本篇論文的研究重心，在於希望能找到一種機制，使老闆不會因為員工年老後生產力衰退而將其開除；老公不會因為老婆生完小孩身材變形而將其拋棄。我們利用一個二工人、一老闆的二期模型，假設工人的生產力會因為年紀的增長而衰退，而且有努力投入的工人衰退的情形更為嚴重，並設存在一個補償c，當老闆要將員工解雇時，必須要支付給員工。我們的研究發現，只要投入的成本i小於某範圍時，無論學習效果的大小、工人為風險中立或趨避、是否假設有限責任下，均存在最佳狀況 ，廠商的行為與社會福利最大下的結果相一致；但若i大於此一範圍時，便不存在最佳狀況，且可能會產生廠商為了自身利益而做出違背社會福利最大狀況下的行為，此時便需要透過政府的介入，使廠商的行為回復到社會福利最大下的狀況。若想要達到我們所希望的員工投入，老闆不將其解雇的情形 ，唯有在契約中明訂員工必須要投入大於一定的範圍且員工的議價能力很強下，才能保護員工不會被廠商任意的解雇。在此契約下，老闆只賺得正常利潤，而員工則成為剩餘價值的要求者(residual claimant)。

The concept of commitment has emerged recently in international business literature especially in explaining importer behaviour as a counterpart of the process of internationalisation. Importer commitment often plays a dominant role as one of the major factors influencing relationships in the exporter-importer dyad and facilitates the process of internationalisation by imparting access to the international market. This critical importer and supplier relationship and its animating factors are, however, overlooked and largely neglected in the literature. Accordingly, it is inconclusive as to which factors influence importer commitment and how they influence it. Drawing on the literature, this study strived to investigate the spectrum of importer commitment and has explicitly examined eight factors influencing importer commitment to a foreign supplier by integrating the factors in a comprehensive model. Cultural similarity between importer and overseas supplier, knowledge and experience of the importer, the supplier's competencies, communication between importer and supplier, the supplier's opportunism, the importer's trust, importer transaction-specific investment, and environmental volatility of the import market have been identified as possible antecedents of importer commitment. Theoretical foundations are drawn basically from transaction cost economics, internationalisation process theory and resource-based theory of the firm to design a basic framework for quantitative investigation. Further, the study endeavors to gain important insights into the phenomena related to the trust and commitment building process through qualitative in-depth interviews. In addition, to validate the qualitative reasoning, a competing quantitative model is developed where trust plays a mediating role for some of the predictor variables in the model. Primary data were collected from a sample of 232 industrial and commercial importers in a developing country for empirical verification of the quantitative models using Structural Equation Modeling. As reported in this thesis, the proposed model with minor modifications fit better with the data compared to the competing model, and it explained 56% of the variance of importer commitment. However, the analysis of the modified proposed structural model revealed that ten out of fourteen hypotheses are significant including five direct paths as antecedents of importer commitment. The mediating role of trust and opportunism in the model is also supported. Twelve interviews were conducted to add in-depth richer insights into the study for further verification of the knowledge development, and trust and commitment building process in the importer-supplier relationship. The findings support most conceptual links in the qualitative model and lend support to most of the hypothesised relationships in the modified competing quantitative model. These findings extend the application of the underpinned theories and their tenets in explaining the importersupplier commitment relationship and contribute to the body of knowledge. Implications of the findings are discussed and future research directions are recommended.

L’objectif central de cette thèse est de montrer que les contrats de mariage religieux de cinq communautés libanaises s’identifient aux contrats de distribution sélective et que les comportements des ménages (en termes de prise de décision, d’offre de travail et de fertilité) sont largement expliqués par cette proximité législative. L’analogie entre ces deux types de contrats apparaît clairement au niveau des points suivants : d’abord, au niveau de l’objet du contrat, contrat d’échange et de réciprocité. Ensuite, au niveau des rapports entre les parties, la femme est assimilée au concessionnaire et l’époux au concédant, il est question de collaboration et d’interdépendance. En outre, au niveau de l’asymétrie dans les obligations des parties, tout comme le contrat de distribution sélective est dit contrat léonin au profit du concédant le contrat de mariage renferme des clauses patriarcales. Enfin, la rupture du contrat pose le problème de la précarité de la situation du concessionnaire. C’est la dimension « asymétrie dans les droits et les obligations » entre les parties qui détermine la proximité de chaque type de contrat de mariage de la distribution sélective. Et c’est par rapport à ce prisme que les choix des ménages seront analysés. Dans cette perspective, l’approche entrepreneuriale de la famille est retenue parmi les modèles d’analyse économique de la famille. Cette approche a l’avantage de considérer que la relation matrimoniale tout comme la relation commerciale est régie par un contrat. Une enquête est menée pour vérifier l’impact de la législation matrimoniale sur les choix des ménages. Les Beyrouthins semblent être les plus sensibles aux clauses contractuelles. / This thesis attempts to look at religious marriage contracts of five Lebanese communities as selective distribution contracts and to explain the economic behavior of households (in terms of decision making, labor supply and fertility) by the proximity between the two legislations. The analogy between these two types of contracts is clear in the following points: First, the analogy is conceived in terms of the purpose of the contract, contract of exchange and reciprocity. Then, at the relationship between the parties, the woman is the dealer and the spouse is the manufacturer, it is about collaboration and interdependence. On the asymmetry in obligations of the parties, as the selective distribution contract is said one-sided contract in favor of the grantor, the marriage contract contains also patriarchal clauses. And finally, the precarious situation of the dealer for breach of contract. This is the “asymmetry in the rights and obligations "between the parties that determines the proximity of each type of religious marriage contract to the selective distribution contract. And it is from this prism that the economic choice of households will be analyzed. In this perspective, the entrepreneurial approach of the family is selected as a model for economic analysis of the family. This approach has the advantage of considering the marital relationship as a relation governed by a contract, as is the case of a trade contract. A survey has been conducted to justify the impact of legislation on the economic choice of Lebanese households. The inhabitants of Beirut seem to be most sensitive to the contractual terms.

本研究基於資源基礎理論，結合組織學習、網路理論及關係學派的觀點，探討影響代工廠商跨組織學習的情境因素與績效。 根據之前學者們研究得知，「知識因果模糊性」是影響組織學習的關鍵。知識因果模糊來自於知識的內隱、專屬及複雜本質。「知識分享」與「共同問題解決」是聯盟成員間傳遞因果模糊本質知識的學習方式。而代工廠商專屬性資產投資，除了增進品牌廠商的信任，提高品牌廠商知識分享意願外；也增進了代工廠商與品牌廠商間的互動，透過互動，促使知識外溢的產生。 知識流學者研究指出，可移轉知識含量是知識分享的前提，也決定知識分享的強度。代工的範圍規範了可移轉知識含量；代工範疇愈複雜，可分享知識相對擴大。但知識的路徑相依本質，限制代工廠商對代工領域知識的辨識。代工廠商先驗知識深淺關係著可移轉知識空間的辦識。代工情境中，可移轉知識，主觀上，受限於代工的範疇；客觀上，則與代工廠商的先驗知識息息相關。 傳統上檢視組織學習成效，主要來自於對經驗曲線速度的觀察。在策略聯盟夥伴間的競合關係中，學習競賽是造成策略聯盟活動重組、活動替代、或聯盟解散的重要原因。屬「雙邊契約供應聯盟關係」的代工，在經濟理性考慮下，維持與品牌廠商的聯盟關係，是代工廠商的必然選擇。但組織學習增強代工廠商的議價能力，促使代工活動的重組；因此觀察代工廠商跨組織學習的成果，除了經驗曲線，活動重組也是重要的觀察變項。

代工廠商承接訂單時，為特定品牌客戶投資各種專屬的設備和人力是普遍存在的現象。相較之下，台灣的代工廠商處於相對弱勢的地位。代工廠商並不容易在交易初期就從品牌客戶端，取得對等的保護機制，故契約的執行的風險也相對升高。但實務上，我們發現台灣的代工廠商在沒有事前保護機制的情況下，卻仍持續為特定客戶投資。如果代工廠商必須先承諾關係專屬投資，才能爭取得到訂單。在沒有事前保護機制的情況下，代工廠商該有那些配套措施，來保護交易關係？ 本研究以代工廠商角度，探討如何透過交易後的保護策略，改變代工廠商與客戶之間的依賴關係。本研究根據交易成本理論和權力依賴理論推論，代工廠商傾向先承諾關係專屬投資，並於交易後採取事後保護策略。事後保護策略有兩類，分別是槓桿策略（資源獲取、擴大客戶範疇）和連結策略（擴大垂直範疇、共同決策與行動）。槓桿策略企圖降低代工廠商的依賴程度；連結策略則會提高客戶的依賴程度。藉由代工廠商與品牌客戶之間的權力變化，進而保護關係專屬投資免於套牢的威脅。 本研究分三個子研究進行，分別為（1）探索性個案研究、（2）關係專屬投資量表發展、（3）問卷調查研究。第一、探索性個案研究發現，不對稱的組織間關係使得代工廠商必須配合品牌客戶的需求而承諾關係專屬投資，但在「小對大」的格局之下，較為弱勢的代工廠商仍有具有生存空間。個案研究發現代工廠商對品牌客戶的投資，除了單一交易的成本與利益之外，還會考量對未來交易以及其他交易對象的影響。所謂「將欲奪之，必固與之」，代工廠商透過關係專屬投資被整合到產業的價值網絡中，換取廠商的生存機會。 第二、關係專屬投資量表發展研究發現，關係專屬投資為一多構面構念，可分為「實體資產投資」、「無形資產投資」和「資產專屬程度」三個次構念。由此可知，關係專屬投資既是一種資產，有助於交易關係之維持；也可能成為負債，限於少數交易的困境。 第三、本研究整合交易成本理論和權力依賴理論，並根據個案研究和量表發展結果，推論關係專屬投資程度、事後保護策略、依賴程度三者之間的關係。問卷調查研究證實，代工廠商對品牌客戶的無形 資產投資會增加代工廠商的依賴程度。但如果代工廠商投資之後，採取資源獲取策略。藉由品牌客戶的背書，提升知名度或市場地位，則關係專屬投資與代工廠商依賴程度之間的關係就會減弱。另外，關係專屬投資也會提高客戶對代工廠商的依賴程度。投資實體資產和無形資產的代工廠商，會藉由擴大服務範疇，與客戶共同決策與行動，來提高客戶依賴程度。 / In original equipment manufacturer (OEM)-supplier relationships, OEM suppliers commonly make investments that are specialized to the requirements of a particular buyer. Taiwanese OEM suppliers are small-medium firms with limited resources and low in market visibility. They are initially in a weak bargaining position, so they have no ability to vertical integrate or demand any kind of ex ante safeguards at all. Knowing that clients may have opportunistic behaviors, suppliers in Taiwan still make relation-specific investments for them without their commitments. How do these suppliers governance the asymmetric interorganizational relationships to avoid falling into the trap predicted by the transaction cost theory? This study takes the view of a supplier, the small party in asymmetric OEM-supplier relationship, who adopts ex post strategies to create inter-organizational dependency with OEMs. According to transaction cost theory and power dependency theory, we argue that OEM suppliers are more likely to make relation-specific investments first and follow by ex post strategies. We model the ex post strategies adopted by OEM suppliers to protect specific investments in asymmetric OEM-supplier relationships by using leveraging strategy (resource acquisition, customer scope) and bonding strategy (vertical scope, joint action). Leveraging strategies will lower the level of suppliers’ dependence on OEMs while bonding strategy will increase the level of OEMs’ dependence on suppliers. We conducted three studies to explore the issues: (1) exploratory case research; (2) scale development of the construct of relation-specific investment; (3) survey research. First, we found that investment decision of small party is beyond the scope of a single transaction. After making relation-specific investments, OEM suppliers redeploy their resources and work closely with their buyers to maintain exiting and future transactions. They also acquire strategic resources from OEMs and apply them to a broader customer base. Second, the concept of relation-specific investment is a multidimensional construct with three sub-dimensions as tangible investment, intangible investment, and asset specificity. Relation-specific investments create an inherent dilemma because they have the potential both to promote and reduce transaction cost for investing parties. Third, we integrated two theories to explore the relationships between relation-specific investment, ex post strategies, and dependency. According to survey results of 146 OEM suppliers in Taiwan, we confirmed the positive relationship between suppliers’ intangible asset investment and their dependency on OEMs. However, if suppliers leverage their clients’ reputations and reposition themselves as first-tier suppliers, they can lower the level of suppliers’ dependency due to their relation-specific investments. On the other hand, the more relation-specific investments suppliers make, the morel likely suppliers would adopt bonding strategy by expanding vertical scope in supply chain and by actively involving in joint decision making. We found that relation-specific investment itself and suppliers’ bonding strategy will increase the OEMs’ dependency on suppliers.