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Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the current situation of education for sustainable development, climate change education and environmental education in a nationwide context. Methodologically, this study calls for more research to go beyond case studies and take a similar approach to examine university curricula and facilitate cross-country comparisons. Design/methodology/approach: This paper examines the status of climate and sustainability curricula in Taiwan's higher education system. Using the course catalog for the 2020–2021 academic year, the authors constructed a unique data set that includes 1,827 courses at 29 major universities in Taiwan. In each institution, the authors search for course titles that include "climate," "sustainable/sustainability" and "environment/environmental" as keywords and code the courses according to their disciplines. Findings: The finding highlights the variations across institutional types and subject matters. Public universities have an average of 4.94 related courses per 1,000 students, whereas private universities have only 3.13. In general, the relevant courses are more concentrated in the STEM and bioscience fields. The curricula, however, are seriously constrained by the disciplinary structure and foster few transdisciplinary perspectives. Originality/value: The authors seek to go beyond case studies and offer one of the most comprehensive curricula samples at the national level. Taiwan adds an important data point, as the current literature focuses heavily on the USA and Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine the Taiwan setting, where audit partners' names are presented in the audit report and where audit committee formation is voluntary in the initial stage of audit committee reform. This paper investigates the effects of the formation of voluntary audit committees on the selection of individual audit partners, and, in turn, the audit quality. This contrasts with previous studies investigating the relationship between audit committees and auditor selection at the audit firm level. Design/methodology/approach: This paper samples all of Taiwan's publicly listed firms for the period 2007–2012 and uses Heckman's (1979) two-stage estimation model to achieve our objectives. Findings: Using different characteristics of individual engagement partners as proxies for a higher quality auditor, the main empirical results show that voluntary audit committee formation is positively related to an industry specialist lead partner and a lead partner that has a larger number of clients. In addition, this paper also finds that voluntary audit committee formation has a positive impact on audit quality (proxied by discretionary accruals). The results suggest that the voluntary formation of an audit committee contributes positively to both auditor selection and audit quality. Furthermore, an additional test shows that the main empirical results are robust to a validity threat that firms that have good corporate governance prior to the formation of voluntary audit committees tend to select high-quality audit partners. Originality/value: The paper contributes to the audit committee literature in the following ways: this paper takes advantage of Taiwan's unique setting, where forming an audit committee is not compulsory in the initial stage of audit committee reform, to investigate the voluntary audit committee, auditor selection and audit quality; this paper expands on Abbott and Parker's (2000) study of audit committee characteristics and auditor selection at the audit firm level by examining this relationship at the individual audit partner level; this paper responds to the call by Church et al. (2008) and DeFond and Francis (2005) who propose more studies on audit quality at the individual engagement partner level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how instructional leadership, a concept imported from Western scholarship, has been conceptualized in the Taiwanese context and how principal instructional leadership is realized in schools. The development trajectory of principal instructional leadership is delineated by examining empirical studies in the past two decades. Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopts an exploratory approach to review the Taiwanese empirical literature on principal instructional leadership. A total of 80 studies were systematically analyzed and common themes were identified. Findings – This paper finds that a hybrid model of the conceptualization of instructional leadership has been developed in Taiwan. Principals performed more indirect than direct leadership behaviors. A gap exists between the ideal instructional leader and the reality. Research limitations/implications – The development of a formal theory of instructional leadership is expected as various substantive theories are developed and more data are accumulated. To yield the desired outcome of knowledge acceleration, the coordination of research efforts across scholars and institutions is a must. Practical implications – The articles reviewed suggest less effort spent by principals on the teachers. Yet with a national promotion of teacher learning community, as well as cooperative and collaborative learning in recent years, principal instructional leadership behaviors are expected to rise in terms of ensuring instruction quality and professional development. Originality/value – This paper is an attempt to accumulate knowledge about principal instructional leadership in Taiwan. It is a contribution to the exploration of indigenous perspectives and practices and the understanding and building of educational leadership in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors associated with the adoption of agro-processing methods and to estimate their impact on farm income and farm diversification. Design/methodology/approach: Using a large-scale sample of 12,122 special crop farm households drawn from the 2015 Agricultural Census Survey in Taiwan, the semiparametric multivalued treatment effect model was estimated. Findings: The authors found that agro-processing farm households obtain higher farm incomes than non-agro-processing farm households. Among the agro-processing methods, self-processing generates higher farm income than outsourced-processing. Moreover, farm households that adopt either agro-processing method are more likely to diversify into agritourism and other agribusinesses than non-agro-processing farms. Research limitations/implications: The authors could only access data on farm income and not on agro-processing costs. Future studies may address the impact of agro-processing on farm profitability if relevant data are available. Originality/value: Very few studies have examined the relationship between agro-processing, farm income and farm diversification. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is one of the first papers to examine the impact of different agro-processing practices on farm income and farm diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this paper, the authors examined the changes in labour unrest and labour quality brought by high labour standards over a considerable period in Taiwan. Then, the authors studied the role of these changes in predicting the inflow of foreign direct investment (IFDI) in the country. To test the role, the authors measured the differences in effects of the two changes on wages, working hours and employment opportunities of skilled female and skilled male workers in FDI-intensive and non-intensive industries. Design/methodology/approach: Using a model built on pooled cross-sectional time-series data from 1999 to 2012, the authors measured the effect of changes in labour unrest and the presence of skilled workers on the net inflow of FDI. Using data from the Manpower Utilisation Survey (MUS), the authors applied differences–in–Differences-in--ddifferences- (DDD) and differences–in–Differences-in-ddifferences-in--differences- (DDDD) estimation methods to test the effect of changes in labour unrest and labour quality on three labour market outcomes, namely wages, working hours and job opportunities of skilled workforce. Findings: Increasing labour unrest affected the employment opportunities of almost every unemployed person seeking skilled jobs in Taiwan. When the authors compared the adverse effect of high labour standards on employment opportunities and working hours, the authors found women looking for skilled jobs in foreign-owned firms to be the worst affected. Besides, foreign firms paid different wages to skilled educated men than what foreign firms' domestic counterparts paid to skilled educated men employed in Taiwanese firms. Practical implications: An in-depth analysis of changes in labour unrest and presence of skilled workers because of high labour standards and the extent to which such changes helped the nation to attract FDI should be useful to policymakers interested in understanding the impact of legislative measures and policy reforms on labour market outcomes across industry types, which matter to foreign investors. If changes in labour unrest and labour quality influenced the inflow of FDI more to firms in one set of industries than the others, the same should have a bearing on revamping of future enactment and enforcement in Taiwan. Originality/value: Current study findings would not only provide broad lessons to policymakers in Taiwan but findings of the authors' country case study should be able to guide growing economies that are equally careful whilst raising the labour standards as most fear that high labour standards can deter inflow of FDI because of increasing labour cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the issue of managing the major environmental costs from an accounting perspective. The current state of practices for managing the costs associated with the consumption of electricity, water and paper, as well as the generation of wastes within three universities in Taiwan, was investigated. The costs mentioned above were termed "major" environmental costs for the purpose of this study. Design/methodology/approach – Being an exploratory study, the paper followed a qualitative, case study methodology. A multiple-case design was chosen and three Taiwanese universities were investigated. The major source of data collection was through face-to-face interviews. However, available resources were also examined, such as the charts of accounts, annual reports, strategic plans, sustainability reports and information disclosed on the web-pages of the three universities. Findings – The findings demonstrated that there appeared to be a general absence of environmental management accounting (EMA) utilisation to manage the major environmental costs by the three universities. Efforts to improve environmental performance, in particular from an accounting perspective, were still lacking. Originality/value – The study contributes significantly to the following areas: providing specific information about how the major environmental costs are accounted for and managed; identifying limitations of current management accounting systems being used for the purpose of managing environmental costs; and extending the applicability of EMA to the higher education (HE) sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper investigates changes in risk-neutral distribution derived from Taiwan stockindex options under different market conditions. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether individual investor sentiment significantly influences the Taiwan option prices. Design/methodology/approach – The authors adopt the optimization method to estimate the risk-neutral distribution from the Taiwan stock index options and use the t-test to examine the difference in risk-neutral skewness, kurtosis, and confidence interval between the pre-crisis and crisis periods. This paper tests the impact of individual investor sentiment on risk-neutral skewness and confidence interval in two sub-periods. Findings – The authors find that errors in individual investors’ expectations significantly influence the Taiwan stock index option prices. Research limitations/implications – The data concerning the sentiment of speculative institutional investors are incomplete for the Taiwan option market. Therefore, this paper focusses on the analysis of individual investor sentiment. Further research can study the impact of institutional investor sentiment in emerging markets. Social implications – The previous literature has suggested that option prices reflect information before the information is revealed in stock prices. Therefore, an important implication is to analyze the information quality revealed in option prices by studying whether the changes in option prices are due to investor sentiment or non-sentiment-related components. Originality/value – Most of the studies in the literature have focussed on the US option market, and their applicability may vary across different microstructures. This paper shows that the influence of individual investor sentiment in an emerging market is different from that in the US market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose an occurrence-based model to improve the forecasting of regime switches so as to assist decision making. Design/methodology/approach – This paper proposes a novel model where occurrences of relationships are taken into account when forecasting. Taiwan Stock Exchange Capitalization Weighted Stock Index is taken as the forecasting target. Findings – Due to the consideration of occurrences of relationships in forecasting, the out of sample forecasting is improved. Practical implications – The proposed model can be applied to forecast other time series for regime switches. In addition, it can be integrated with other time series models to improve forecasting performance. Originality/value – The empirical results show that the proposed model can improve the forecasting performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how internal and external factors simultaneously drive firms to adopt green supply chain (GSC) initiatives and to construct a comprehensive research model by drawing upon institutional theory, stewardship theory, and view of performance.Design/methodology/approach The data collected from 380 manufacturers in the electrical and electronics industries in Taiwan were analyzed via structural equation modeling and bootstrapping.Findings First, institutional pressures affect the GSC initiatives of firms. Second, institutional pressures influence the environmental stewardship behaviors (ESBs) of managers. Third, the ESBs of managers affect the GSC initiatives of firms. Fourth, the GSC initiatives of firms influence their environmental performance, economic performance, and competitiveness. Fifth, the bootstrapping results reveal that institutional pressures indirectly affect the GSC initiatives of firms through the ESBs of managers.Research limitations/implications Environmental sustainability has intensified the need for firms to develop a corporate culture. Future research can investigate the relationship among the institutional pressures, greening corporate culture, and GSC initiatives of firms.Practical implications Those managers facing institutional pressures must continually focus on the effects of external factors on the GSC initiatives of their firms. They must also increase their commitment and support to such initiatives to attain favorable levels of environmental performance, economic performance, and competitiveness.Originality/value This study integrates four streams of literature on institutional theory, stewardship theory, GSC initiatives, and view of performance. Apart from analyzing field- and organization-level data simultaneously, this paper is also the first to demonstrate the relationships among institutional pressures, ESBs of managers, GSC initiatives, and firm performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between book-tax differences and earnings quality for commercial banks in Taiwan. The paper focuses on the banking industry because industry-specific accrual models of accounting discretion in the loan loss provisions are available to develop powerful tests of earnings management related to book-tax differences. In addition, the paper replicates the analysis of book-tax differences that previous studies conducted on a heterogeneous sample of nonfinancial firms, to ascertain whether prior inferences also hold in the study's sample of banks in an emerging economy. Design/methodology/approach – This paper estimates the magnitude of discretionary loan loss provisions as a proxy for earnings quality (positively correlated with earnings management; therefore, inversely correlated with earnings quality). Then, the study partitions the sample into three subsamples (large positive book-tax differences, large negative book-tax differences, and small book-tax differences) to set the regression models. Findings – This paper finds that bank-years with large positive or negative temporary book-tax differences have discretionary loan loss provisions that are greater than bank-years with small temporary book-tax differences. The paper also finds that bank-years with large temporary book-tax differences have one-year-ahead persistence of current earnings and accruals that are less than those with small temporary book-tax differences. Additionally, the study does not find a significant relation between permanent book-tax differences and earnings quality. Overall, the evidence is consistent with the supposition that large temporary book-tax differences are associated with lower earnings quality. Research limitations/implications – The study contributes to the literature on book-tax differences and earnings quality in two ways. First, the paper provides evidence to ascertain prior inferences that the association between book-tax differences and earnings quality also hold in the banking industry, it may generalize to the banking sector in other emerging countries. Second, the study utilizes a banking-specific accrual model to construct more powerful tests of information in book-tax differences for earnings quality. The study has an inherent limitation arising from small sample size of the banking industry in an emerging economy. Future tax accounting researchers should develop appropriate country-specific measures of book-tax differences. Originality/value – The study focuses on the banking industry because industry-specific accrual models of accounting discretion in the loan loss provisions are available to develop powerful tests of earnings management related to book-tax differences. In addition, the study replicates the analysis of book-tax differences that previous studies conducted on a heterogeneous sample of nonfinancial firms, to ascertain whether prior inferences also hold in the sample of banks in an emerging economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the relationships among collaboration competency, partner match, knowledge integration mechanisms (KIMs), and e-service product innovation. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 118 financial firms in Taiwan. IT managers were chosen as the source for data collection. Furthermore, partial least squares (PLS) was used to address sophisticated data analysis issues. Findings – Collaboration competency and partner match relate positively to KIMs, which in turn relate positively to e-service innovation. In addition, partner match relates positively to collaboration competency. Also, the findings show support for the mediating effect of KIMs on the relationship between collaboration competency and e-service product innovation. Research limitations/implications – First, KIMs are the central mechanism through which collaboration competency enhances e-service product innovation is novel and noteworthy. Second, the study can help researchers to better comprehend partner match and analyze it as a partner-led enabling mechanism. Third, this study extends an important direction for service product innovation research that lies in adopting an e-service innovation perspective. Practical implications – IT managers should mobilize collaboration competency in conjunction with KIMs and should highlight the centrality of KIMs in e-service product innovation. Managers should examine whether the firm has the necessary technologies to develop particular levels of new e-service products and to determine which technologies need to be developed. They would also need to consistently and synergistically align their strategic innovation choices. Originality/value – The findings of this study fill the gap in the service management literature that currently fails in examining these determinants that affect e-service product innovation. First, the paper helps to clarify the nature of e-service product innovation. By studying de Brentani's classification of innovations, the paper views e-service product innovation as two types of radical and incremental innovations that affect the ability of a firm to deliver desirable new services/products to customers via the internet. Second, based on Gallouj and Weinstein's work, the paper addresses the visibility (i.e., tangible or intangible of technical characteristics) and the degree of standardization (i.e., specifying service characteristics, making service characteristics less hazy and more concrete, and giving service characteristics a shape), which constitute innovations in e-service products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The criteria selection of green suppliers is an interesting and practical research topic. With the development and consciousness of environmental management, this issue has received a significant consideration from academics, researchers and businessmen. The purpose of this paper is to study what factors are considered to be the most important when choosing partners/suppliers in a green supply chain, with reference to the Taiwanese hand tool industry, as this industry plays a major role in the Taiwanese economy. Design/methodology/approach – Inheriting from previous researches, the literature about green supplier selection that appeared in international journals from 1997 to 2009 was reviewed. Then, the integrating fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) approach is proposed to select the most important criteria for green supplier selection in the Taiwanese hand tool industry. Findings – Ultimately, a list of criteria, along with their priority levels, is presented, not only to support Taiwanese hand-tool companies when selecting suppliers, but also to help the suppliers of these companies to improve their performance in order to meet customers' (hand-tool companies) requirements. Originality/value – The approach used in this paper to select green suppliers can be applied to other industrial or geographical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Previous empirical studies on the nature of the relationship between ownership and corporate value have produced mixed results. Meanwhile, effective management of knowledge-based intellectual capital has become a key factor to corporate success, both in firm performance and corporate value. Thus, this paper aims to reexamine the link among ownership, proxies for intellectual capital and corporate value in the emerging Taiwan market. Design/methodology/approach – Using two-stage least square estimation of panel data in a simultaneous equations framework, the authors focus on: What is the interdependent impact of ownership on corporate value through the mediating role of intellectual capital (IC)? Does ownership directly or indirectly (i.e. via IC) influence corporate value? Does it persist across industries? Findings – The empirical results suggest that the relationship between ownership and corporate value mainly depends on industry characteristics and the nature of proxies for intellectual capital in the emerging Taiwanese market. Further, the impacts of ownership on corporate value in more traditional industries are even stronger, that is, there exists the direct impact of ownership mechanism on corporate value. Notably, for the high-tech firms, ownership can indirectly affect corporate value through the moderating role of intellectual capital. Research limitations/implications – The implication reminds managers and investors not merely focusing on ownership mechanisms as the main value-creation information, but a thorough review of IC should be made in order to avoid making incorrect decisions. The limitations suggest areas for further research. For instance, it is important to extend the role of intellectual capital (i.e. to employ other variables to proxy for IC) in exploring the interdependent impact of ownership on corporate value. Originality/value – The paper potentially adds to ongoing research by extending the importance of the concept of IC in assessing the interdependent impact of ownership on corporate value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The Multiple Employment Promotion Program (MEPP) is an employment promotion measure taken by the Taiwanese Government to deal with the rising unemployment problem since 1996. The goal of this program is to subsidize non-profit organizations (NPOs) for hiring unemployed workers to assist in the deprived neighborhoods. This paper aims to describe this program and show its impacts on workers in terms of their reemployment conditions and its influences on participating NPOs by analyzing empirical data and reviewing relevant documents. Design/methodology/approach – The sample includes 2,778 people who took part in the MEPP from 16 April 2004 to 1 July 2007. Descriptive analysis, t-test and ANOVA were used to identify the MEPP's impacts on participants. As for the effects of the MEPP on NPOs, this paper reviewed and summarized relevant reports consulting the employers' opinions. Findings – By comparing participants' labor participation outcomes before and after joining the MEPP, it was found that the reemployment rate of the participants reached 60 per cent. With regard to its impacts on NPOs, most participating organizations deemed that the program was effective in terms of manpower supply, organizational development and building a partnership with the government. Moreover, about 79 per cent of the NPOs would like to continue to employ the participants after the termination of the plans. Originality/value – This is the first study in Taiwan that uses objective data from the labour insurance records to trace the MEPP participants after they leave the plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to evaluate issues of different scripts in the same record (in MARC21 and Chinese machine-readable cataloguing (CMARC)) and Chinese internal codes (i.e. double-byte character set) when implementing Koha. It also discusses successful efforts in promoting the adoption of Koha in Taiwan, particularly the contributions from Koha-Taiwan. Design/methodology/approach - A Koha CMARC/MARC21 testbed was set up to discuss issues of multi-scripts and Chinese internal codes when implementing Koha, and to determine to what extent the various features of CMARC, which are not present in MARC21, such as linking fields, can be supported in Koha and what is required to implement them if they are not available. Findings - In contrast to western characters, Chinese internal codes cause extra work, as special programming for character conversion is required when working with Koha. This situation is commonly seen in Asian countries such as China, Japan and Korea. This paper recommends implementing CMARC, MARC21 or even any other type of MARC format in Koha with strong commercial-level support. Practical implications - Koha-Taiwan serves Koha Chinese users around the world. A successful Koha-Taiwan could be a model around the world. Originality/value - In recent years, the concept of implementing an open-source library management system has been coming to the fore. In Taiwan, the local-based commercial library system covers more than one quarter of the library system market in academic libraries because the company provides better tailor-made support, mainly in scripts and multiple internal codes, than do western-based commercial library systems. Evaluations and conclusions from this paper will be useful to countries where multi-scripts and double-byte character sets are issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims to focus on helping managers understand a factor that stimulates investment in R&D, namely, the R&D tax credit. Design/methodology/approach - The paper uses a sample of firms in Taiwan; the study period is 1999-2004. Four variables are used to categorize firms in life cycle stages, and these are ranked in a number of ways. Findings - It is found that the R&D tax credit has an influence of operating performance and that the association of R&D tax credit with operating performance is moderated by the stage of the firm in its respective life cycle. This association is also moderated by the size of the firm. Practical implications - Management perspective, managers of small, older firms with sales that are stagnant or declining will benefit most from the R&D tax credit. Managers of such companies should make a greater effort to negotiate tax credits as they will benefit the most. Originality/value - The paper adds to the literature on life cycle analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact that three sets of variables - derived from transaction cost theory (TCT), the resource-based view (RBV), and institutional environment - have on choice of entry strategies of multinational corporations (MNCs) from an emerging market. Design/methodology/approach - The sample consisted of 819 Taiwanese firms which were investigated using a national survey, and logistic regression analysis was used for testing the hypotheses. Findings - The empirical findings confirm that the following factors affect this decision: firm-specific assets, international experience, whether a firm is investing abroad in pursuit of a particular customer, whether a firm seeks complementary assets abroad, and the perceived institutional differences (PEDs) between a firm's home country and the host country. The findings also suggest that PEDs have a moderating effect on foreign market entry. Research limitations/implications - As MNCs from emerging markets make the decision of entry mode strategies, they must carefully consider not only the related variables in terms of TCT and the RBV, but also the influence of institutional factors in host countries. Originality/value - This paper explores the modes of entry chosen by Taiwanese firms investing in China on the basis of TCT, institutional environment, and the RBV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into firms' innovation competencies and to develop an instrument to examine the key innovation competencies that contribute to integrated services. Design/methodology/approach -- Data were collected via the initial 80-item questionnaire given to innovation-related key figures within the Taiwanese communications industry (sample size 500; valid response rate 75.4 percent). The initial 80 items of innovation competencies and development procedures of measurement instrument were explored, exploited, and analyzed. The instrument validity of the multi-aspect innovation competencies measure was evaluated through assessing convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity. Findings -- Research results indicate that five-dimension and 17-item constructs the measurement instrument of innovation competencies for integrated services. An examination of individual dimensions' effect on "overall innovation competencies" shows that industry specific (0.45) is the most important dimension, followed by market related (0.23), technology related (0.14), product related (0.13), and organization related (0.13). Research limitations/implications -- This study is conducted in only one industry (communications) and one country (Taiwan). Practical implications -- Integration capabilities of different innovation competencies of a firm is vital for the successful development of integrated services, and out of all the innovation competencies, industry-specific innovation competencies are the most important. A firm should then identify potential markets and trends and fully utilize their human resource capabilities to develop innovative services, along with senior executives' awareness and acceptance of risk. Originality/value -- This paper may be the first to identify the measurement instrument of innovation competencies for integrated services and will expand the scope of service innovation research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The primary aim of this paper is to investigate the evolutionary process and collaboration within Taiwan's cut-flower supply chains. The paper also go on to discuss the enablement of supply chain coordination through information technology (IT) adoption and network effects, as well as performance improvements achieved by the introduction of the wholesale information sharing hotline (WISH) system. Design/methodology/approach - This paper examines the evolutionary process in Taiwan's cut-flower supply chains from a macro-study perspective, based upon primary data obtained from in-depth interviews. The paper also applies multiple regression analyses from a micro-study perspective, in order to gain insights into the evolution of market share within the supply chains, thereby facilitating the investigation of the effectiveness of the WISH system. Findings - The results reveal that the auction houses are heavily dependent upon reliable sources of supply, and that in the earlier stages of the evolutionary process, they played a mediating role in the formulation of auction lines based upon retailer demand through the adoption of the e-auction mechanism. Since then, the operational performance of the auction houses has been improved considerably, with horizontal coordination being supported by information sharing through the WISH system The network effect is found to have a positive correlation with the number of participants within the system. Originality/value - This paper focuses specifically on the evolutionary process of the cut-flower supply chains in Taiwan, examining the simultaneous achievement of both vertical and horizontal collaboration through the advancement of IT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to compare the competitiveness of the economies of Taiwan. and Korea. Design/methodology/approach - The comparison between Taiwan and Korea is based on the average value of the data over five years (2000-2004). It applies a generalized double diamond model approach to analyse the overall competitiveness of these two small open economies. Findings -- Taiwan surpasses Korea in all decisive factors with the exception of the demand condition in the domestic diamond in the years 2000-2004, which is due to Korea's population being more than double Taiwan's. As to the international diamond, Taiwan enjoys comparatively high competitiveness, and its international diamond is better than Korea's in all four parts. Research limitations/implications -- The data sources include: Indicators of Science and Technology, Taiwan, 2004 and 2005, Korean National Statistical Office and related statistical data obtained from various government agencies, including data on factor, demand, firms strategy, structure, and rivalry covering the period from 2000 to 2004, whereas related and supporting industries only covered the years 2000-2003. Originality/value -- This is the first paper to apply a generalized double diamond model approach to analyse and to compare the competitiveness of the economies of both Taiwan and Korea. Its empirical evidences and policy implications is of interest to academicians, government officials, and business managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework to link founding team and start-up competitive advantage in the context of the Taiwanese technology-based ventures. Design/methodology/approach - The paper analyzes 211 start-ups in the technology-based sector and verifies the relationship between entrepreneur resources, trust, founding team partners' commitments, and start-up competitive advantage. Findings - In technology-based start-ups, the competitive advantage of a start-ups determined by the founding team partners' commitments and the resources that an entrepreneur possesses. Research limitations/implications - The study is retrospective, which relies on technology-based founding team members as the primary research subjects. Some respondents may observe the performance of their start-ups today and then make attributions about the past to explain that performance. Practical implications - Utilization of personal networks is important in the early stage of technology-based start-ups; through networking and using trust, an entrepreneur can gain the critical resources and competitive advantage required in the development of a business. Originality/value - In technology-based start-ups, trust, not the resources that an entrepreneur possesses, is an effective way for entrepreneurs to win founding team partners' commitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — This paper aims to present a study which uses an innovative two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) model that separates efficiency and effectiveness to evaluate the performance of 28 online stockbrokers in Taiwan from 2003 to 2005. Design/methodology/approach — The approach is based on two-stage DEA. Findings — The results show that seven companies are CCR-efficient in their operating efficiency; five companies are CCR-efficient operating effectiveness and only two companies are CCR-efficient both in operating efficiency and effectiveness. There is no apparent correlation between efficiency and effectiveness. Research limitations/implications — This paper presents a two-stage DEA study to investigate the efficiency and effectiveness in the online stockbroking sector. The online stockbroking business is a development from the integration of the internet and the stock trading. As the stock brokerage industry is undergoing a rapid change due to the proliferation of the internet, analyzing the relative efficiency and effectiveness of online stockbrokers is important for management to understand, monitor and sustain performance. Originality/value — The originality of this paper is in the use of a new conceptual framework to assess the performance of online stockbrokers in Taiwan. This study uses the two-stage DEA in conjunction with return on assets ratio, which is widely used in financial analysis, to define and assess performance in the framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This study aims to examine how gender diversity within the CPA partnership team impacts the firm’s profit performance.Design/methodology/approach The authors use the two-stage least squares method in analyzing the gender–diversity–performance relationship using the pooled sample obtained from the National Survey Reports on Taiwan CPA firms between 1992 and 2008.Findings The authors observe a non-linear relationship between gender diversity at the partner level and profit performance. The relationship curves vary according to firm size. After identifying the point of inflexion for these curves, the findings indicate that the average gender diversity is below the inflexion point for large CPA firms, but exceeds the inflexion point for medium size firms.Practical implications According to the critical mass theory, increasing gender diversity within the partnership team can have a positive influence on the value of the firm. Hence, the authors argue that for large CPA firms in Taiwan, the proportion of female partners leaves room for improvement. If the average number of female partners could be increased by 0.95 persons, the critical mass would be attained.Originality/value The study provides the empirical evidence that increasing a CPA firm’s proportion of female partners positively impacts the firm’s profit performance. The findings serve a practical value as reference source for any further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to find how the changing relationship between labour and political parties influenced the growth of reasonably independent labour unions in Taiwan. Design/methodology/approach: The authors have drawn on data collected through in-depth interviews of union officials, labour activists and members of legislature from two major political parties in Taiwan. Findings: The authors found that the breach between labour and political parties was affected by the eventualities contemplated in democratisation. Though the DPP (Minchin-tang/Democratic Progressive Party) provided the initial "shot in arm", autonomous unions have not necessarily grown underneath DPP's dominion. Political liberalisation of Taiwan's industrial relations systems has gained more momentum when the DPP was in opposition than in power. Anti-incumbency pushed independent unions to sway the opposition's backing when Kuomintang (KMT/the Chinese Nationalists) was in power and not to that extent when the KMT stepped down. The autonomous labour movement in Taiwan was initially influenced by the changing relationship between labour and ruling parties. However, the movement was subsequently shaped by the ethnic and political characteristics based on the historical divide between the mainlanders and Taiwanese and Taiwan's changing economic landscape. Research limitations/implications: Specific limitations include the subjectivity of the inference and lack of generalisability of the findings that are based on interviews with two out of three players of industrial relations system. Practical implications: Because of globalisation and global financial crisis that brought together a new generation of workforce who hold individualistic values, have lesser faith in collectivism and perform new forms of work where unionisation is no more relevant, the autonomous labour movement in Taiwan was hugely impacted. Originality/value: Growth of independent unions is not being shaped by democratisation alone. If we refocus the debate about democracy's implied relationship with the rhetoric of national identity, one can see the crucial role played by the changing economic landscape and ethnic divisions ingrained in political origins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The term smartness has been discussed in the academia for many years; prior research has listed numerous advantages and encouraged business entities to implement smart technologies. However, stakeholders' knowledge level, support intention and barriers to smart technology have been under investigated. Without the support of stakeholders, smart projects can hardly be implemented. This paper aims to explore the above-mentioned under investigated area and identify the gaps between academia and the hotel industry in Taiwan.Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews were conducted with nine hotel stakeholders in Taiwan with investors, owners, managers, technology suppliers and information technology consultants. Three key areas were focused on: smart hotel definition, expectations from smart hotel and known barriers for implementing smart technologies.Findings The definition of smart hotel among all stakeholders was inconsistent. Stakeholders defined a smart hotel according to their role in the organization: revenue boost, service customization, operations effectiveness and in-room automation. However, the key functions of smart technologies, such as interconnectivity and interoperability with business partners' application (e.g. online travel agencies) and linkage to external Big data for accurate revenue forecast, were not mentioned by the interviewees. In addition, social media monitoring, robots and artificial intelligence were not mentioned during the interview.Originality/value This study attempted to identify Taiwanese hotel stakeholders' perspective on smart hotel and to compare the outcome with academic research. The result indicated that there is a big gap in the definition of "smart hotel" among stakeholders and academia and reflected several barriers that prohibit hotel owners and investors in implementing smart systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – To heed the calls for more inquiries into the tacit behavior in the partnering process and the latent rules underpinning the success of partnerships, the purpose of this paper is to develop a process model that explains when and how partner fit triggers the generation of trust through the sense making of fairness and similarity, and then yields performance by overcoming uncertainties jeopardizing the collaboration. Design/methodology/approach – To develop a comprehensive but parsimonious model for international partnership, the study involves observing and interpreting the accounts of project managers, which suggest the use of an exploratory approach based on case studies. The research setting is six cross-country partnerships operating in East Asian countries during 2005-2009 with each joint project involving Taiwanese construction companies and at least one local partner. Findings – The evidence shows that inter-partner trust conduces to project performance by reducing the threat of behavioral and environmental uncertainty. The findings confirm the general thesis that the performance implication of inter-partner trust is not uniform but contingent on both the types of trust and the uncertainty in the partnering process. Originality/value – Although not the first in the literature of collaborative dynamics, the paper contributes to identifying the latent constructs in the partnering process and highlighting the context-dependent nature of a successful partnership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Purpose -- There are contradicted perspectives on relationship between geographic cluster and competitive advantage of firms in previous research. Extant research has paid extremely attention to the effect of both geographic cluster and industrial network on firms' performance; however, little studies have delineated the relationship between geographic cluster, industrial network, and competitive advantage. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that firms within the same cluster that have established idiosyncratic network resources have stronger competitive advantages than firms that have not. Design/methodology/approach -- An empirical study of two prominent geographic clusters from Taiwan is analyzed by structural equation modeling. Findings -- The results indicate that the degree of networking does play a mediating role between geographic cluster and competitive advantage, which may help resolve the conflicting results obtained by researchers on the influence of clusters on competitive advantage. The results also find that both degree of networking and betweenness position are conducive to the pursuit of competitive advantage. Practical implications -- The research shows that firms merely locate themselves in the right cluster does not guarantee they can outperform their rivals. Rather, developing of network relationship with other firms proximate to the same cluster will strengthen a firm's competitive advantages. Originality/value -- In the theoretical perspective, this paper attempts to fill the gap in the links between clusters, networks, and competitive advantage by providing that the networking as a mechanism for firms in a cluster to improve their competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold: to analyse the diffusion of an innovative policy or service and the factors influencing it through an explorative study of the diffusion of the Bookstart program in Taiwan; and second, to provide an analytical framework for further study of this program. Design/methodology/approach – The study is both empirical and theoretical. It uses data from existing studies and also agencies involved in Bookstart to explain the diffusion of the program. It then draws on theories of policy diffusion and the initial findings of this study to develop an analytical framework for the further study of the diffusion of the Bookstart program. Findings – The Bookstart program, which is designed to promote reading habits for children 0 to 3 years old and to strengthen parent-children relations, was originally initiated in the UK. It was first introduced into Taiwan in Taichung County in 2003. The paper shows how the program spread throughout Taiwan and indicates the role of the key players in the diffusion, including charitable institutions, local politicians and leaders, local authority agencies, and the Ministry of Education. The paper posits an analytical framework identifying factors which may help to promote or facilitate the diffusion. In this respect, the paper draws on the theoretical literature and also initial evidence from the research so far undertaken. This will guide the research in the next stage of the study. Originality/value – This explorative study provides an example of the nature, process and direction of the diffusion of a policy or service innovation, and suggests the possible factors promoting or facilitating it, as identified in the initial findings of the research and in the relevant theoretical literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Drawing upon insights from knowledge-based theory and the learning perspective, this study aims to explore safeguarding strategies in open innovation. Geographic diversity and collaborative breadth can effectively protect proprietary innovations that limit knowledge leakage concerns. Design/methodology/approach: Using a cross-industry sample from the Taiwanese Technological Innovation Survey III, which covered 1,519 firms, the authors investigate the conditions under which partnership portfolios affect radical innovation. Findings: The findings suggest that the partnership portfolio has an inverted U-shaped influence on radical innovation and that this relationship is moderated by geographic diversity and collaborative breadth. This work identifies a balance in the tension between diverse partnership portfolios and knowledge leakage with regard to open innovation activities. Practical implications: This study provides senior managers with an indication of the relationships between partnership portfolios and innovative knowledge protection, identifying the geographic diversity and collaborative breadth that serve as safeguards to prevent leakages of a firm's innovative knowledge. Originality/value: This study makes an original contribution to the empirical exploration of innovation knowledge protection and provides new insights into the field of open innovation. The authors, thus, balance the tension between partnership portfolios and knowledge leakage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the service responses of service providers to the affective states of business clients and to test whether they have a positive effect on the client's job performance, as well as their satisfaction and bonding to the service provider. Design/methodology/approach – The results are based on a survey of 240 business travellers in Taiwan. Ordinary least square regression is applied to test the relationships. Findings – Statistical tests confirm that service responses to emotional states have a positive effect on customer satisfaction, job performance and bonding. While service responses aimed at easing customers' emotional problems increase satisfaction and job performance, true bonding is only facilitated through service responses that are centred on affection and social-emotional support. Research limitations/implications – The authors investigate the personal service encounter with business customers who are using the service to perform a task. The findings are applicable to services that deal with customers in a similar way. Practical implications – The paper shows that appropriate service responses to emotional states of customers, including business customers, can lead to higher satisfaction and bonding to the service provider. Service responses enable business customers to perform better. Originality/value – The authors apply the concept of pre-consumption emotions of customers to business clients. While pre-consumption emotional states of customers have been studied much less that the elicitation of customer emotions, in the business-to-business sector emotions are seldom addressed. However, the study demonstrates that emotions are an important input factor that clients bring into the service encounter, which service providers can deal with to their competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The aim of this study is to discuss the relationship between e-procurement and supply chain performance. Design/methodology/approach – Both interviews with practicing managers and an empirical study were conducted in the current study. Interviews with four practicing managers were conducted to gather the practical insights of the theoretical framework. Empirical data were collected from 108 Taiwanese enterprises. Findings – The paper found that partner relationships, information sharing, and supply chain integration can represent the processes through which e-procurement contributes to supply chain performance. Supply chain integration has the highest standardized total effect on supply chain performance. Research limitations/implications – Future studies could more systematically analyze the relationships among e-procurement, supply chain integration and supply chain performance. Cross-level analysis is also worthy of investigation when considering the influence of technology-usage characteristics. Practical implications – Compared to partner relationships and information sharing, supply chain integration has more influences on supply chain performance. Therefore, this study suggests that a joint-learning practice can be implemented for properly managing supply chains (e.g. know-how collaboration, mutual competency creation). Originality/value – This paper contributes to the literature by proposing and testing the influences of partner relationships, information sharing, and supply chain integration. This allows a strategic viewpoint when implementing e-procurement systems intended to improve supply chain performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – As a result of awareness of the increasing school accidents in recent years and severe damage to school infrastructure by Typhoon Morakot, this paper seeks to discuss the current natural disaster prevention education strategy in Taiwan and investigates the seriously damaged schools from Typhoon Morakot. Design/methodology/approach – Methods of analysis used in this paper include aerial photo interpretation of landslides and debris flows with the aid of field investigation and spatial rainfall distribution by GIS analysis. Additionally, the reasons attributed to the schools' damages and disaster prevention education strategies in schools after Morakot are discussed. Findings – After an overall review of the current disaster prevention education programs, the following items are to be stressed in disaster prevention education as a result of studying the effects of Typhoon Morakot: integration of disaster prevention education into formal school curricula; teacher training for campus disaster prevention education; development of a coalition of campus and community-based disaster management; and study of the impact of climate change and school vulnerability. School infrastructure safety evaluation and risk assessment, education materials and design activities for psychological recovery after disasters, and the connection of school safety management and community-based disaster prevention are deemed urgent after Typhoon Morakot in Taiwan. Originality/value – The current achievements of disaster prevention education in Taiwan include the development of operation and support mechanisms, curricula development and experimental schools selection, development of teacher training program, the popularization of disaster prevention education, the development and use of learning materials, and the determination of an effective assessment mechanism. It is expected that disaster prevention education will become part of the formal school curricula. School safety and vulnerability assessments as a result of climate change and student psychological recovery following disasters are urgent lessons to be implemented after learning from the results of Typhoon Morakot in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the multi-dimensions of social capital and to explore the relationships among individuals, social groups, and firms, establishing the perspective of relations for competition strategies and implementation. Design/methodology/approach – In this study, samples were selected from the legislative election of 2008 conducted in Taiwan, and focused on the candidates' competition strategies in the five major cities with the highest population density in Taiwan. Findings – The findings in this study indicate that the relationship among the three main external networks supports the curvilinear effect for gathering fundraising activities/contributions for the election. However, the impact of the number of votes obtained only reveals positive statistical significance on the part of individuals, not of firms and groups, despite the indication of a positive relationship. Research limitations/implications – The limitation of this study is that only the election of members for the Legislative Yuan in Taiwan is used. The study could be further extended to look into other types of elections, such as the election of representatives and councilors for the counties and also the presidential election. A comparative analysis for different types of elections could also be performed to find out whether there are any other different implications for the election strategies. Practical implications – It is realized only through members' levels of collective goal orientation and shared trust, which create value by facilitating successful collective action. Originality/value – There are very few discussions of the multidimensional treatments of social relationships when applying to competition strategies. The paper fills a gap in the social network study literature and also offers an important network implication for the formulation of strategy and the allocation of resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to be the first to explicate the determinants of customers' cross-buying intentions in the banking services of Korea and Taiwan, and then explore the influence of cross-cultural values, such as "Collectivism", to the relationships between these determinants and customers' cross-buying intentions. Design/methodology/approach – The authors employed a triangulation approach of structured surveys to 700 actual customers, and six interviews with professional senior managers engaged in customers' cross-buying activities of banking services in two countries – Korea and Taiwan. Confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchal multiple regression were conducted on these data using AMOS 10.1 and SPSS 12.0. Findings – "Perceived value", "Trust", "Image", and "Satisfaction" were found to be the determinants of customers' cross-buying intentions in the banking services of Korea and Taiwan, out of which "Trust" and "Satisfaction" were significantly influenced by "Collectivism". The research also confirms that, even between countries with similar level of "Collectivism", its influence can differ according to the determinants of cross-buying intentions in banking services. Originality/value – The conceptual model presented in this paper could be extended and tested on customers in an "Individualistic" culture, in future research. The analysis in the research could also be further elaborated for specific segments of customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore crucial evolutionary operational improvement initiatives related to quality management, and the emphasis is on the lessons learned from operational improvement practices in Taiwan. Design/methodology/approach – To understand a firm's evolutionary operational improvement activities holistically and deeply, the authors conducted in-depth interviews with executives from four firms in Taiwan. The grounded theory method is adopted in this study to depict the profile of the key evolutionary operational improvement activities. Findings – Based on the results of the qualitative empirical study, six major dimensions of operational improvement are identified. Further, eight empirical propositions are proposed with detailed descriptions. Research limitations/implications – The results are based on international manufacturing companies in Taiwan, and thus cannot be generalized to situations in other emerging countries and industries without further research. Practical implications – By referring to the results of this work, managers can better understand the relationships among operational improvement activities, and thus increase the chances to benefit from operational improvement initiatives. Originality/value – This paper adds to the literature by providing new empirical insights into the relationships among operational improvement activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose |!|#8211; The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of building codes in earthquake risk mitigation in Taiwan. Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; Using probabilistic risk analysis tools with available data, this study assesses the exceedance probability of extensive damage limit for general buildings in their 50-year useful lives. The buildings were classified into 15 categories according to their construction materials and building height. Then, the effects of construction materials, building height and construction years are detected. Findings |!|#8211; The exceedance probabilities of extensive damage limit for all of the investigated buildings in their 50-year useful lives are on the order of 10-2. The effect of construction materials and building height on seismic risk of buildings is decreasing with the development of a seismic design code. Significant discrepancy of seismic risk still exists among some buildings. Research limitations/implications |!|#8211; Seismic risk analysis requires quite restrictive statistical idealizations for the relevant probabilistic terms in the mathematical formulation. The problem of imperfect simplification and lack of sufficient empirical data has shown the research needs for improvements of seismic risk assessment. The questions of what constitutes acceptable risk for various performance levels and how safe is safe enough remain context-specific. Originality/value |!|#8211; Although probabilistic risk analysis provides a tool for quantifying the probability of structural failure, current earthquake-resistant design procedures do not relate performance levels to probability. The paper explores some probability information for current earthquake-resistant design for general buildings during their 50-year useful lives and the information may provide some valuable information for future code calibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Drawing on a network perspective on enterprise agility, the purpose of this paper is to explore whether firms with superior network structure not only may be better able to generate direct effect on firm performance, but whether a superior network structure may also help firms to create better firm agility and thus enhance their performance. Design/methodology/approach - The study employed a survey method and data were collected from 250 companies in Taiwan's glass industry. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) technology, it specified the measurement properties of survey instrument such as reliabilities and validities and then identified causal relation among latent constructs to examine causal effects of hypotheses testing. Findings - The results show that a firm's agility capability and its network structure are a critical competitive strategy source of firm performance. Moreover, network structure also partially mediates the impact of enterprise agility on firm performance. Research limitations/implications - Because the data were collected from a single industry and firm performance is evaluated by subjective managerial assessments, further research may be necessary by using the data involving multiple industries with objective performance indices for more meaningful and generalized results. Practical implications - The findings confirm the importance of enterprise agility for contemporary firms in today's dynamic business environment. By reinforcing enterprise agility, firms could react better to unpredictable changes. In addition, firms also are suggested to put more effort into developing and maintaining their network structures, both as repositories of external resources and as boosters of enterprise agility. Originality/value - The paper provides evidence regarding the impact of enterprise agility and network structure on firm performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is, primarily, to investigate the relationships of the project leader's competencies with job satisfaction, and their impact on project performance. The second objective is to determine whether job satisfaction plays a mediating role in the relationship between leadership competency and project performance. The third objective is to examine the moderating role of project type in the relationship between job satisfaction and project performance. Design/methodology/approach – To address the primary aims, a questionnaire-based survey was used to measure the project leader's competency, the job satisfaction of team members, and the performance of projects in the Taiwanese police departments. The structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was used to validate the research model. Findings – The results show that job satisfaction mediates the effects of leadership competency on project performance. Furthermore, these results prove that complexity, workload, method, and project duration have a moderating effect on the relationship between job satisfaction and project schedule success. Research limitations/implications – The research was limited to inspecting projects in the Taiwanese police departments. The data analyzed in this study are project-specific. Practical implications – This paper reports on the findings about leadership benefits and provides recommendations for improving police project performance. Originality/value – This research is the first to provide empirical evidence that supports the expectation of improving police project performance by developing leadership competencies. Findings from this study are helpful to project leaders in deciding whether to develop certain competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Customer satisfaction in the banking industry has long been measured as a function of service quality by using a variation of the SERVQUAL instrument. The purpose of this paper is to build a broader understanding of the determinants of customer satisfaction throughout the financial services industry by incorporating the perceptions of fairness in service delivery (FAIRSERV) and outlining why and how FAIRSERV is important to customer satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conduct a cross-sectional questionnaire survey, including samples of 420 customers from the financial services industry in Taiwan. PLS-Graph is used to evaluate the measures of reliability as well as validities, and to test the hypotheses. Findings – The results show that fair service not only has a significant impact on customer satisfaction, but also plays a role equivalent to service quality in determining customers' trust and perceived value, which in turn lead to customer satisfaction. Research limitations/implications – The impact of FAIRSERV on customer satisfaction should be emphasized. Future studies examining the impact of service quality on customer satisfaction should incorporate the concept or instruments of fair service as a major contributor. Practical implications – The results imply that financial institutions must carefully implement policies and practices to ensure that perceptions of fairness are propagated throughout the organization. Originality/value – The paper proposes a complementary component to service quality in determining the perceived value and satisfaction. The paper emphasizes the significance of fairness on service, and provides additional insights into the impacts of FAIRSERV on customer satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a contingency model to examine how technological capacity, promotion capacity, and technological substitution affect the supplier collaboration-new product performance relationship. Design/methodology/approach – This study uses data from a Government survey of technological innovation. A total of 201 machinery/electronics equipment manufacturing firms in Taiwan comprise the sample. A Tobit regression analysis is adopted to analyze the data. Findings – It is found that technological capacity and promotion capacity enhance the effect of supplier collaboration on new product performance. Technological substitution mitigates the relationship between supplier collaboration and new product performance. Research limitations/implications – The sample of this study just focuses on machinery/electronics equipment manufacturing firms. The new insights of this study imply that by failing to consider the contingency roles of technological capacity, promotion capacity, and technological substitution, previous research may have assumed away the conditions external and internal to a firm and thus may have reached an oversimplified view of the link between supplier collaboration and product innovation performance. Practical implications – Firms can improve the effect of supplier collaboration on product innovation by enhancing their technological capacity and promotion capacity. Originality/value – The paper makes contributions to explain why some firms attain better new product performance than others under the same level of supplier collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Organizations are facing a rapidly changing environment and there is a greater need to understand customers' demands and competitors' strategies for the development of product innovation. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of market orientation, market knowledge and customer knowledge management on product innovation performance from the perspective of dynamic capability. Design/methodology/approach – The data were collected from high-tech firms in Taiwan. This study employs the structural equation model (SEM) to examine the relationships between market orientation, market knowledge, customer knowledge management and product innovation performance. Findings – The findings of this study suggest market orientation has no significant impact on product innovation performance, and market knowledge and customer knowledge management mediate the relationship between market orientation and product innovation performance. Research limitations/implications – This paper suggests the consideration of various types of mediators or moderators in order to acquire more information for future study; the framework can be expanded to other industries due to this study's limited focus on the high-tech industry. Practical implications – This paper implies that besides utilizing market orientation for innovative practices, the high-tech industry should focus more on market knowledge and customer knowledge management. In high-tech industries, the process of knowledge management, which transfers customer knowledge to product innovation, can effectively seize market information. Originality/value – This study examines the mediating effects of market knowledge and customer knowledge management and clarifies the relational inconsistencies between market orientation and product innovation performance from knowledge management viewpoints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – A person's optimum stimulation level (OSL) reflects one's desired level of environmental stimulation and predisposition to act in the presence of environments. The purpose of this paper is to propose a comprehensive model, which illustrates that consumers with different levels of OSL have differing evaluations of retail store elements, shopping value and subsequent shopping behaviours. Design/methodology/approach – To examine the relationship between OSL and consumer perceptions and behaviours, interviews were conducted with retail shoppers in Taiwan (n=147). Findings – Taiwanese shoppers with a high OSL were found to have more favourable evaluations of a store's ambient, design, layout and density elements than did consumers with a low OSL. Additionally, the high OSL shoppers reported higher hedonic and utilitarian values from their shopping. Most importantly, the shoppers with a high OSL spent more time and money in stores. Practical implications – With this research, hopefully retailers will pay even more attention to the ambient, design and layout elements of their stores. In doing so, they might be able to attract more consumers with a high OSL and entice them to spend more money. Originality/value – The paper contributes to the growing body of international retailing research by examining the effects of shoppers' optimum stimulation levels on their perceptions toward store elements, perceived shopping value, and purchase behaviours. Moreover, a comprehensive framework is put forth to assist future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to find answers to the following questions: How do employers think about e-portfolios? Do employers really see e-portfolios as a suitable hiring tool? Which factors in students' e-portfolios attract potential employers? Can e-portfolios be successfully used by students in their search for a job? Design/methodology/approach – A semi-structured interview survey was used in this study. All ten interviewees were HR managers from ten different companies. They were interviewed face-to-face between December 2010 and May 2011. In order to collect a broad range of multiple ideas, the interviewees came from a wide range of industries including tourism, product design, real estate, information and technology, insurance, recruitment service, and others. Findings – The results of this survey showed that the e-portfolio is perhaps still in its early stage of development. Nevertheless, the employer interviews indicate a high and consistent level of interest by the employers, indicating a promising future of the e-portfolio as a job search tool. In addition, employers can use specific information to conduct to pre-screen candidates. On the other hand, they may include the e-portfolio as a factor in the final phase of the selection process to obtain a deeper and more complete level of information (e.g. learning reflections) that can clearly demonstrate a job applicant's characteristics and potential for career development. Originality/value – Faculty members and career service staff in universities and colleges should consider promoting e-portfolios to employers as a promising tool for selecting their next employee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Human resource management (HRM) practices have been re-evaluated under the pressures and constraints of factors such as globalization, inward and outward investment patterns, multinational companies (MNCs), indigenous cultures and institutions. This paper aims to compare changes and continuities in key aspects of HRM in South Korea and Taiwan. It examines the impacts on HRM policies - particularly employment security, extensive training, performance based pay and employee influence - and the role of a core-periphery model. Time effects, country effects and the interaction between them are explored. Design/methodology/approach – The research was undertaken across a decade at three time periods between 1996 and 2005 and in both locally-owned firms and MNC subsidiaries using questionnaires. Findings – The authors find, first, recognizable general patterns over time; second, significant interaction effects of country and time; third, some HRM practices more culturally bounded than others. Practical implications – These include issues relating to companies using more core-periphery and performance based employment. Originality/value – The paper makes use of an under-used perspective, both comparative and longitudinal, at three time periods in two under-researched contexts of South Korea and Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The main purpose of this paper is to introduce a comprehensive model explaining what affects the scope of the firm and also to find out its impact on firm performance. Design/methodology/approach - This paper is based on an empirical analysis of a sample of 312 hardware manufacturing companies in Taiwan. Findings - The research findings indicate that capability exploitation and upgrading will exert a positive influence on corporate diversification. In addition, corporate diversification will exhibit a curvilinear effect on firm performance. Practical implications - Under the logic of capability-based growth, managers should manage portfolios of capability upgrading and capability exploitation; and then, managers have to conduct econometric analyses to find out a firm's optimal level of corporate diversification for performance maximization. Originality/value - This study attempts to propose a dynamic capabilities perspective, which suggests that the successful growth of a firm hinges on a strategic logic of capability-based growth management containing both capability exploitation and capability upgrading, for exploring the antecedents and consequences of corporate diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – University libraries are increasing their e-book collections. The purpose of this study is to investigate graduate students' usage of and attitudes towards e-books at National Taiwan University. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 20 graduate students from the fields of humanities, social sciences, science and technology, and medicine were interviewed. Findings – The results indicated that graduate students used e-books mainly for the purposes of study and research. Monographs were the type of e-book that students used most often, followed by textbooks and reference tools. While they appreciated the convenience of using e-books, students mentioned several limitations. They liked the keyword search function of e-books. Most of the time, graduate students browsed a few paragraphs or pages online and then printed out copies for further reading. They also borrowed the corresponding paper versions of the e-books from the library. Students preferred that university libraries supply both the electronic and paper versions. In certain aspects, students' use behaviour was found to vary among disciplines. Originality/value – This study highlights multiple aspects of graduate students' use behaviour with respect to e-books. The findings could be used to enhance e-book collection development in university libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The aim of this study was to draw on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and attempt to identify the factors influencing the customer decision to purchase via online auctions, focusing on how managers selling via online auctions can modify product positioning and promotion decisions in order to make their offerings more congruent with these factors. Design/methodology/approach – The study employed a survey instrument to collect data from Yahoo!Kimo website consumers in Taiwan, obtaining 450 samples which were analyzed with structural equation modeling. Findings – Attitude toward online auctions, perceived behavioral control and past related experiences significantly and positively influence the intention to purchase on online auctions, whereas subjective norm does not have such influence. Additionally, past related experiences have a positive effect on perceived behavioral control. Research limitations/implications – There has been a relative dearth of work on online auction customer behavior. By applying the TPB to online auction research, it was empirically supported that behavioral intention to purchase via online auctions is determined by attitude and perceived behavior control. Past related experiences were further integrated, discovering that they can strengthen perceived behavioral control. Practical implications – Recommendations are put forward in order to help better align product positioning and promotion decisions in online auctions with customer attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and past related experiences. These constructs may also be capable of explaining employee actions in general managerial contexts, thus extending the contribution of the paper beyond the limited world of online auctions. Originality/value – This study integrated online auctions, the theory of planned behavior and consumer decision-making philosophies in order to develop and empirically test a theoretical framework of consumer decision making in online auctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to examine the cultural influences on young consumers' loyalty tendency and evaluations of the relative importance of apparel retail store attributes in Taiwan and the USA. Design/methodology/approach -- A structured questionnaire was developed to collect the data. Factor analysis was employed to identify dimensions of apparel retail store image attributes. Pillai's Trace multivariate analysis of variance and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were used to examine the hypotheses. Findings -- Results of the study showed that American consumers have significantly greater collectivistic characteristics than Taiwanese. The paper also found that country of residence is a significant and stronger indicator in predicting loyalty tendency than individualism and collectivism dimensions. The results of the study showed that evaluation of the relative importance of retail store attributes was influenced by culture. Among the five apparel retail store attribute dimensions identified in the study, Taiwanese and US respondents' evaluation of the importance of "convenience", "product" and "information communication" factors of retail store image attributes differed significantly. Research limitations/implications -- The paper may contribute to international retailers' understanding of the similarities and differences between Taiwanese and US markets and in determining the ideal components for these retailers to create an optimized apparel retail store image in two different countries' markets. The findings from the study could serve as an important benchmark for retailing strategy, helping retailers to effectively redesign their apparel stores to attract consumers in different markets and foster consumers' loyal to the company. Originality/value -- Despite the growing internationalization of fashion retailing, this particular sector has attracted little research attention, and no research has been done to investigate the cultural differences of consumers' evaluations of apparel retail store image attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to present the experience of National Taiwan University Medical Library (NTUML) in changing the atmosphere of the library, catering to the needs of current users; attracting potential users to the library; and modifying the library's image from a place filled with stacks of books and clusters of computers to a place where people might relax and enjoy reading. Design/methodology/approach -- NTUML commenced the planning stage of the renovation of its Reference Room on the third floor in June 2007. After extensive discussions with the interior designer, the NTUML transformed an abstract idea into the concrete design of the "New Reading Paradise", a diverse and cozy environment suitable for quiet reading, group discussion and interaction. The "New Reading Paradise" was officially open to public in March 2008. The 992-square-meter reading paradise houses a choice collection of books and reference materials, with comfortable, brightly-lit discussion rooms and ergonomically designed reading tables and chairs. Findings -- Records show that from 2005 to 2008 the number of readers using the NTUML Reference Room increased by 52.60 percent. The NTUML conducted a small questionnaire survey of a random sample of its users. Of the 40 respondents, 35 were satisfied with the overall design of the space, and the remaining five thought it was acceptable. A total 37 respondents said that they were more inclined to use the library because of the "New Reading Paradise". Originality/value -- The paper describes how the library transformed itself to become more in tune with the needs of its users. The Reading Paradise reminds the users to slow down, take a mind break, and enjoy reading and thinking. This is a responsibility of the library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this research is to explore, through the lens of a resource-based view and dynamic capability theory, how new ventures in high-technology industries accumulate resources to survive and sustain competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach - This study used the multiple case study approach completed for three integrated circuit (IC) design companies in Taiwan by conducting in-depth interviews with senior executives in each case. Through the aforementioned case studies, the paper was able to summarize and verify the key elements and steps to find the customer and achieve the firm growth. Findings - It was found that three core elements, technology, networking and legitimacy are necessary. In addition, there are emerging and embedding steps adopted by each case in this study for new ventures to successfully penetrate the market and sustain the competitive advantage. Research limitations/implications - The findings are focused on one country, and three cases of a specific industry in Taiwan. Future research can be conducted in different cultural contexts and different industries. Practical implications - New ventures in high-technology industries can follow the elements and steps suggested in this research paper to accumulate their initial resources. The strategy has been proven by the case studies therein and can be considered highly applicable. Originality/value - The paper concludes that three key resources for sustaining a company's competitive advantages are necessary. Moreover, a well-orchestrated management is especially essential for new ventures in high-technology industries to succeed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]