The Role of Trust in Subcontracting Network Management in Different Power: A comparison analysis with Hi-tech corporations in Taiwan

• Main Authors: Ching-Yao Lin, 林敬堯
• Other Authors: 羅家德
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/19465845434111938068

碩士 === 元智大學 === 資訊社會學研究所 === 91 === Abstract Due to the outsourcing relationship management between high-tech corporations and their subcontractors, The networks of Taiwanese high-tech industries become stabilized. These high-tech corporations highlight the permanent and stable partnership instead of short-term arbitrary relationship when managing their outsourcing contracts. Under these circumstances, the outsourcing relationship management is very important and strategic to the competitiveness of Taiwanese high tech firms. However, most transactions or cooperation between firms rely on the trust in the Taiwanese high-tech industrial networks. My research framework combines the transaction cost approach, the resource dependency theory and the embedded-network theory. Applying this framework and using qualitative research methods, I focus on different high-tech firms in the same outsourcing contractual partnership which also turns the firms into different power hierarchy. Then I study the changes of trust, power and the legal protections of different firms while different types of crisis risks raising in the contractual partnership. The analysis shows that on the one hand, the firms within the higher position of power hierarchy will use trust to maintain the cooperative relationship while facing the crisis risks of inferior quality, parallel outsourcing and slack season. Moreover, they will use power to maintain the cooperative relationship while facing the crisis risks of cost-down and orders for emergency. The results also suggest that the trust will play a significant role in the cooperative relationship while the power hierarchy between firms is more equal. The power and the trust of previous contractual relationship are two important indicators of evaluation for the next time cooperation.