An Exploratory Study of Firms’ process of Imitation Learning and Innovation by Subcontracting Network-Focus on SMEs

[[abstract]]隨著企業經營環境變動快速，企業必須厚植本身的能力，持續不斷的進行創 新，方能成為卓越的企業。但是，創新並不容易，而且存在著相當高的風險，為 了降低創新的風險，企業可藉由合作的方式，有效率的獲得企業所欠缺的知識， 再經由自我能力的提升，發展自力創新，達成事半平羲漁蘆G。本研究以台灣中 小企業為研究對象，試圖經由協力網絡的脈絡下，尋找出廠商間模仿、學習後而 達到自力創新的過程，並嘗試建立協力網絡中獨特的創新模式，對廠商未來的創 新或轉型活動，有一個參考性的指標。 本研究發現，由於中小企業的協力網絡內存在著高度依賴的關係，廠商間經 常會有相互要求的情形產生(如：品質改善等)，廠商為了求生存，常會利用此合作 的關係來達成持續改善的創新，其運用槓桿的方式，先藉由模仿、學習的方式獲 得其合作夥伴的知識，進而自行創新，如此，可以降低創新所必須承擔的風險。 而本研究另一個發現為，由於協力網絡內廠商間長期的合作，彼此會有部分企業 機能的移轉，如製造或品管交由合作夥伴負責等現象。 然而，此種經由模仿、學習的創新也可視為廠商成長的方式之一，廠商不僅 模仿、學習，也必須發展其自力創新活動，才會有助於企業的轉型。當產業裡知 識的傳遞與擴散愈容易，將會提升廠商創新的效率，促使整個產業更進一步的升 級。此外，這一類型的模仿式創新也是重大創新的推力，廠商要能善用其合作的 優勢，更進一步的產生共同創新的活動。[[abstract]]ABSTRACT As the managing environment of enterprises has been changing fast enterprise which wants to become an outstanding company must enhance its own capacities and keep doing innovations However innovation is not only difficult to do but also within quite high risk In order to reduce the risk of innovation enterprise can efficiently gain the knowledge which it lacks by cooperating with other enterprises and then yield twice the result with half the effort through improving its ability and developing self-innovation This research regards small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of Taiwan as the objects attempt to find out the process of imitation learning and then reaching the self-innovation among the manufacturers by subcontracting network In addition this research also try to set up an unique innovation model within subcontracting network which provides a reference target for future innovation or transition activity of the manufacturers Discovered from this research because the relations within the subcontracting network of SMEs are high which results that manufacturers would be request from each other frequently (ex: quality improvement etc ) For the sake of subsistence the manufacturers often work cooperatively to make the innovation improved continuously That is like a lever concept they obtain the knowledge of the cooperative partners by imitating and learning and consequently innovating by themselves Accordingly the manufacturers can reduce the risk which must be undertaken in innovation Besides it ii can also be found in this research that because of long-term cooperation among manufacturers in the subcontracting network some functions of enterprises may be transferred for example manufacture or quality control may be managed by cooperative partners However doing innovations by imitating and learning could be regarded as one way to make manufacturers grow up The manufacturers not only have to imitate and learn but also develop their own innovative ability which will contribute to the transition of enterprises When the knowledge within an industry can deliver and spread easily the efficiency of the innovation for manufacturers will be improved thus the whole industry will be further upgraded In addition imitative innovation is also the thrust for great innovation The manufacturers must be able to make the best of its cooperative advantage and then seek to bring out mutual innovative activitie