A Study on Diversification Strategy of Textbook Industry- The resource-based theory perspective

教科書是教師教學活動的主要媒介，是學生獲得知識的主要來源，它負有傳遞知識與社會價值的任務，在內容編輯上要符合理想的教育思想，配合社會時代的發展，更須適應學生不同成長及知識學習的需要，因此占有十分重要的地位。然而在教學現場及學生的學習歷程中，除了教科書，還包含習作、學習單、教學指引、教學活動、教具、數位媒體、實驗、補充材料和延伸閱讀等，這些伴隨著教科書主體的產物，形成了教科書的產業。 台灣的中小學教科書原為統編制，自民國78年開放國中藝能科教科書予民間編輯、出版，至民國85年國小學科教科書開放，當時投入民編教科書的出版業者達14家，投入後才發現要進入市場的門檻甚高，內容須不斷與時俱進，加上印刷、發行、物流、運送、尊重著作權等要素，已非過去全數利用政府資源來編輯、發行的狀況。加上台灣少子化嚴重，物價上揚，書價無法由業者自主，教科書的產業處於極微利的狀況，出版業者要永續發展是一個很重要的課題。 本研究將以資源基礎理論（Resource-Base Theory, RBT）來探討企業多角化策略的成效，以K文教事業為例，討論的問題如下三點： 一、台灣教科書產業的發展過程與演進 二、台灣總體環境，如政策、少子化等因素對教科書產業經營之影響 三、教科書產業如何運用既有的資源進行多角化策略成功與失敗因素分析 本論文採用個案研究方法，透過相關文獻回顧，以Amit & Livnat（1988）針對多角化策略經營的觀點，著重在既有資源能力的延伸、新能力的建構、產品線擴充來研究；再以Grant（1991）提出的資源基礎觀點，從企業擁有的資源與能力去做探討，包括公司的研發力、採購力、生產力、行銷力等方面來說明及印證。 本研究發現，企業在進行多角化策略投資評估時，若能更具體分析出企業本身既有的能力，並與多角化策略發展有更多正面的關連，則成功的機會越大，反之則越小；最後從營收的成長來判斷其經營的效益。Textbooks are a major media to teaching, a main source for students to gain knowledge. They bear the responsibility to pass on knowledge and social values. The contents not only need to reflect ideal educational philosophies and social era developments, but also adapt to different growing and learning needs of the students. Their importance is without question. However, other thank textbooks, exercise books, worksheets, handbooks, teaching activities, teaching tools, digital medias, lab activities, supplementary materials, and extended readings are also part of classroom teaching and student learning progress. These ancillaries, together with the main body—textbooks, comprise the textbook industry. In the past, elementary and junior high school textbooks in Taiwan were unified and published by the government. Until 1989, textbooks of non-academic subjects were opened to private publishers for editing and publishing and in the year of 1996 elementary academic textbooks. Fourteen private publishers entered the business at that time. Not until later, they realized how high the threshold is to enter the business. The contents must keep up with social realities, not to mention other important elements such as printing, publishing, logistics, shipping and copy rights, etc. which could no longer rely on the total support and resources of the government. In addition, the exacerbating low birth rate and price inflation problems in Taiwan prohibit the publishers from setting textbook prices. As a result, the textbook industry is caught in low marginal profits. Therefore, sustainable development of publishers is an important topic to be discussed. This study uses Resource-Based Theory (RBT) to investigate the effectiveness of diversification strategy with K Educational Publishing Group as an example. The following three areas are explored: 1.The developments and evolutions of the textbook industry in Taiwan. 2.The effects of macro-environment factors, such as government policies and low birth rate on Taiwan textbook industry. 3.The analysis on successful and unsuccessful factors of using existing resources for diversification strategy by the textbook industry. This research utilizes case study method. Through literature review, the diversification strategy management perspective by Amit & Livnat (1988) is used in the study with the focuses on the extension of existing resources and skills, constructing new abilities and expanding product lines. In addition, this study also employs resource-based perspective proposed by Grant (1991) to explore the resources and abilities of the enterprise, such as the company’s research and development, purchasing, and marketing abilities as explanations and validations. The results indicate that if the enterprise could objectively analyze its existing abilities when engaging in diversification strategy investment evaluations and have more positive connections with diversification strategy developments, it will have greater chance to success, otherwise smaller. Lastly, revenue growths can be used to evaluate management effectiveness of the enterprise