Šulcová, Darina. Knowledge Economy as the Factor of Firm Economic Performance. Diploma thesis. Brno: Mendel University in Brno, 2018. The main aim of this diploma thesis is to find out if there is any relation between the Knowledge Economy and Economic Performance. Member states of the European Union are compared within each other in accessing the Knowledge Economy not only according to composite indicators, but also according to sub-indicators of the Knowledge Economy. This thesis focuses on the situation of the Czech Republic and how it accesses sub-indicators of the Knowledge Economy. Member states are then compared also according to their national, high-tech industry and firm Economic Performance. The analysis of the relation between the composite indicators or sub-indicators of the Knowledge Economy and national, high-tech industry or firm economic performance is the key part of this thesis. In the end, there is a summary of main findings and some recommendations are made for the Czech Republic to improve its Knowledge Economy situation.

Immigrant and ethnic entrepreneurship is a subject that has received increased attention in recent years. Many immigrants or people with ethnic backgrounds different from the majority population run their own businesses, in Sweden as well as in most countries and contexts in the world. However, ambitious research shows that there are great differences in business activity, behaviour and performance between different ethnic groups. Besides, it is easy to argue that differences also occur at the individual level. Thus, a person is not predetermined just because he/she belongs to a definable ethnic group. Another important question is the fact that the industrial setting and the context of the individual firm also affect the activity of the firm and the entrepreneur. E.g. in high tech environments, innovative competences may be of greater importance compared to business activity in the restaurant or retail sectors, where one could imitate already successful concepts. In this dissertation immigrant as well as ethnic enterprises (where ethnic entrepreneurs are those who have clear ethnic involvement in terms of accessing and utilising different forms of ethnic resources) in different industries are studied. The work hypothesis, or rather assumption, is that the industry of the individual business plays an important role for the access to and utilisation of different forms of resources (organisational, financial, cultural, social, human, ethnic). Further, the industry of a business is also assumed to have an effect on the access to and utilisation of ethnic resources and the own ethnicity as a resource. The purpose of this study is to through a number of case studies explore the influence of ethnic background for immigrant businesses in different industries. The focus is on how ethnic involvement, thus ethnic resources, and identity as immigrant and/or ethnic business influence firms in their resource bases and resource acquisition efforts. That is, if the objective ethnic background is important for the firms in their resource acquisition efforts. Since I want to study individual firms in an open and complex way I use a qualitative methodology with a multi-method approach, including ethnographic elements, direct observations, participant observations and interviews. This way, the possibility exists to grasp individual personal and firm characteristics that pay attention to the complexity and variation of immigrant and ethnic entrepreneurship, an issue that tends to be forgotten in broad descriptions of the subject. The Kista district hereby provides an interesting example with its high technology context, mixed with a considerable amount of immigrants living in the area. The exploratory study of seven businesses shows that there are important differences between firms in different industries. However, apart from type of firm and kind of venture opportunity exploited, the action mode of the individual(s) involved and the degree of confirmation and legitimacy the businesses have experienced influence and affect the importance of ethnic background for these firms. / <p>QC 20161026</p>

The increasing pace of technological change is creating significant disruptions in the marketplace. In these markets, successfully managing innovation has become a key competitive advantage. Global trends of low-cost manufacturing and environmental sustainability have mademanufacturing innovations increasingly important. Many alternative manufacturing solutions are developed in not-for-profit institutions such as universities and research centers. This has created a gap between the owners of new technologies and the potential beneficiary of the technology. Correctly asserting if an invention or technology has commercial potential is a challengingprospect.What methods can be used to evaluate the commercial potential of a new technology? Whatimportant considerations and delimitations must be made to provide a reliable value estimation?How should the commercial potential be communicated to stakeholders, financiers andcustomers? If there is commercial potential, how do you successfully commercialize thetechnology? These themes are explored in this study. The question of how to estimate the value of a ninvention is investigated in the first section. Using a case-study approach and looking at a new manufacturing technology in the solar cell market an attempt to estimate the value is made. The results show that the innovation value can be estimated using a quantitative approach where benefits and costs are estimated using publicly available data. This approach was found to work well for technologies that are sustaining the current manufacturing paradigm but struggled to provide an accurate estimation for newer technologies. The process was found to require a diverse set of skills and to preferably be made by a co-founder team with technical and industry knowledge. The second section focuses on how an invention can be successfully commercialized. By interviewing firms who had developed and sold manufacturing innovations and were growing quickly. They were found to have started their companies together with their customers and having had a close working relationship with them throughout the process. Furthermore, they were found to have founding teams who were close friends prior to starting the company. The firms also stressed approved patents and timing of financing as key factors to their success. As technology transfer between universities and large industrial firms become increasingly important the questions of how researchers and inventors can commercialize their technologies will attract much attention. This study provides clear guidelines on how to approach the processof finding and commercializing new technologies from the perspective of the inventor.

本文考察了自20世紀70年代末台灣的高新技術產業化的過程中，由工業技術研究院（工研院）經歷了轉變。本文提出了一個框架，與經濟和政治變化的環境中所發生的高科技產業整合工研院的互動。使用機構學習模型，本文標識的組織學習能力。在本質上這些學習能力突出I工研院的相互作用調整的變化的機制。歷史分析表明三個階段，其中的研究院通過主要組織變革發生的背景。階段之間的過渡是不同的，嵌入在特定的經濟和政治背景。 / This thesis examines the transformations undergone by the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) during the course of Taiwan’s high-tech industrialization since the late 1970s. This study proposes a framework that integrates ITRI’s approaches in interacting with high-tech industries on the one hand, with the broad economic and political changes happening in its environment on the other. Using an institutional learning model, the thesis identifies the organizational learning capabilities, which in essence underlines the mechanisms of ITRI’s interaction adjustment to the changes. The historical analysis suggests three stages, in the contexts of which the institute undergoes through major organizational transformations. The transitions between the stages are different and embedded in the particular economic and political contexts.

「創新」與「研發」是高科技產業推動組織營運的重要後盾，並且需要藉由研發人員貫穿其間將新舊知識串連以開創新的知識領域，同時必需有效管理與運用逐漸累積形成的珍貴知識資源。然而，以往對於研發單位的績效衡量研究多以投入與產出的生產力觀點，此種模式淡化了知識工作者與研發團隊間知識互動與創新形成的過程，同時無法明確區隔研發部門與其他事業單位對於研發績效影響的差異；因而在研究中深入剖析研發單位的「研發管理實務」，並且試圖從中瞭解影響創新績效的關鍵因素。 本研究的研究程序分為三大部份，首先經由文獻回顧導出初步的觀念性架構，再以此理論觀念模式為主導進行個案訪談，並且經過跨個案綜合分析後進行初步觀念模式的調整，接續以此調整後的模式當成調查研究的實證研究架構，並且依據此模式進行研究問卷的設計。在研究中實地訪談六家電子產品研發製造的高科技公司，並從中解析組織推行研發管理實務的相關資訊，之後再以調查研究法探究台灣地區高科技產業研發管理實務的運作情形；因而先以質性再以量化的方式同時進行高科技產業之研發管理實務推行的瞭解與驗證。 研究中發現研發管理實務的推行主要受到高階管理階層涉入程度的影響，其中高階主管的高階權力型態可據此分為二類：「預應式」與「因應式」，前者高階主管主動積極參與研發專案的主導，給予研發人員實質經費補助參與外部學習與洽商的活動，因而使得研發人員感受到較多的關注與重視，影響其對於研發工作的投入程度；而後者相對較少。另一項直接影響研發管理實務運作的因子為研發主管的領導風格，研發主管是主要帶領與規範研發單位運行的人物，鼓勵與協助研發人員的專業知識學習和成長，同時凝聚與營造研發團隊的士氣與氣氛，與研發人員間具有深刻的互動。 而在研發管理實務推行過程中，同時需要藉助辦公室支援與聯盟的協助，以提升研發人員的專業知識養成與技術文件的撰寫和使用頻率，此資源是促使研發工作順利運作的重要樞紐；而研發經費、設備購置與設施規劃的資源輔助，對於研發績效具有舉足輕重的影響效果。然而，影響研發管理實務與創新績效間的更重要成因是研發人員的內隱知覺部份；換言之，研發人員內心對於研發管理實務推行的感受與高階管理階層的互動程度是主要影響成效的因素，並非研發單位提供給予研發人員的各項外顯形式，可知研發單位的提供的框架形式擂同，但彼此間的溝通與相互扶持成為提升創新績效的無形助力。總之，高階管理階層結構主導研發管理實務的運作過程，而研發管理實務的落實程度與相關支援的協助，以及資源輔助釋放出來的能量，是同時決定研發創新績效程度的關鍵。 / As the global competition becomes ever-intensive, and businesses have fewer areas on which to hinge their competitive advantage, innovation capability is emerging as the key source of competitive advantage. The R&D team in a business, which is responsible for most of its innovations, thus plays a vital role in business survivability. This paper seeks to identify the variables that affect the innovation performance of R&D teams and investigate the interactions among the variables. A research framework is first established by literature review, and then adjusted according to case studies of six high-tech companies in Taiwan. The adjusted model is subsequently tested by a survey of high-tech companies in Taiwan. It is concluded that the management style of the higher authority and the leadership of R&D manager are the main forces that determine the R&D management practice. The educational background, work experience, and the expertise of R&D managers do not distinguish the level of discipline and the sophistication of R&D management practice. Some aspects of R&D management practice can be reinforced by office support and alliance, for example, the generation and utilization of technical reports and the cultivation of professional knowledge. With adequate resource support, more sophisticated R&D management practice does lead to better innovation performance which is measured by number of new products, patents, and technical reports.

Clusters de alta tecnologia são vistos como importantes centros de inovação e produção em uma economia atual global e interconectada. Observa-se um maior interesse da comunidade acadêmica pela relação entre o desenvolvimento de clusters de alta tecnologia em economias emergentes e suas conexões globais através da ‘circulação de talentos entre os clusters’ (em inglês, IBC). IBC representa, tipicamente, a difusão e transferência de tecnologias, conhecimentos e práticas através de redes individuais entre clusters emergentes e clusters já estabelecidos, os quais estão globalmente interconectados através dos laços destas redes. O foco deste estudo está no papel controverso da IBC no estímulo ao crescimento e melhoria de clusters maiores/em crescimento versus clusters menores/nascentes. Este estudo tem como objetivo propor formas de governança da IBC para conduzir estes processos nos seus diferentes estágios de desenvolvimento. O contexto empírico investigado está baseado em (a) dois casos consolidados da literatura: as conexões de Bangalore (IN) - Vale do Silício e Hsinchu (TW) - Vale do Silício; e, (b) dois casos originais: as conexões de Daedeok Innopolis (KR) – EUA e Vale dos Sinos (BR) – Coreia. O método de pesquisa utilizado é qualitativo com a aplicação de 26 entrevistas em profundidade como fonte principal de evidência. Com base nos casos estudados, é possível argumentar que os clusters maiores/em crescimento se beneficiam de uma IBC orgânica, estimulada pelas dinâmicas e forças do mercado, enquanto os clusters menores/nascentes dependem de um esforço coordenado devido à falta de atratividade inicial para empresas e indivíduos. Além disto, com vistas à eficácia da IBC no estimulo ao crescimento e melhoria de clusters, também se pode argumentar que a intervenção nas dinâmicas da IBC se reduz ao longo da evolução dos clusters, passando de um esforço coordenado nos estágios iniciais de desenvolvimento do cluster para um processo orgânico da IBC guiado pelo mercado em estágios mais avançados de desenvolvimento. Este estudo tem implicações importantes no entendimento da conectividade de clusters, do papel da governança para o crescimento e melhoria de clusters e das estratégias efetivas de catch-up para economias emergentes. / High-tech clusters are important hubs of innovation and production in an increasingly interconnected global economy. There has been an increasing interest from scholars in the embeddedness of local cluster development, in particular of high-tech industries in emergent economies, and global connectivity, in particular in the dynamics and role of inter-cluster brain circulation (IBC). IBC denotes knowledge, technology and practice diffusion and translation through individual networks between emergent and typically more established clusters that are globally interconnected through these network ties. Of particular interest to this study is the controversial role of IBC in stimulating the growth and upgrading of larger/growing versus smaller/nascent clusters. Using the lens of network governance, this study aims to propose forms of IBC governance for steering these processes. The empirical context of investigation is composed of (a) two prior studies of IBC in the cases of Bangalore (IN) - Silicon Valley and Hsinchu (TW) - Silicon Valley connections and (b) two original empirical cases examining the Sinos Valley (BR) - Korea connection and Daedeok Innopolis (KR) - US connection. A qualitative research method strategy is employed in these two original cases using 26 in-depth interviews across both cases as a source of evidence. Based on the studied cases, it is possible to argue that for larger-scale growing clusters, IBC-growth dynamics may unfold as an ‘organic process’ through self-reinforcing market forces, whereas small-scale embryonic clusters depend on a ‘coordinated effort’ of this process because they lack initial market attractiveness for both individuals and firms. Further, focusing on the effectiveness of IBC in steering the growth and upgrading of clusters, it can also be argued that IBC governance changes through a gradual decreasing in the intervention to stimulate IBC, from a ‘coordinated effort’ in the early stage to a spontaneous increase in the marketdriven process of IBC as an ‘organic process’ in the mature stage of cluster development. This study has important implications for understanding cluster connectivity, the role of governance in cluster growth and upgrading, and the effective catch-up strategies of emerging economies.

本研究試圖探討環境趨勢之變化、高階主管之經營理念、以及企業本身與公關公司之互動對於高科技企業之公共關係運作的影響，預期達到下列目的：1.從眾多的環境變化因子中，找出影響公關運作的關鍵因子；2.發掘高階主管的經營理念對公共關係運作的影響；3.分別從企業本身與公關公司的角度，探討其在公共關係運作上的互動關係；4.比較獨立進行公關運作的企業與委外公關公司的企業，找出其在公關運作上的異同與優劣處。 在研究設計方面，以公共關係之開放式系統模型為基礎，採取個案訪談法，以本土化程度與產品屬性兩個構面劃分整個高科技產業，並且分別訪談企業主與委外之公關公司，形成一對偶比較關係。 本研究之研究結論發現： 一、在環境趨勢之變化方面，環境趨勢的變化主要來自社會大眾求「知」的意識增加，使得公關「第三者證言」倍受重視；以及網際網路的興起，提高對公關的需求，為公關運作帶來新的傳播媒體與活動，有利於分眾與公關績效的評估，並增加雙向溝通的機會。 二、在高階主管之經營理念方面，當組織的整合程度愈高、人員授權程度愈充份、運作彈性愈大時，則愈利於公共關係活動之運作。而高科技產業裡的公關功能傾向於輔助行銷功能，多隸屬於行銷企劃部門。 三、在企業本身與公關公司互動方面，企業是否委外、委外程度、委外家數、以及角色均應由企業本身的需求來決定。企業主須釐清委外公關公司的目的，並提供其所需資源，公關公司亦應透過各種方式增加對客戶產業的認識，而頻繁有效率的溝通有助於瞭解彼此的現況。 四、在公共關係運作流程方面，企業應有一套流程以利規劃執行。首先應以研究調查的方式找出公關問題，據以訂定公關目標，同時應以「分眾」的概念，找出目標公眾，接著是選擇適當的媒體與結合議題的活動，來與目標公眾溝通，最後是進行公關績效的評估。 最後，本研究建議企業進行公關運作時，應明白自己的需求何在，具有全方位的策略思考；建立使公關公司熟悉其產業與企業本身之機制；將內部公眾亦納入考量。同時建議公關公司應增加公關人員在高科技產業之專業程度；主動積極協助企業體建立品牌、保護品牌；公關公司亦應重視本身的形象與社會公共關係。

為了面對日益激烈的科技競爭，台灣多年來致力於高科技產業培育和技術能力的提升，期望提升我國全面競爭力，以面對21世紀的挑戰。在面對來自國際科技產業的競爭與國際市場日趨自由化的壓力，台灣希望在世界的科技舞台扮演舉足輕重的地位，則需要提升科技競爭力，而提升科技競爭力則有賴於完整結合了產業發展、國家資源、以及國家發展目標的高科技政策。 本研究首先以國家競爭力的觀點切入，研讀並分析主要的國際競爭力指標，並藉由競爭力指標歸納出科技先進國家的發展趨勢，以及台灣應加強的部分。並搜集科技先進國家的科技政策、目前政經情形，以及社會人文狀況，經過研讀後整理出構成高科技標竿政策之因素。並且，以新竹科學園區的六大類高科技產業為對象，進行問卷調查工作，以驗證本研究所提出之因素是否為產業界所接受，以及是否有其他意見。 研究結果顯示，在本研究所提出的31項因素中，多半皆獲得新竹科學園區經理人的認同，僅有少部分因素在不同產業或不同規模公司間，產生些微的差異。因此，本研究所提出之構成高科技標竿政策的因素，可以做為政策制定時之參考。在最後一章中，列出本研究之建議，希望對國內高科技標竿政策的制定以及科技發展有所助益。 / Taiwan had devoted to fostering the high-tech industry and promoting the technology ability to face the increasingly competition of science and technology in the coming of 21 century. To confront the competition from the international high-tech industry and the pressure of the liberalization of market, Taiwan needs to improve the competitiveness of science and technology if she wants to play an important role on the worldwide science and technology stage. Besides, Taiwan needs to integrate the development of industry, national resource, and the national goals of science and technology policy. This research uses the concept of national competitiveness first, and studies the main international competitiveness indicators. We want to derive the development trends of those advanced countries, and realize what parts we need to improve. Second, we collect the science and technology policy, the political and economical status of those countries we selected. And we sum up the benchmark factors of the high-tech industry policy. Third, we conduct a survey to verify the acceptability of the high-tech industry benchmark policy. The research results reveal that almost the benchmark principles and factors we sum up are accepted by the industry leaders.

本研究在瞭解勞動派遣之定義、特徵、型態與相關概念，並進行國內外研究之回顧，找出勞動派遣制度對於勞動市場正面與負面之影響後，再分別就資方觀點、勞方觀點、社會觀點與採用業別之差異進行探討，而決定訪談之公司業別，並擬定訪談題目進行深度訪談，以評估勞動派遣制度對台灣勞動市場雙元化發展之影響。 　　經過深入訪談後發現，高科技產業為降低公司之人事成本，而採用勞動派遣制度，確實會加速勞動市場雙元化之發展，就本研究訪談結果看來，較具規模之高科技產業採用勞動派遣時，為降低公司之勞工結構受到雙元化發展之影響，將限制派遣勞工之採用比例，並提供派遣勞工與正職員工相近之起薪、薪資調幅與福利措施，以及提供派遣勞工轉入正職之管道。如此雖可有效縮小雙元勞動市場中勞動者的差異，但整體薪酬派遣者較低、且勞動市場轉換率較高，以及受勞動法令保障較少等，這些現象仍會存在雙元勞動市場之次級勞動市場中。 　　整體而言，勞動派遣能提供勞動市場更多就業機會、提供派遣勞工累積工作經驗之機會，亦是派遣者進入大型企業轉為正職人員的橋樑，因此使得勞動派遣制度在勞動市場雙元化的發展過程中，有正面的影響。 　　本研究建議派遣勞工應選擇較注重企業形象之企業，企業應提供派遣勞工較完善之就業保障，並期望相關政府單位能夠儘速制定相關法令及配套措施，並明定勞動派遣中，要派企業、派遣機構、派遣人員各角色之責任劃分，與各種行業別較適當之派遣勞工雇用比例，並提供派遣勞工相關之職場認知教育，以降低勞動派遣對於台灣雙元化勞動市場發展之負面影響。 / This study aims to explore the definition, features, patterns and relevant concepts regarding dispatched work and review research conducted in Taiwan and overseas on this subject. After identifying the impact of the dispatched work system on the labor market, the differences between different industries employing dispatched labor are investigated to decide companies belonging to which industries are to be interviewed. An in-depth interview is then conducted on the companies selected to evaluate the impact the dispatched work system has on the development of a dual labor market in Taiwan. 　　The interviews reveal that, high-tech industries adopting the system in order to reduce labor costs do encourage the development of a dual labor market. Results of the interviews indicate that sizable high-tech industries employing dispatched labor limit the extent to which it is employed in an effort to reduce the impact dual labor market development has on the companies’ labor structures. In addition, dispatched workers are offered starting wages, wage increases and benefits similar to those offered to regular employees, as well as the opportunity to become regular employees. Through doing so, the differences between dispatched workers and regular employees in a dual labor market may be effectively narrowed, overall, dispatched workers are less compensated and demonstrate a higher turnover. Moreover, they are less protected by labor laws and regulations. These phenomena still exist in the secondary market of a dual labor market. 　　Generally speaking, the dispatched work system provides more employment opportunities on the labor market. It also provides dispatched workers the opportunity to accumulate work experience and serves as a steppingstone to regular employment in large businesses. For this reason, the system plays a positive role in the development process of a dual labor market. 　　The study recommends dispatch workers to choose businesses that pay more attention to their image and that businesses provide these workers with improved employment protection. It also hopes that the government can enact relevant laws and regulations and introduce supporting measures as soon as possible. Furthermore, the roles businesses, dispatched workers and the agencies that dispatch them play must be clearly defined and the ratios of dispatched workers to regular employees in different industries established, with education in having a better understanding of the workplace provided to dispatched labor in an attempt to reduce the negative impact dispatched work has on Taiwan’s dual labor market and the development of its labor market.

<p>From having relied on its employees in the interaction with customers, the service industry now move towards an increased adoption of technology to enhance the value of the service</p><p>offering to the customer. This development has also reached the public transport sector which is traditionally seen as low-tech.</p><p>In this study we investigate how the customers experience the use of high-tech supporting services within a low-tech context. The case that is used is the city-bus transport provider Karlstadsbuss who provide a high-tech supporting service called Live, which delivers realtime information on bus departures through a website, a WAPsite, and electronic boards at certain bus stops.</p><p>Focused group interviews were used to get in-dept information from commuters of how they perceive Live. Results show that respondents do not use Live website or WAPsite because the information is not worth the effort of use. Commuters question the service because many</p><p>buses do not run according to the Live-schedule. Still the commuters say they benefit from Live because it contributes alternative ways of finding departure times, and it presents an overview of departure options. However, if the information is in real-time or not is of</p><p>secondary importance.</p>