When Product Development Performance Makes a Difference: A Statistical Analysis in the Electronics Industry

Throughout the pages of JPIM and other publications, researchers and practitioners devote considerable effort to identifying the dimensions of new-product development (NPD) performance that relate most closely to business success. Although we may hope to unveil a set of universal truths about the relationship between NPD performance and business success, the relevant NPD performance measures appear to depend on the industry in which a firm competes. In fact, Christian Terwiesch, Christoph Loch, and Martin Niederkofler suggest that the overall relevance of NPD performance to business success depends on the firm's competitive market environment. In a study of 86 business units operating in 12 different electronics industries worldwide, they develop a market contingency framework for understanding the impact of NPD performance on a firm's profitability. Their study uses data from the “Excellence in Electronics” project, a joint research effort by Stanford University, the University of Augsburg, and McKinsey & Co. They describe market context in terms of three dimensions: market share, market growth, and external stability—that is, the average product life cycle duration in the market. Looking at all 86 business units in the study, they find that industry membership accounts for 23% of the variance in profits, with 18 percent of the variance determined by industry profitability and 5% by the three dimensions of market context. For the firms in the study, development performance has the most significant effect in slow-growth markets and in markets with long product life cycles. In these stable industries, low development intensity, product line freshness, and technical product performance increase profitability. The results indicate that NPD performance plays a much more important role for explaining the profitability of dominant firms than that of the low-market-share firms in the study. NPD performance explains 30% of the profitability variance among the high-market-share business units in the study, but none of the variance for the low-market-share business units. Although the profitability of the smaller firms in the study is driven primarily by the industry environment, these firms can compete on the basis of superior technical performance.     

Wage Structure and Dynamics in the Electronics Industry

This study analyzes wage patterns over time among California electronics employers. While the range of wages paid is substantial, employers on average make only small departures from market wage that are not pervasive across occupations or persistent across time. Employers appear able to change employment levels without affecting wages. Internal wage relativities also appear flexible. Differences between administered wage scales and actual wages paid are used to distinguish wage policy from market outcomes.     

Workers' Perceptions of Automated Production Work in Singapore's Electronics Industry

This study describes workers' perceptions of automated production work in a newly industrialising economy (NIE), Singapore. Workers perceived increased levels of skill required, responsibility and workload. Those who made the transition from a non-automated to automated line were less positive about automated work compared to workers who always worked, or who never worked on an automated line. Perceptions of automated work also varied by previous work experience and gender. These findings have implications for managing the transition to automated production. Unlike the situation in developed economies, union membership was not a significant factor in workers evaluation of automated work.     

加入WTO与中国机电行业对外贸易

围绕中国加入WTO，本文首无对机电行业的“入世”背景 内行业间的动态比较分析和国际行业内的静态比较分析。然后结合WTO的相关要款，分析加入WTO对机电行业对外贸易发展的主要影响。根据机电行业发展的现状以及“入世”可能造成的影响，本文给出了机电行业对外贸易进一步发展的政策建议。     

电子产业竞争的特殊性分析及其启示

以持续的技术创新为基本特征的电子行业竞争具有与其他行业不同的特点，即高度集中的市场结构和激烈的价格竞争相伴而生。这主要是由其特有的经济学和管理学特点所决定的。本文从经济学和管理学两个角度对这种特殊性进行了解释，并提出了对中国电子行业的几点建议。     

企业社会绩效评价的利益相关者模式

国内企业综合评价还停留在财务综合评价阶段，所以在评价的内容上编重于企业的经营绩效而忽视了企业社会绩效的评价。而20世纪70年代以来西方学者在利益相关者理论的基础上提出了多种评价企业社会绩效的利益相关者模式，试图更确切地评价企业的社会绩效。本文将总结借鉴国外较有代表性的两种企业社会绩效评价模式，并试图在此基础上探讨适合我国国情的企业社会绩效评价模式。     

我国中部六省文化产业发展绩效评价与研究

在我国文化产业蓬勃发展的背景下,中部六省也正在依托其丰富的文化资源打造强势的文化产业,为中部崛起提供强大的精神支持与经济动力。本文首先从文化产业的投入和产出两个角度分别考察了中部六省文化产业的发展水平,然后利用数据包络技术对中部六省文化产业发展绩效进行综合评价,并运用结构方程模型模拟了文化产业的投入一产出作用路径,最后结合研究结论就提升中部六省文化产业的发展绩效进行了思考和探讨。     

From Physics to Function: An Empirical Study of Research and Development Performance in the Semiconductor Industry

We present the results of an empirical study of research and development in the semiconductor industry. The study aimed to understand the drivers of innovation performance in an environment characterized by close links to science and a combination of technical novelty and manufacturing complexity. The data reveal substantial differences in research and development (R&D) performance, and R&D performance improvement, between firms. Analysis of our field observations suggests that these differences are associated with the use of experimentation and experience in guiding technology choices, matching options provided by scientific developments with the complex requirements of evolving production environments. We describe the technology choice process in some detail, and examine its nature in both U.S. and Japanese industrial settings.     

Job Classifications and Plant Performance in the Auto Industry

This study assess the relationship between plant economic performance and job classifications, using data from a large, unionized, automobile manufacturer. Combining skilled and semi-skilled job classifications leads to small improvements in economic performance, while reductions in the member of assembly job classifications affect neither plant productivity nor plant quality. The data also reveal that classification reductions predict plant modernization, although the magnitude of this effect varies with the occupational group.     

高新技术产业开发区公共治理绩效评价体系构建研究

高新技术产业开发区是促进技术进步和增强自主创新能力的重要载体,是带动经济结构调整和经济增长方式转变的强大引擎,高新区公共治理的绩效反映了该高新区社会发展、经济发展及可持续发展的水平。本文在对开发区公共治理及其绩效评价相关文献综述的基础上,从绩效评价的原则和主体阐述了高新区公共治理绩效评价的基本思路,构建了由社会发展、经济发展、资源与环境、能力建设和行政效果组成的评价指标体系。     

Measuring Market Conduct in the Brazilian Cement Industry: A Dynamic Econometric Investigation

Indirect assessments of market conduct have become widespread in the New Empirical Industrial Organization—NEIO literature. Recently, Steen and Salvanes (1999, Int J Ind Organ 17:147–177) provided a flexible dynamic econometric formulation of the approach advanced by Bresnahan (1982, Econ Lett 19:87–92) and Lau (1982, Econ Lett 10:93–99). The present paper considers a similar approach applied to regional cement markets in Brazil under more favorable data availability, and attempts to address part of the concerns that usually emerge with respect to the NEIO literature. In particular, issues pertaining to structural stability and the control for the number of competing firms are addressed. The evidence clearly indicates non-negligible and distinct market power in different regions and also distinct conduct patterns in the short and long run.      

Interaction Orientation and Product Development Performance for Taiwanese Electronics Firms: The Mediating Role of Market‐Relating Capabilities

While academics and practitioners are increasingly aware of the value of including the customer in new product development (NPD), processes for doing so effectively remain unclear. Therefore, this study explores the process through which a firm's interaction orientation (the ability to effectively interact with customers) influences product development performance. Drawing on the resource‐based view, this study develops a research model in which two market‐relating capabilities—market‐linking and marketing capabilities—mediate the effect of interaction orientation on product development performance. The validity of this model is examined by analyzing primary data gathered from 167 Taiwanese electronics companies. The model results provide support for a process link between interaction orientation, market‐relating capabilities, and product development performance, such that a firm's capabilities enable the conversion of customer‐based resources into productive new product outcomes. More specifically, the interaction orientation–product development speed relationship is mediated by both marketing and market‐linking capabilities, while the interaction orientation–product innovativeness relationship is partially mediated by marketing capability. That is, interaction orientation has indirect effects on product innovativeness and product development speed by strengthening both marketing and market‐linking capabilities that in turn improve product development performance. In addition, the results suggest that a firm's interactive rationality moderates the relationship between interaction orientation and marketing capability. Overall, this study enhances our understanding of how firms achieve superior product development performance by developing effective customer interaction. The findings of this study provide important strategic insights into NPD.     

Catching-up Crisis and Industrial Upgrading: Evolutionary Aspects of Technological Learning in Korea's Electronics Industry

This paper address a puzzle: How is it possible that a country that has established a broad, export-oriented industrial base at record speed, remain vulnerable to the vicissitudes of international finance and currency markets? We argue that the Korean model that was tremendously successful for catching-up has now reached its limits. The focus is on the role of technological learning for development of the electronics industry, a main carrier of Korean's successful late industrialization. It is shown that a heavy reliance on credit and an extremely unbalanced industry structure have given rise to a narrow knowledge base, and a sticky pattern of specialization. Catching-up has focused on capacity and international market share expansion for homogenous, mass-produced products; very little upgrading has occurred into higher-end and rapidly growing market segments for differentiated products and services. Such truncated upgrading is one important reason for Korea's vulnerability to the financial and currency crisis.     

Human Resource Management and Performance in the UK Hotel Industry

This article examines the relationship between human resource management and performance in the UK hotel industry. Using data from over 200 hotels, the results demonstrate, first, that the relationship between HRM and performance is dependent upon the business strategy the hotel is pursuing; second, that hotels pursuing an HRM approach coupled with a quality focus within their business strategy perform best; and, finally, that HRM is more likely to contribute to competitive success where it is introduced as an integrated and coherent package, or bundle of practices.     

The Performance Effects of Modular Production in the Apparel Industry

This article identifies and explains differences in performance between two widely used alternative work methods-module and bundle production—in the basics sector of the apparel industry. This research is based on interviews with managers and surveys of worker attitudes and perceptions. We find that a team production system in the apparel industry, called modules, performs better than the traditional bundle system on such measures as quality, costs, and responsiveness to retailers. Modules also perform better than bundles in reducing work-in-process inventory and throughput time. We argue that performance improvements are realized through coordination among the team members as a result of their ability to self-regulate work, eliminate bottlenecks, resolve conflicts, help one another solve problems, and make improvements in the production process.     

我国产业集群发展中的缺陷

近些年，随着工业化和城市化的不断推进，我国产业发展出现了与国际上相似的“集群化”(可译为Clusterization)趋势，即大量相关企业按照定的经济联系集中在特定的地域范围，形成若干各具特色的类似生物有机体的产业群落。比较突出的有两种类型，一个是以纺织服装业为代表的传统产业集群，个是以工业为代表的高新技术产业集群。它们主要分布在我国的沿海一带。如浙江省拥有年产值超亿元的产业集群区519个，总产值达6000多亿元。     

做好产业升级的助推器--访广东省纺织服装开平基地技术创新中心

广东省开平市是我国著名的侨乡,也是一个生机勃勃的新兴纺织工业城市.国内第一块牛仔布就产自开平.据广东省纺织服装开平基地技术创新中心负责人介绍,开平市的纺织服装产业有着良好的产业基础,具备产业链完整,生产能力强,技术设备先进,产品品质优良市场竞争力强等优势.特别是拥有一批产品质量过硬,具有知名品牌的大型纺织服装企业,如开平涤纶集团是广东化纤行业的龙头企业,"春晖"牌涤纶长丝、聚酯切片,"华士达"无纺布是省名牌产品,兴时年公司生产的"EASY"牛仔服装是欧洲五大品牌之一,富琳、平丰、奔达三家纺织企业生产的强力竹节牛仔布,荣获中国色纺协会颁发的"牛仔优秀新花式奖".     

Exploring Retail Bank Performance and New Product Development: A Profile of Industry Practices

Based on their survey, Eric Reidenbach and Donald Moak report that various aspects of new product development practices are associated with different levels of retail bank performance. Such practices and activities as the existence of a formal evaluation process, the existence of new product managers, the length of time a product spends in development, and the percentage of the operating budget spent on new product development tend to vary according to bank performance. Top performers have decidedly different new product development processes, structures, and practices than do average or negative performers.     

Company or Trade Union: Which Wins Workers' Allegiance? A Study of Commitment in the UK Electronics Industry

A particular dimension of organisational commitment, namely identity of workers with the values and decisions of an organisation was explored with 716 employees in three electronics plants; 46 per cent belonged to trade unions. The study examined the extent, the causes and the consequences of dual allegiance to company and union, single allegiance to one or allegiance to neither. Less than 10 per cent displayed dual allegiance and a majority displayed allegiance to neither organisation. The best predictors of allegiance were perceptions of trade union performance and job satisfaction. Those showing dual allegiance also indicated lowest propensity to leave the company. These results, from a key sector of manufacturing industry, show little evidence of high employee involvement. The most typical response would appear to be: 'a plague on both your houses'.     

对高新技术产业与传统产业协调发展的思考

当前,我国经济发展仍处于高投入、高消耗、高排放、低效率的"三高一低"的发展模式,引进技术的状况没有发生根本性的改变。中国要走新型的工业化道路,就必须针对当前我国传统产业面临的主要问题,不断提高自主创新能力,实现传统产业与高新技术产业的协调发展。