初始條件，資源配置，與技術績效

Initial Conditions, Resource Configuration, and Technological Performance

吳相勳(Hsiang-Hsun Wu)

指導教授 ： 李吉仁

國立臺灣大學/管理學院/國際企業學研究所/博士(2009年)

https://doi.org/10.6342/NTU.2009.01203

摘要

組織能否透過資源配置（resource configuration）影響績效，一直是組織理論與策略理論學者的爭論焦點之一。策略理論學者強調組織可透過資源配置，取得較佳的經濟績效。組織理論學者並不否認組織具有配置資源的能力以因應環境變化，然而，因為組織慣性（organizational inertia），組織無法立即改變資源配置以反應新環境的需求。組織理論學者更進一步指出，組織慣性是由組織成立之初、具有隨機性質的初始條件（initial conditions）所形塑而成的。因此，初始條件可能才是績效的最重要決定性因素，而非組織的資源配置。然而，策略理論中的資源基礎觀點與動態能耐觀點，甚少探討組織初始條件對於績效的影響。本研究意圖在組織理論與策略理論觀點之間提出一個綜合的觀點。

本研究分析初始條件對於績效的持久性效果，以及初始條件與資源配置兩者間的交互作用對於績效的影響。這個研究以1988年至2006年的全球TFT-LCD廠商做為實證研究對象。本研究以廠商在產業發展初期的技術網路中的位置—技術地位（technological status）與競爭聚集度（competitive crowding），定義初始條件。廠商的資源配置，分為內部的吸收能力（absorptive capacity）建立，以及外部的資源槓桿運用（external resource leverage）兩類。研究結果指出，初始的技術地位與技術績效呈現正向關係，且其效果與時漸增。而初始的競爭聚集度則與預期相反，與技術績效呈反向關係。結果進一步指出，當廠商處於較差的初始條件時，提高吸收能力與建立外部資源槓桿運用，可以提高技術績效。然而，值得注意的是，細部的結果顯示初始條件相當程度限制了吸收能力與外部資源槓桿運用的效果。例如，當廠商的初始競爭聚集度或是初始技術地位較差時，高度投入於提升吸收能力，也難以達到那些初始競爭聚集度或是初始地位較高廠商的績效水準。這顯示，當我們未考慮初始條件的影響下，可能會過度估計組織的資源配置與績效間關係。這個結果予以組織初始條件豐富的策略意涵，以及更多延伸的研究議題。

關鍵字

初始條件 ； 組織生態學 ； 資源基礎觀點 ； 動態能耐 ； 資源配置

並列摘要

Whether the organization can enhance performance through resource configuration has been the one of core arguments between organizational theory and strategy theory. Strategy scholars emphasize that the organization can through the allocation of resources to gain better economic performance. Organizational theory scholars do not deny the organization’s capability of resource configuration but question the organizational capability to timely respond to environmental changes. Because of the organization inertia, organizations can not immediately change the resource configuration to reflect the need of the environment. Organization theory scholars further argue that the organizational inertia is formed by the initial conditions which are characterized with random distribution. Hence, initial conditions might be the most determinant of performance, not organizational resource configuration. However, strategy theories such as the resource-based view and dynamic capability perspective are not so concerned about the influence of initial conditions on the performance. This study intends to propose a comprehensive point of view based on these two theoretical streams.

The current study examined the enduring effect of initial conditions and potential interaction effect between initial conditions and resource configuration on technological performance. The research took global TFT-LCD manufacturers from 1988 to 2006 for the empirical test. In this context, the firm’s network positions -- technological status and competitive crowding in the technological network at the initial stage of industry were used to define the initial conditions. The firm’s resource configuration includes the absorptive capacity and external resource leverage. Results indicated that initial status has positive and increasing effect on technological performance. Initial crowding which was different from expected had positive effect on technological performance. Results further indicated that firms with poor initial conditions can increase the absorptive capacity and leverage the external resources to improve the technical performance. However, it is worthy to note that detailed results showed that initial conditions limit the effectiveness of enhancing absorptive capacity and engaging external resource leverage. For example, the performance of initial low-crowing or low-status firms with highly investment of absorptive capacity cannot eventually be compared with that of initial high-crowding or high-status firms. This showed that, when we did not consider the impact of initial conditions, the influence of resource configuration could be over-estimated. These results provided rich strategic implications for practice and shed light on future research of initial conditions and resource configuration.

並列關鍵字

initial conditions ； organizational ecology ； resource based view ； dynamic capability ； resource configuration

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