信息技术应用对企业纵向边界的影响--实证研究与讨论

基于交易成本理论的分析表明：信息技术应用节约了企业的内部协调成本和外部交易成本，从而影响企业纵向边界的变动，然而这一理论推断需要进一步的检验。本文利用我国信息技术行业的数据进行实证研究．分析信息技术应用与企业纵向边界变动之间的关系。结果表明：现阶段的信息技术应用使企业纵向边界呈现扩大的趋势。文章据此讨论了中外企业信息化进程的差异和影响．并解释研究结果对企业规模边界和能力边界变动趋势的含义。

The Impact of Information Technology on Firms'''' Vertical Boundaries: An Empirical Study on China''''s IT Industry

Analysis based on transaction costs theory suggests that applications of information technologies(IT) reduce firms'internal coordination costs and transaction costs,leading to changes in firms'vertical boundaries.However,this argument is subject to further,empirical tests.This paper examines the relationship between applications of information technologies(IT)and changes of firms'vertical boundaries by conducting an empirical analysis on data from China's IT industry.Results show that,at the current stage,IT applications are associated with increasing vertical boundaries.Implications related to differences in IT applications in Chinese firms and foreign firms are discussed accordingly,and changes in firms'size boundaries and capability boundaries are explored.