摘要 在全球競爭的壓力下,企業如何能更快取得更新的知識及技術成為至勝的重要關鍵,多國籍企業利用各海外子公司之優勢進行多點競爭,使得子公司之創新能力更顯重要。在許多技術密集的產業中,如製藥業和電子業,已有愈來愈多的企業選擇在全球各據點建立起自己的研發網路。 過去文獻多在探討多國籍企業整體之創新能力及競爭條件,對於各子公司間之比較,則較少提及。本研究以3M亞洲地區子公司做為個案探討之對象,目的在於提出多國企業子公司創新程度影響因素之探討,希望藉由分析及比較各子公司之間在市場、技術能力及文化上之差異來了解其創新度之不同原因何在。 本研究經由過去文獻探討,建立研究架構後進行個案訪談,並依據訪談內容設計問卷。本研究問卷共分發至3M亞洲地區八家子公司,待問卷回收後再與訪談內容分別進行分析比對工作。研究中發現:市場重要性是3M決定投入資源程度的一個重要指標;此外子公司所擁有的技術及能力也是一個重要的考慮因素,因為若子公司能力不足,無法承接母公司移轉的技術,還是難有進一步的發展;而企業文化,更是影響3M創新的重要因素。 市場因素一直是多國籍企業決定投資的重要因素,成長快速、廣大的潛在客戶群能促使企業銷售量提升,低廉的工資及原料成本容易使企業得到低成本優勢。此外,市場客戶的特質也會影響企業的創新及經營績效,挑剔的顧客培養出高品質水準的供應商,喜歡使用新產品的市場客戶更迫使企業不斷創新。因此,市場重要性的確是影響多國籍企業創新程度的重要因素之一。 多國籍企業中,子公司的技術能力除直接影響創新程度外,也會直接影響子公司在跨國企業中的角色地位,進而影響母公司對其資源分配及任務指派。此外,子公司的技術能力也影響子公司的學習能力,進而影響母公司技術移轉的績效。在這些因素的共同影響下,我們可以說子公司的技能力是構成影響創新程度的重要因素之一。 文化是可以塑造的。3M藉著將研發逸事賦予傳奇色彩,設立各種激立制度以及維持並鼓勵激發創新的因子如:尊重人性自由、容忍錯誤、15%法則等不斷的強化及改造其企業文化能更符合環境所需,我們可以說:是3M的優秀文化,促成其百年不墜的基業。 文化雖然不能証明會直接影響創新程度,但卻會透過組織運作影響子公司技術能力發展績效,進而影響創新程度,因此,文化對創新程度之影響也扮演者重要角色。 本研究之影響創新程度因素的原始架構,是參考過去文獻發展而來,並衍生出主要假說。在與關鍵人物訪談後,利用問卷調查進行再次驗證。經過訪談分析、問卷分析及結果比對之後,本研究發現,子公司文化,並不會直接影響創新程度,而是透過影響子公司技術及能力,來影響創新程度。而創新程度也會對子公司技術及能力有正向的回饋作用,即創新程度越高,子公司技術及能力也會越高。
Abstract How to obtain the advanced knowledge and technology for a company has been a major point to success under the global market competition. It is also more and more important that the innovation capability of a subsidiary. As a consequence, a lot of hi-tech companies have established the R&D operation in global area. There has been lots of research discussing the innovation and competition capability of a multi-national company, but the comparison between subsidiaries was not mentioned too much. A research of the subsidiaries in Asia area of 3M company is presented here. The purpose is to propose what are the factors to influence the innovation of subsidiaries. The goal is to analyze what is the difference of innovation base on the countries, technology, and local culture. A frame of interview with 3M was established base on the reference papers, and a survey form was designed depended on the interview contents. The survey form was sent to 8 3M subsidiaries in Asia. In this research some factors are found. (1) The market is the leading role that how much 3M headquarter will decide to invest. (2) The current capability of the subsidiary. (3) Company culture of the local subsidiary. The market has been always the most important factor that how a multi-national company will invest. The company revenue will be increasing due to the fast growing and potential customers. The low manpower and material cost also provide cost down competition. Besides the customer characters influence company innovation very much. The demanding customers push the supplier to provide higher quality products, and the aggressive customers like to use the new products. The technology capability of a subsidiary will influence the innovation, the investment of headquarter, and the role in the company. The technology transfer will be much successful in a subsidiary which has a better technology capability. The company culture is also another factor to influence innovation. 3M established a system to encourage innovation, for example: (1) respect freedom (2) allow mistake (3) 15% role. Bye means of this company culture 3M has been always the most innovative company in the world. The hypothesis in this research was derived from the reference, then to arrange the interview with key persons. After interview and survey analysis some important factors were found here. The innovation of a subsidiary is proportional to the technical capability of the subsidiary. A subsidiary which has a higher technical capability is easily to transfer and feedback the technology, then the innovation opportunity is higher.