贴，无论是事前补贴还是事后补贴都将有助于创新效率的提升；相反，身处良好市场环境的民营企业对政府补贴的依赖较弱；（2）身处欠佳市场环境中且无丰富政治关联的企业，政府研发事前与事后补贴相辅相成才能促进企业创新效率的提升，其中事后补贴起关键作用；（3）身处欠佳市场环境中的企业，如果拥有较多的政治关联，则最好不要借此寻求事前补贴，否则企业会陷入“政治资源诅咒”的漩涡。     

The super-computer project: a case study of the interaction of science,government and industry in the UK

A major concern of the governments of industrialised nations is the basis for the allocation of public resources to the private sector of industry. One particular area of debate is the role governments should play in the support and direction of high technology. This paper examines the contribution of the British government to the establishment of a computer industry and, in particular, the attempts to stimulate the industry during the period 1959 to 1962 by supporting the development and production of a ‘supercomputer’.The history of the negotiations between the three major participants, the National Research and Development Corporation, Ferranti Ltd., and Manchester University, has been reconstructed in considerable detail in order to provide the basis for an analysis of the interaction of technical, financial, organisational and political constraints in the attempts to establish the project'.The failure of NRDC to achieve its broad aims of promoting the future health of the computer industry is traced to three major problems — their failure to formulate clear objectives, their concern to maintain technical control, and inadequate policies for risk-sharing. These were exacerbated by the technical uncertainty associated with novel technology, an inadequate market analysis by Ferranti, and de facto technical direction by the university department.On this basis broad conclusions are drawn on the conditions necessary for a satisfactory return on public investment in high technology.     

政府补贴、市场集中度与种业企业技术创新效率的关系——基于省级面板数据

为促进种业技术创新效率提高,基于2013—2018年我国30个省份的种业企业数据,运用DEA-Malmquist模型对企业技术创新效率进行测算和动态分析,并运用面板Tobit模型和门限回归模型分析政府补贴与市场集中度对企业技术创新效率的影响.结果表明:我国种业企业技术创新效率整体偏低,全要素增长率提高主要依赖于技术进步和创新;市场集中度对企业技术创新效率具有负面影响;政府补贴可以促进企业技术创新效率的提高,但效果会受到市场集中度的调节,市场集中度过高会抑制政府补贴的积极效果.基于研究结论,提出加强市场和政府两种手段的协调和控制种业市场集中程度等促进我国种业产业高质量发展的对策建议.     

Governance Initiatives Creating a Demand-Driven E-Commerce Approach: The Case of Denmark

The Danish e-commerce strategy is a highly ambitious effort to become the world's leading IT nation. Instead of a production-led approach aimed at stimulating domestic hardware and software production, Denmark has pursued a demand-oriented approach focused on promoting the widespread adoption of e-commerce in the Danish society. The Danish government has developed a number of e-commerce initiatives via public-private sector partnerships--an approach we refer to as "governance." So far, it appears that Denmark has been successful in promoting business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce, with a number of Danish companies being global leaders in the use of B2B applications. On the other hand, Denmark has had less success in achieving widespread use of business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce. This article analyzes the Danish national environment for e-commerce, discusses four sets of governance initiatives aimed at the development of e-commerce, and analyzes the reasons for its success in B2B and relative failure in B2C adoption.     

浅谈林产工业现状及木材工业发展趋势

我国是世界林产品生产、消费和进出口第一大国,受国际金融危机的冲击和影响,2008年的林产工业市场低迷、出口受阻、企业经营困难。为应对金融危机,我国政府采取了一系列有效措施,使经济出现了止跌回稳的好势头,未来几年,我国木材加工行业仍然向好,并将继续保持我国“世界木材加工厂”的地位。     

Governance Initiatives Creating a Demand-Driven E-Commerce Approach: The Case of Denmark

The Danish e-commerce strategy is a highly ambitious effort to become the world's leading IT nation. Instead of a production-led approach aimed at stimulating domestic hardware and software production, Denmark has pursued a demand-oriented approach focused on promoting the widespread adoption of e-commerce in the Danish society. The Danish government has developed a number of e-commerce initiatives via public-private sector partnerships--an approach we refer to as "governance." So far, it appears that Denmark has been successful in promoting business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce, with a number of Danish companies being global leaders in the use of B2B applications. On the other hand, Denmark has had less success in achieving widespread use of business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce. This article analyzes the Danish national environment for e-commerce, discusses four sets of governance initiatives aimed at the development of e-commerce, and analyzes the reasons for its success in B2B and relative failure in B2C adoption.     

Can Taiwan's second movers upgrade via branding?

Taiwan, one of the best performers among latecomers, has successfully entered mature high-tech from the 1980s, but has yet to close the technological gap with the West. The paper examines why most of the successful second movers in Taiwan do not pursue R&D-intensive and own-brand strategies to catch up, and whether they may do so in the future. It is argued here that the second mover expands by relying upon accumulated organizational capabilities based on subcontracting manufacturing, hence implying likely path dependence in development. Thus, the strategy of choice for most will be upgrading subcontracting, cross-industry subcontracting, and then own-brand manufacturing, in that order. Among the structural factors affecting the firm's strategic choice, the industrial policy has been a crucial one. South Korea has produced some successful global brands, supported by the state's national champion policy and long-term commitment to the chaebol. The emerging China has also adopted a highly ambitious national champion strategy. The fact that the government in Taiwan has never adopted a national champion strategy helps to partly explain the evolutionary path of Taiwan's second movers, and attests to the importance of industrial policy. Unless Taiwan's policy environment changes significantly, the current trend may continue in the foreseeable future.     

Turning loose the invisible hand: New Zealand's information technology policy

Abstract

Information technology (IT) policy in New Zealand has closely paralleled the broader economic policies that have prevailed in the country. Until the mid‐1980s, economic policy was inwardly oriented, marked by high trade barriers and heavy government regulation. In 1984, the Labor government responded to a balance of payments crisis with a radical program of economic liberalization. By the end of the decade, this process had fundamentally altered the New Zealand economy through deregulation, privatization, and public sector reform.

IT policy likewise moved from protectionism and centralized control to almost pure laissez faire. Tariffs on computer hardware were lowered from 40% to 10%. Government computing was moved from a central data processing bureau and placed under the control of individual departments. In terms of IT production, the government has refused to provide any significant incentives or subsidies to the fledgling software industry, feeling the industry should succeed or fail on its own.

Under laissez faire policies, New Zealand has become a heavy user of IT, ranking behind only Japan in the Asia‐Pacific region for IT spending as a percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). It has also had some success as a producer and exporter of software. However, the hands‐off approach to the industry is likely to prove problematic in an international environment in which many countries have explicit strategies to improve their infrastructure for IT production and/or directly subsidize the industry. New Zealand is unlikely to become a hardware producer, but it has a number of endowments favoring software production, particularly its well‐educated, English‐speaking workforce. However, it faces obstacles, such as a small domestic market, distance from international markets, and a shortage of venture capital. Although software may be a potential growth industry in the ailing New Zealand economy, it is unclear whether the industry can thrive without at least some government support. Even the government now seems to be considering this possibility, and is considering the creation of an IT unit within the Ministry of Commerce.     

信贷歧视、债务融资成本与技术创新投资规模

选取了2007-2011年的A股制造业上市公司作为对象,以"信贷歧视"背景下债务融资成本和技术创新投资规模之间的关系为切入点,考察我国的信贷资源配置效率问题。研究结果表明,"信贷歧视"降低了我国信贷资源的配置效率,促使低成本的债务资源流向部分技术创新动力匮乏的国有企业和大企业,而民营上市公司和小规模公司却苦于承担着较高的债务融资成本而缩减技术创新投资规模;而近些年我国金融生态环境的改善和政府对于科技类行业的政策倾斜,强化了信贷市场的便利融资和资源配置功能,在一定程度上提高了信贷资源配置效率,提高了我国企业的技术创新动力。     

授人以鱼不如授人以渔——创新视角下的政府背景客户与企业成长

本文利用2007-2015年间A股上市公司年报中公开披露的客户数据,从研发创新的角度检验了政府大客户的存在对企业成长性的影响。实证结果表明,上市公司的大客户中政府背景订单占比约大,则企业未来的盈利增长能力就越强,与此同时,资本市场对企业的估值水平也越高,进一步地从作用机制来看,政府背景订单之所以能促进企业成长壮大,很大程度上可以归结于它们对企业研发创新的促进作用,尤其是增加公司的创新投入与创新产出,继而助推企业成长。总而言之,本文的研究发现有助于我们客观地了解政府背景客户在企业成长发展中扮演的角色,辩证地看待以政府采购为代表的另类政府干预机制对实体经济产生的影响作用。     

深圳高新产业自主创新的实现路径分析

改革开放后一段时间,我国曾希望通过"市场换技术"来提升我们的创新能力,结果是"引进-落后-再引进-再落后"的循环往复,而没有较多地实现自主创新。可见我们还没有搞明白自主创新的实现路径。本文考察分析了深圳高新技术产业自主创新的实现路径,认为关键技术靠企业自主开发为主,市场-企业-企业家的创新模式,引进模仿到消化吸收再创新的产业提升模式,政府促进区域创新体系快速形成,这四点是深圳高新技术产业自主创新实现路径的主要特点。认为深圳高新技术产业自主创新实现路径的形成,主要得益于较早改革开放的体制背景,毗邻港澳及外资较早较多进入的影响,以及移民城市的创新创业热情。     

台湾高科技产业政策剖析

台湾半导体和资讯电子产业的成功,引人瞩目;而作为上述产业重要决定因素的高科技产业政策,就成为科技界、企业界所关注的学术焦点。本文从战后台湾经济发展的四个历史阶段为纵向脉络,结合国际高科技产业竞争合作与两岸政经互动的不同横断面,剖析台湾高科技产业政策的成效与不足,并对两岸高科技产业跨世纪合作的前景提出若干浅见。     

金融错配、政治关联与企业创新产出

本文基于金融市场中存在的金融错配现象为现实依据，利用2003-2015年我国民营上市公司微观数据，在测算金融错配指数和外部融资依赖的基础上，采用动态面板模型系统GMM方法，从政治关联的视角对上述命题进行验证.研究结果发现，金融错配显著抑制企业的创新产出，特别是对含金量比较高的发明专利抑制作用更为显著，民营企业的政治关联会对二者之间的关系产生显著的负向调节作用。通过进一步探讨民营企业政治关联活动的调节机制发现，政治关联的调节作用是通过影响企业外部融资约束进而影响金融错配与企业创新产出之间的关系。结论表明，合理配置金融资源、建立良好的政企关系，能够有效缓解企业创新活动的融资约束，对提升企业的创新产出具有重要的现实意义