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This research explores the growth strategy of Taiwan chemical SMEs in China market. In 2003, China has surpassed USA as the largest FDI receiving country while the trade across the Taiwan Strait for the same year , estimated by Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council, had climbed to USD 46.3 billion , around 24% growth vs. 2002. It will be valuable to explore how Taiwan chemical SMEs, the most active participants in the international business, shape their growth strategy with the constraint of resource scarcity. The resources-based view suggests that a firm¡¦s unique resources and capabilities provide the basis for a strategy. The research selects two case companies in Unsaturated Polyester Resin (UPR) industry to identify the resources relative to the shaping of the growth strategy. Furthermore, it also explores the relationship between the internal resources of the case company and its choice of growth strategy. We thus develop four prepositions to facilitate the discussion. We conducted in-depth interviews with the two case companies to reach the following conclusions. They are summarized as follows: - A SME with more manager controlled ownership structure tends to more aggressively pursue the growth. - A SME with pursuing more R&D investment will be more committed to growth. - Human Resources in SMEs are not a dominating role in pursuing a growth strategy. - Top managements¡¦ perception of the external environment reflects their personal experiences

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The Euro has become the mutual monetary union in 2002 and there are 13 countries which is going to join the European Union one after another since 2003. The enormous and growing market attracts lots of foreign companies to invest. The research categorizes the resources by the resources-based view into four groups, physical assets, intangible assets, human capital and organization capability, and discuss how the Taiwan foreign subsidiaries use their controlled resources to be their strategic advantages and operate successful in local country. By the way of interviewing the case company in depth, this paper has the following conclusions: 1.The products which were sold in France have to fit in with the characteristics of local market and be competitive. 2.The investment in France should have sufficient funds and do well the risk management. 3.The international division of labor is an advantage basis for Taiwan companies in France. 4.The international brand advantage increases the possibility of entering French market. 5.The export experience and customer basis in Europe are contributive to the development of Taiwan foreign subsidiaries. 6.The combination of opinions between the local employees and parent company is the key factor while doing business in France. 7.The capability of local management team is the key factor of foreign subsidiaries in Europe.

Many software development projects were not able to meet their deadlines with expected qualities under budgets. Basically, it was because the stakeholders and the de-velopment team sharing different expectations and misunderstanding the essence of how software was built. In most cases, the budget and resources were allocated according to the Functional Requirements, which described the features about the software. But on the contrary the development teams were striving in making decision about how to mitigate those Non-functional Requirements which were not included in the budget during the development cycle. However, to mitigate the Non-functional Requirements is not without a price, and letting development team impose resources arbitrarily will make software budget estimation more complicated and worse. This research pointed out what Non-functional Requirements should be abides by the international standard ISO 9126, offered a relatively accurate budget estimation framework. The framework showed how the stakeholders and the development team reach the consensus about the software, how to integrate with Cost Accounting to monitor the budget distribution and to implicate how software should be scheduled and estimated the cost for next coming projects.

About 97% of Taiwan¡¦s businesses are small to medium enterprises, and the majority of which are categorized as the traditional industries. Small to medium business enterprises of the traditional industry has made significant contribution to Taiwan¡¦s economic miracle. Although in recent years, high-tech industries have become leaders in the whole economy, material changes have occurred in the economic structure. We have also observed changes in the overall economic environment, the impact of internationalization and globalization are the main reasons. But, we wish to see the industry continue to grow; we do not wish to see the rise of some industries while others fade. Hence, current status are studies and researched in detail, hope that some valuable recommendations can be made. Stability and growth has always been the key issue for all business management. Small business enterprises are naturally in a poor position for resource. Faced with the rapid changes in the internal and external environments and fierce competition, small business enterprises often fall into a stagnant situation that bottlenecks growth. In order to break out of its stagnant situation, business strategies and directions must be adjusted. Small businesses must also develop toward high economic value, such that growth targets can be achieved. During its growth process, due to changes in the environment, understanding of internal resources and capabilities, shows speed, flexibility and responsiveness. The best growth strategy suitable to the business enterprise needs to be developed and implemented. Resources at hand and advantages should be strengthened, business competitiveness enhanced and promote synergy, so that the business may continue to grow and prosper. Hence, small businesses should develop its business environment with a predictive management style. It should grasp the trends of the industry, predict its future and actively accumulate resources and should not have too many passive responses to uncontrollable environments. Leaders needs to continuously think about the current status of the business enterprise, what should be done, what can be done, and how. The business enterprise will gradually shift its business focus, avoid competition and adapt to external environment, so that synergic effects can result from integration of advantageous resources. This study is a qualitative study. It attempts to investigate a business growth model for small business enterprises. In search of the growth strategy of the case study enterprise, business leaders were interviewed in depth, and the growth pattern of the business enterprise was observed from the perspective of its business operations. Chapter 1 of the study introduces the backgrounds, motivation, objectives, process and scope of the study. In chapter 2, literature review, theories of business management, growth strategy, resource-based view, industrial network relationship and strategic alliance were reviewed. The research methodology and design are reported in chapter 3, describing the conceptual framework, research methods, design and limitations. Having drawn the theoretical profile of the study, secondary data were used in chapter 4 to investigate the characteristics of small to medium business enterprises in Taiwan and their current status. The industry of the case study enterprise, its development history and relationship analysis, profile of the case study enterprise were reported. In chapter 5, the study attempts to verify the theory with in-depth interview. In addition to many visits to and observation of the case study enterprise, the factors that affect the growth of the small businesses are analyzed. Finally, the key factors of growth strategy for small business enterprises are: 1. focused scope of operation, hold onto niche market, 2. establish industrial network or clustering effect, 3. develop human capital, ensure customer and employee value, 4. accumulate strategic resources, develop core competence, 5. make use of resource leverage, expand synergy, 6. organization reengineering and change, integrate and enhance business capabilities. The 6 strategic factors must support leadership characteristics as the core of growth strategy. The growth model for small businesses are also developed.

Yes / This article reviews the literature on human capital resources and develops a conceptual model incorporating social capital, relational capital and knowledge as the components of human capital resources and linking these to competitive advantage. Scholars from various disciplines expanded our understanding of human capital as important organizational resources but research in this field remains fragmented. Building on past research this review contributes to existing knowledge in human capital resources by introducing an integrated conceptual framework comprising of both micro-level human capital and macro-level strategic human capital resources. In so doing it provides alternative definitions for human capital resources with the aim to make their assessment and understandability more meaningful and clearer than what has been offered so far. Moreover, by bringing knowledge, social capital and relational capital under human capital, this review encourages a dialogue among scholars from various disciplines to investigate the creation and accumulation of strategic human capital resources holistically.

Este estudo tem por objetivos analisar as variáveis do Ambiente Organizacional Externo, à luz das Teorias da Organização Industrial e da Visão Baseada em Recursos, reconhecidas pelo dirigente como adequadas à administração estratégica da pequena empresa. As relações das Pequenas Empresas com o Ambiente Organizacional Externo (EOE) é menos investigada proporcionalmente do que os aspectos do dirigente e da estrutura dessas empresas. Não são encontrados portanto estudos sobre pequenas empresas industriais, de comércio e de serviços e suas relações com seu Ambiente Organizacional Externo principalmente no meio científico, com o enfoque dado nessa pesquisa. Por Ambiente Organizacional Externo compreende-se o entorno externo imediato da organização, composto por fatores como clientes, concorrentes, fornecedores, marcos legais, regulatórios e variáveis macroeconômicas. Esses fatores são abordados com diferentes enfoques pelas duas teorias de referência nessa pesquisa. A compreensão do EOE pode significar para as PE sobrevivência e competitividade tanto quanto as decisões internas do dirigente com respeito a custos e gestão de empregados. Para aprofundamento desses aspectos 154 pequenas empresas dos setores de indústria, comércio e serviços das regiões de São Carlos-SP e de Ribeirão Preto-SP, no Estado de São Paulo, foram objeto de levantamento de dados. A pesquisa é de natureza quantitativa, utilizando-se das 37 questões do instrumento \"Diagnóstico Empresarial\" do Programa ALI - Agente Local de Inovação do Sebrae (Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas). Constatou-se a não relevância para o dirigente dos fatores: da missão e da visão, do registro de informações e para a variável clientes. Já para os fatores gestão dos empregados e fornecedores os resultados da relevância para o dirigente não foram conclusivos. Para o fator exigências legais e marcos regulatórios constatou-se que há relevância para o dirigente. Os resultados apontam para necessidade de complementos qualitativos de investigação mas sinalizam que, para essa amostra, os dirigentes não \"percebem e não dão atenção\" a fatores muitas vezes julgados como essenciais para sobrevivência e competitividade das pequenas empresas, como clientes, fornecedores e registro de informações. / This study aims at analysing the variables of the External Organizational Environment (EOE) in the light of the Theory of the Industrial Organization and Theory of the Resource-Based View, acknowledged by the owner as suitable for the strategic administration of the small business (SB). The relations between Small Businesses and the External Organizational Environment is less investigated when comparing with the managers aspects and the businesses structure. Therefore, there are not studies, on small industrial, commerce or service businesses and their relations with the External Organizational Environment, and even less in the scientific field, that would focus on the issues the present research brings. For External Organizational Environment one understands the immediate external surroundings of the organization, composed by factors as customers, competitors, providers, legal and regulatory marks, macroeconomic variables These factors are approached with different foci by two the referential theories of this research. Understanding the External Organizational Environment can mean for the SB survival and competitivity as much as the internal decisions of the owner regarding costs and the management of collaborators. In order to deepen this perspectives, one took as the data base for this investigation 154 small businesses of industry, commerce and service sectors around the regions of São Carlos - SP and Ribeirão Preto - SP, in the State of São Paulo. The investigation is of quantitative nature, using the 37 questions of the instrument \"Business Diagnosis\" of the pro Programme ALI Local Agent of Innovation from Sebrae. It was confirmed the non relevance for the Owner of the practices of mission and of vision; it was confirmed the non relevance for the Owner of the practice of information registry; it was confirmed the non relevance for the Owner for the variable costumers. As for the factors management of collaborators and providers the relevance results for the Management were not conclusive; for the factor legal demands and regulatory marks it was found that there is relevance for the Owner. The results point to the necessity of qualitative complements of investigation. But they signal that, for this sample, the Owners do not notice and do not pay attention to factors many times considered as essential for the survival and the competitiveness of the small business, factors such as costumers, providers and registration of information.

Este estudo tem por objetivos analisar as variáveis do Ambiente Organizacional Externo, à luz das Teorias da Organização Industrial e da Visão Baseada em Recursos, reconhecidas pelo dirigente como adequadas à administração estratégica da pequena empresa. As relações das Pequenas Empresas com o Ambiente Organizacional Externo (EOE) é menos investigada proporcionalmente do que os aspectos do dirigente e da estrutura dessas empresas. Não são encontrados portanto estudos sobre pequenas empresas industriais, de comércio e de serviços e suas relações com seu Ambiente Organizacional Externo principalmente no meio científico, com o enfoque dado nessa pesquisa. Por Ambiente Organizacional Externo compreende-se o entorno externo imediato da organização, composto por fatores como clientes, concorrentes, fornecedores, marcos legais, regulatórios e variáveis macroeconômicas. Esses fatores são abordados com diferentes enfoques pelas duas teorias de referência nessa pesquisa. A compreensão do EOE pode significar para as PE sobrevivência e competitividade tanto quanto as decisões internas do dirigente com respeito a custos e gestão de empregados. Para aprofundamento desses aspectos 154 pequenas empresas dos setores de indústria, comércio e serviços das regiões de São Carlos-SP e de Ribeirão Preto-SP, no Estado de São Paulo, foram objeto de levantamento de dados. A pesquisa é de natureza quantitativa, utilizando-se das 37 questões do instrumento \"Diagnóstico Empresarial\" do Programa ALI - Agente Local de Inovação do Sebrae (Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas). Constatou-se a não relevância para o dirigente dos fatores: da missão e da visão, do registro de informações e para a variável clientes. Já para os fatores gestão dos empregados e fornecedores os resultados da relevância para o dirigente não foram conclusivos. Para o fator exigências legais e marcos regulatórios constatou-se que há relevância para o dirigente. Os resultados apontam para necessidade de complementos qualitativos de investigação mas sinalizam que, para essa amostra, os dirigentes não \"percebem e não dão atenção\" a fatores muitas vezes julgados como essenciais para sobrevivência e competitividade das pequenas empresas, como clientes, fornecedores e registro de informações. / This study aims at analysing the variables of the External Organizational Environment (EOE) in the light of the Theory of the Industrial Organization and Theory of the Resource-Based View, acknowledged by the owner as suitable for the strategic administration of the small business (SB). The relations between Small Businesses and the External Organizational Environment is less investigated when comparing with the managers aspects and the businesses structure. Therefore, there are not studies, on small industrial, commerce or service businesses and their relations with the External Organizational Environment, and even less in the scientific field, that would focus on the issues the present research brings. For External Organizational Environment one understands the immediate external surroundings of the organization, composed by factors as customers, competitors, providers, legal and regulatory marks, macroeconomic variables These factors are approached with different foci by two the referential theories of this research. Understanding the External Organizational Environment can mean for the SB survival and competitivity as much as the internal decisions of the owner regarding costs and the management of collaborators. In order to deepen this perspectives, one took as the data base for this investigation 154 small businesses of industry, commerce and service sectors around the regions of São Carlos - SP and Ribeirão Preto - SP, in the State of São Paulo. The investigation is of quantitative nature, using the 37 questions of the instrument \"Business Diagnosis\" of the pro Programme ALI Local Agent of Innovation from Sebrae. It was confirmed the non relevance for the Owner of the practices of mission and of vision; it was confirmed the non relevance for the Owner of the practice of information registry; it was confirmed the non relevance for the Owner for the variable costumers. As for the factors management of collaborators and providers the relevance results for the Management were not conclusive; for the factor legal demands and regulatory marks it was found that there is relevance for the Owner. The results point to the necessity of qualitative complements of investigation. But they signal that, for this sample, the Owners do not notice and do not pay attention to factors many times considered as essential for the survival and the competitiveness of the small business, factors such as costumers, providers and registration of information.

Confrontées à des environnements d’affaires toujours plus turbulents, les firmes doiventredoubler d’efforts pour se doter de moyens leur permettant de se saisir pleinement de ces évolutions.L’intelligence technologique, en tant que vecteur de connaissances sur les dynamiques d’innovation,constitue un instrument au service des firmes afin d’orienter leurs activités économiques.L’enjeu de cette thèse, financée par le Groupe PSA, est de participer au renforcement des pratiquesd’intelligence technologique d’un grand groupe industriel.La première partie de cette thèse vise à rendre l’intelligence technologique plus intelligible afind’asseoir la légitimité de son intégration effective dans les processus des firmes. Pour cela, nousmobilisons les éléments théoriques du référentiel des ressources et compétences de la firme afind’apporter des éléments de réponse à trois problématiques. Pourquoi la compréhension del’environnement externe relève d’une nécessité pour la firme ? Quel statut au sein de la firme octroyerà cette aptitude de compréhension ? Et enfin, quels sont les apports concrets de l’intelligencetechnologique pour le management stratégique et opérationnel de l’innovation ?L’opérationnalisation de l’intelligence technologique est au coeur de la seconde partie de cette thèsequi s’attache à améliorer les pratiques de collecte de matériaux informationnels sur l’environnementexterne. Plus précisément, elle ambitionne non seulement de déterminer l’apport informationnel desdonnées brevet et de données actuellement peu exploitées, à savoir les données financières, maiségalement de formuler des recommandations opérationnelles pour leur exploitation / Challenged by turbulent environment, firms are driven to make extra efforts in order tothrive. Technology intelligence, as a vector of knowledge of innovation dynamics, constitutes aninstrument at the firms’ disposal to help steer their economic activities.The aim of this thesis, funded by Groupe PSA, is to participate in the enhancement of theimplementation of technology intelligence within large industrial groups.The first part of this Ph.D. thesis aims at making technology intelligence more comprehensible inorder to reinforce its purposes in the innovation process of firms.To this end, we will call upon theoretical elements from the resources and competencies based view ofthe firm in order to answer three questions: Why is the understanding of the external environment ofthe firm a necessity? What is its place within the organization of the firm? What is the significance oftechnological intelligence for strategic and operational management of innovation?By putting technology intelligence into practice, the second part of this thesis focuses on improvingcollection methods of data required for the analysis of the external environment of the firm. Moreprecisely, the intent is not only to determine the informational benefits of patent data and the seldomused financial data, but also to make practical recommendations for their exploitation.