Does Relation-Specific Investment Contribute to Competence Building? A Supplier's Perspective

關係專屬性投資是否有助於廠商能力之建構？－供應商觀點之實證研究

王慧美(Hui-Mei Wang) ； 黃恆獎(Heng-Chiang Huang) ； 李吉仁(Ji-Ren Lee)

《台灣管理學刊》 1卷1期 (2001/08) Pp. 55-75

https://doi.org/10.6295/TAMJ.2001.0101.04

摘要

本研究主旨在以專業代工製造供應商的角度，探討其對於關係專屬性資產的投資是否產生正面的價值創造效果。理論觀念上，本研究以動態能力觀點下的合作關係為出發點，結合交易成本對專屬性資產的考量，認為製造供應商投資於關係專屬性資產，將有助於提高夥伴間投入共同活動的機會，從而有助於供應商的能力提升，進而提供更具價值的專業製造服務。
實證上，本研究針對專屬性資產提出兩個新的研究構面，分別是「資訊科技專屬性資產」以及「流程專屬性資產」，以反應製造供應商透由組織間協調常規的建立，結合專屬團隊與資訊交換架構的運用綜效，以達成創造交易價值的重要性。本研究以台灣資訊業跨國專業代工製造廠商為問卷調查對象，運用直線結構關係模型進行資料分析，實證結果顯示，傳統專屬性資產、資訊科技專屬性資產皆對夥伴間共同活動有顯著的正向影響，而流程專屬性資產以及共同活動則皆與廠商的能力建構呈顯著正向關係；綜論之，關係專屬性資產的正面價值創造效果大致獲得支持。本研究最後並根據實證結果，提出實務意涵與對於未來研究的建議。

關鍵字

關係專屬性資產 ； 能力建構 ； 跨國代工夥伴關係

並列摘要

This research attempts to explore, both conceptually and empirically, the positive effect of committing on relation-specific investment by the supplier within a context of international subcontracting partnership. Conceptually, we bring dynamic capability perspective of inter-firm collaboration into the existing transaction costs consideration by arguing that this kind of investment could stimulate more joint initiatives, which, in turn, could result in competence building by the supplier. As the supplier's capability is essential to successful strategic outsourcing, relation specific investment could therefore provide transaction value for, not merely incur transaction costs to, the inter-organization collaboration.
Empirically, we propose two new constructs of asset specificity, namely ”IT specificity” and ”process specificity”, to highlight the necessity of establishing inter-organizational coordinating routines involving interaction between people and the information infrastructure under which inter-organization knowledge exchange and eventually synergistic complementarities could be facilitated. Based on a questionnaire survey of Taiwanese manufacturers in information industries and a linear structural equation modeling approach, the empirical results largely support our conceptual postulation that the supplier's investment in relation-specific assets will positively affect both its involvement in joint activities and competence building. Managerial implications based on these results and future research directions are suggested.

並列關鍵字

Relation-specific investment ； Competence building ； International subcontracting