The research on relationship of characteristics of organization, strategic roles and human capital of international companies — An empirical study of the overseas subsidiaries of enterprises in Taiwan

• Main Authors: Jia-Hua Hsu, 許家華
• Other Authors: Bih-Shiaw Jaw
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2001
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/47480358355583996716

碩士 === 國立中山大學 === 人力資源管理研究所 === 89 === In the era of knowledge economy, the foundation of the organization is not money, material capital, or technology, but is human capital and knowledge. During the recent years, Taiwanese enterprises have faced the trend of globalization. For many international companies, their overseas subsidiaries have grown at a rate faster than ever before. Therefore, researchers have begun to emphasize on the management issues of overseas subsidiaries, especially in the human capital. The purpose of this research is to develop a framework of strategic human capital at the subsidiary level in international companies. In this framework, we first categorize international human capital at the subsidiary level. Then the analyses of the determinants of international human capital are undertaken. Using a sample of Taiwanese companies who have subsidiaries operating globally, we test a set of hypotheses among the variables. The major findings of this study are listed below: I. The international company’s human capital can be categorized into three types: 1. Input of human capital; 2. Transformation of human capital, including the executive’s leadership of knowledge and vision, and employees’ ability of entrepreneurship and innovation; 3. Output of human capital. II. Based on the cluster analysis, four different strategic roles of overseas subsidiaries have been found. 1. Integrated player; 2. Implementor; 3. Local Innovator; 4. Moderate subsidiary, instead of a global innovator. III. Different characteristics of organization also bring different composites of human capital. 1. Investment ratio of a parent company has significant differences on input of human capital. 2. The established years of a subsidiary have a significant difference on input of human capital. 3. Employees in different geometrical areas have significant differences on the employees’ ability of entrepreneurship and innovation. 4. The number of employees has significant differences on input of human capital. IV. Strategic roles of overseas subsidiaries (including inflow of knowledge and outflow of knowledge) are the crucial determinants of international human capital (including input of human capital, the executive’s leadership of knowledge and vision, employees’ ability of entrepreneurship and innovation, and output of human capital). However, their relationships are moderated by subsidiary’s characteristics of organization.