A Study on Business Strategies of Cultural and Creative Industry in Taitung District ? The Case of Craft Industry

[[abstract]]?Cultural and Creative Industry Development Plan? is one of the Executive Yuan?s ? Challenge 2008 -National Development Plan?. The Council for Cultural Affairs pushed it with all-out effort as an important and newly booming cultural policy. It hoped to developed creative territory, merging with human economy to develop the economically effective and cultural industry. The activities of industry and commerce in Taitung District were far behind western Taiwan due to geographic factors resulted in more slowness of various public engineering and developmental constructions than other counties. However, Taitung is rich in its natural landscapes and diverse cultural characteristics. There are six aboriginal tribes in Taitung County and they represent Austronesian culture. It can be regarded as the most potential area for developing cultural and creative industry. There were not yet any studies on cultural and creative industry in Taitung District. How to apply this uniquely cultural connotation to develop characteristically cultural products as well as to promote local economic development is the motivation of this study. The motif of this study was based on the craft industry in Taitung District. The purposes of this study were as follows (1) to explore the reality of cultural and creative industry in Taitung District from its connotation and the government? policy. (2) to realize the ecology of cultural and creative industry in Taitung District and its industry?s environments (3) to explore an operator or innovator?s core resources, ability, business patterns and its contents of the craft industry. (4) to seek the niche of development of craft industry on the basis of resources (5) to compose the craft industry?s business strategies in Taitung District and mobilize Taitung District?s economic development. This study adopted qualitative research approach by using semi-structured in-depth interviews of nine selected operators of craft industry in Taitung District. It utilized resource-based views to analyze the industry?s core competencies as well as its key success factors and understood the resources and business circumstances of Taitung?s craft industry that it had possessed. It can help draft favorably competitive strategies for Taitung?s craft industry through literature references and relevant theories. The results showed: (1) The composition of this craft industry was scattered. Taitung County held a 92% majority of retailers; most of them were over 5 years of experience, occupied by 70.2%; The composition of operators? capital was under 1 million NT dollars by 96%; the constitution of them was mostly engaged in unique capital business by 94.5%; the constitution of sales sum was mostly under 5 million NT dollars, estimated by 94.5%. (2) The advantage of inner core resources of Taitung District?s craft industry was put into 4 categories and 13 points, among them, intangible assets surpassed tangible assets; individual ability outnumbered constitutional ability. The inner advantage of operators? inner core resources of Taitung District?s craft industry emphasized production technology, design, management ability and creating spirits. (3) The disadvantage of inner core resources for Taitung District?s craft industry was entirely inducted into 6 points, and among them, manpower and self-reliant capital were two major cracks of core resources. (4) Among the interviewees, aboriginal workshops own the least inner core resources while artifact shops and non-aboriginal workshops hold the most inner core resources. Two diffrent community workshops almost had the same advantage of inner core resources. As for the effects of a monthly average volume of business, the more it had the advantage of inner core resources, the more revenue sum it would have