The Influence of Resource, Capability and Social Capital on Operating Performance: Evidence from Taiwanese Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Industry

• Main Authors: Janet Dai, 戴蕙敏
• Other Authors: Lin, Miao-Que
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2005
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/66036217673485106481

碩士 === 輔仁大學 === 科技管理學程碩士在職專班 === 93 === Due to the needs of larger investments, higher R&D risks, expenses and longer development period, Biotech industry in Taiwan still is in its germinating stage. However, studies from US biotech evolution since 1975 demonstrate resource & capability from inside the company combines with social capital from outside the company, those financial operating performance indicators, as well as crew unity and innovation speed, those non-financial indicators are the important factors that could improve a company’s sales or profit margin. From previously researches on biotech industrial operating performance, we found more attentions were focused on industry structure and invention strategy, instead of on the resource & capability inside the company, and social capital outside. Abundant resources could support R&D activities and maintain company operating. Strong capability could keep innovation continuing and create competitive advantage. Social capital could help company to get innovative technologies increasing its performance by communicating with other related organizations. In this study, therefore, we have chosen social capital, resource & capability as our effect factors to study their influence in Taiwan biotech industry operating performance. Most of the Taiwan Biotech companies are in the early developing stage. Their business strategies, R&D programs and progresses are completely different resulting hard to define performance. In this case, AHP has been chosen as our study tool to systematically get those critical factors that affect the operating performance of Taiwan biotechs from those unknown and complex situations. Concluded from 11 effective questionnaires, several identical and valid results are observed: 1. Both personnel and organization capabilities are the crucial factors for operating performance. Particularly, organization learning could arouse innovation, speed up R&D, in results, and enforce company competition. 2. Intangible resource is the key factor that could speed up return of investment in a relatively short time period when compares with tangible resource. 3. Among all kind of social capitals, linking social capital is the most important one to influence operating performance, and this is because Taiwan biotechs strongly need government supports in their beginning stage. According to the results from our studies, we recommend Taiwan biotech companies could take following suggestions to improve their operating performance: 1. Build R&D data bank to strengthen technology innovation and commercialization capability. 2. Implement patent application, and demand using lab book to document all R&D activities to legally protect business secrets. 3. Recruit professionals with great industry experiences, and hold internal training courses to interflow knowledge. 4. Focus on linking social capital, and have special unit in charging communication with government, as well as related societies, associations and organizations.