Monitoring trends of technological changes based on the dynamic patent lattice: A modified formal concept analysis approach

The strategic importance of monitoring technological changes is highlighted given the ever faster pace and increasing complexity of technological innovation. In this respect, patent citation analysis has been the most frequently adopted tool among others. However, patent citation analysis is subject to certain drawbacks that stem from only consideration of citing-cited information and time lags between citing and cited patents. This study proposes a formal concept analysis (FCA)-based approach to developing a dynamic patent lattice that can analyze complex relations among patents and monitor trends of technological changes. The FCA is a mathematical tool for grouping objects with shared properties based on the lattice theory. The distinct strengths of FCA, vis-á-vis other methods, lie in structuring and displaying the relations among objects from a massive amount of data. For the purpose of technology monitoring, the FCA is modified to take into account time periods and changes of patent keywords. A patent context is first constructed with the aid of domain experts and text mining technique. Two types of dynamic patent lattices are then developed by executing the modified FCA algorithm. A case study of laser technology in lithography for semiconductor manufacturing shows that the suggested dynamic patent lattice has considerable advantages over conventional patent citation maps in terms of visualization and informative power.     

地方财政支出对收入分配差距影响的统计评价——基于辽宁省的分析

在2010年全国"两会"上,"收入分配"再度被空前关注,温总理提到,我国必须改革收入分配制度,以便让全体13亿国民享受到国家改革开放所带来的成果。要实现这个目的,必须研究地方政府在理顺收入分配关系上的作用。一般地讲,财政收入分配职能在很大程度上要由中央政府在全国范围内采取统一的分配政策来执行,地方政府承担收入分配职能的困难比较大。但就我国目前收入分配差距的情况看,中央政府对收入分配的调节力度很有限,地方政府对辖区内的收入分配调节的作用比较大。本文分析了辽宁省收入分配不公平存在的现状、原因,计算了近几年辽宁省的基尼系数,特别对辽宁省财政支出与收入差距的关系进行了统计评价,并以此提出了财税对策的初步建议。     

Technology level evaluation methodology based on the technology growth curve

Technology has been the driving force of development for knowledge-based economies. As competition in technology innovation among nations becomes more intense, there is a growing need for improved judgment, evaluation and prediction of scientific technology capacity in order to enhance national competitiveness. Until now, a country's technology level has been evaluated on a relative basis by comparing it with that of the country with the world's best technology. However, this kind of static methodology makes the interpretation of results unclear and makes time series analysis difficult. One of the most important limitations of this methodology is that it cannot be used to establish a strategy to improve the technology level. This paper examines the methodological problems of technology level evaluation and develops a dynamic methodology by applying the technology growth curve model. We also analyze the real technology level by using a new model application and review the relevance of this method. Finally, we discuss how to use the results in order to create a dynamic technology strategy.     

Technology evaluation in Taiwan's technology industries: Strategies, trajectories, and innovations

Technology evaluation, as an organizational process, is the essential ability to comprehend the values of technologies very soon after they emerge. Meanwhile, the technology evaluation process is inevitably influenced by the firm's industrial context, such as its technological trajectory. This study defines technology evaluation strategy in terms of the processes, methods, and participants involved, and uses this definition as a taxonomy to explore different types of technology evaluation strategies. A survey on the technological industries is conducted to explore types of technology evaluation strategies and their relationships with the advantages of different types of innovation under the effects of different technological trajectories. The survey identifies four types of technology evaluation strategies, namely, those of the flexible executive strategist, the emergent executive intuitionist, the deliberate quantitative strategist, and the deliberate consensual strategist, are identified. This study has found that certain types of technology evaluation strategies have better innovation performances than the others. The patterns of technological trajectories are also found to influence a firm's technology evaluation strategy and the advantages of certain types of innovations. The established explanations of the relationships among the technological trajectory, innovation type, and technology evaluation strategies may guide technology businesses to develop a better technology evaluation capability. The theoretical framework developed in this research enriches the strategic management literature with a new taxonomy for technology evaluation strategies.     

Corporate foresight: Its three roles in enhancing the innovation capacity of a firm

In the last three decades much knowledge has been produced on how best to conduct foresight exercises, but little is known on how foresight should be integrated with the innovation effort of a company. Drawing on empirical evidence from 19 case studies and 107 interviews, we identify three roles that corporate foresight should play to maximize the innovation capacity of a firm: (1) the strategist role, which explores new business fields; (2) the initiator role, which increases the number of innovation concepts and ideas; and (3) the opponent role, which challenges innovation projects to increase the quality of their output.     

Patent indicators for monitoring convergence - examples from NFF and ICT

The blurring of boundaries between hitherto distinct scientific disciplines, technologies or markets is a common and powerful phenomenon. Concentrating on monitoring convergence through patent indicators, we discuss convergence with examples from the area of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods (NFF)/Cosmeceuticals as well as information technologies, consumer electronics, and telecommunications (ICT). We analyze 7455 scientific and patent references on phytosterols with the aid of SciFinder Scholar and 3836 documents employing STN AnaVist. Furthermore, we test an IPC co-classification based approach on 859,469 ICT-related and 341,846 NFF-related patents. Our results show clear indications for convergence and a proof of principle for our monitoring concept. Academics may better evaluate environmental parameters, like cases of convergence, influencing companies' actions. Implications for practitioners are based on a more reliable assessment prior to the forming of strategic alliances or mergers and acquisitions. This could help avoid costly adventures such as the mergers and acquisitions seen in ICT.     

海峡两岸证券业经营效率比较研究:基于Metafrontier方法

本文将Metafrontier思想与BCC-DEA模型相结合,综合应用Metafrontier DEA方法、Malmquist全要素生产率指数和Tobit模型,客观地评价具有不同生产技术的两岸证券商的经营效率。结果表明:台湾证券商发展水平趋同,大陆证券商良莠不齐,但竞争力逐渐提升;台湾证券商技术水平落后于大陆;大陆全要素生产率逐渐改善,台湾逐渐衰退;资产总额、负债比、地区生产总值是影响技术效率的关键因素,负债比、经济自由度、地区生产总值是影响技术落差的关键因素;金融危机对两岸证券业冲击显著。     

城乡收入差距影响因素的非参数逐点回归解析

文章利用1987-2008年我国的相关统计数据构建了非参数面板数据模型,采用非参数逐点回归估计方法,估计了我国的教育投入、教育产出、城市化水平、经济开放度、产业结构和政府经济行为等变量对城乡收入差距的影响,刻画了各影响因素关于自变量系数的动态演进趋势。研究表明:各影响因素关于自变量系数的逐点估计结果共有四种类型:"倒U型"、"U型"、"上升型"和"下降型";各影响因素对缩小城乡收入差距都有积极的作用,但在不同时期所起的作用不同。     

Technology competencies in competitive environment

Although prior studies suggest that technology competencies play a significant role in firm innovation and competitiveness, what and how technology competencies interacted with competitive environment affect firm innovation has not been fully understood. This paper fills this research gap through a questionnaire survey of 165 firms together with a number of interviews drawn from the Taiwan's information and communication technology (ICT) industry. The results suggest that capabilities of exploring or exploiting technological opportunities, core technology capability, and autonomy of R&D decisions are particularly important to firm innovation in a highly competitive environment, whereas over commitments to existing technologies may constrain a firm's innovation especially in such environment. Moreover, different types of competitive environment require different types of technological competencies to enhance firm innovativeness. This paper contributes to the existing theory by examining the joint effect of technology competency and competitive environment on a firm's innovation.     

Beyond the technology adoption: Technology readiness effects on post-adoption behavior

Technology readiness (TR) refers to people's propensity to embrace and use new technologies. Nowadays, the proliferation of technology-based products and services brings consumers not only benefits but also frustration over ineffective use of products and services. A key factor, therefore, in the diffusion and success of these products and services is how well-prepared consumers are for new technologies. Although some studies examine the relationships between TR and technology adoption, the long-term survival and substantial success of firms rely on the continued use of such technology rather than first use. This study focuses on post-adoption behavior and investigates how TR affects the continued use intention of new technology. Specifically, the study classifies usage behavior into the usage rate of basic functions, the usage rate of innovative functions, and the variety of use of innovative functions. The article then, examines how each dimension (optimism, innovativeness, discomfort and insecurity) of TR influences consumer usage patterns, and how usage patterns affect repurchase intention through consumer satisfaction. The empirical results from IPTV users in Korea show that each dimension of TR has a significantly different influence on usage patterns. The findings show that usage patterns, particularly the use of innovative functions, have a significantly positive impact on consumer satisfaction and repurchase intention. Finally, the article suggests several managerial implications and directions for further studies.