| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立政治大學 === 經營管理碩士學程(EMBA) === 103 === Textbooks are a major media to teaching, a main source for students to gain knowledge. They bear the responsibility to pass on knowledge and social values. The contents not only need to reflect ideal educational philosophies and social era developments, but also adapt to different growing and learning needs of the students. Their importance is without question. However, other thank textbooks, exercise books, worksheets, handbooks, teaching activities, teaching tools, digital medias, lab activities, supplementary materials, and extended readings are also part of classroom teaching and student learning progress. These ancillaries, together with the main body—textbooks, comprise the textbook industry.
In the past, elementary and junior high school textbooks in Taiwan were unified and published by the government. Until 1989, textbooks of non-academic subjects were opened to private publishers for editing and publishing and in the year of 1996 elementary academic textbooks. Fourteen private publishers entered the business at that time. Not until later, they realized how high the threshold is to enter the business. The contents must keep up with social realities, not to mention other important elements such as printing, publishing, logistics, shipping and copy rights, etc. which could no longer rely on the total support and resources of the government. In addition, the exacerbating low birth rate and price inflation problems in Taiwan prohibit the publishers from setting textbook prices. As a result, the textbook industry is caught in low marginal profits. Therefore, sustainable development of publishers is an important topic to be discussed.
This study uses Resource-Based Theory (RBT) to investigate the effectiveness of diversification strategy with K Educational Publishing Group as an example. The following three areas are explored:
1.The developments and evolutions of the textbook industry in Taiwan.
2.The effects of macro-environment factors, such as government policies and low birth rate on Taiwan textbook industry.
3.The analysis on successful and unsuccessful factors of using existing resources for diversification strategy by the textbook industry.
This research utilizes case study method. Through literature review, the diversification strategy management perspective by Amit &; Livnat (1988) is used in the study with the focuses on the extension of existing resources and skills, constructing new abilities and expanding product lines. In addition, this study also employs resource-based perspective proposed by Grant (1991) to explore the resources and abilities of the enterprise, such as the company’s research and development, purchasing, and marketing abilities as explanations and validations.
The results indicate that if the enterprise could objectively analyze its existing abilities when engaging in diversification strategy investment evaluations and have more positive connections with diversification strategy developments, it will have greater chance to success, otherwise smaller. Lastly, revenue growths can be used to evaluate management effectiveness of the enterprise.
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