Joseph Z. Shyu

Marketing strategy based on customer behaviour for the LCD-TV

Manufacturers of LCD-TV tend to focus on technology with little consideration for customer needs. We have researched customer behaviour in order to learn more about customer needs in an effort to reduce the gap between technology and customer needs. Customer behaviour is defined in this study as buying behaviour. The traditional concept of marketing strategy is not multi-dimensional, so we employed the Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method. The DEMATEL method is used to detect customer buying-decision-factors. The relative relationship supports strategic planning in actual situations and the competitive environment. Results show that customer buying-factors include price, quality, resolution of kinescope, low radiation, and the relationship between these factors. Quality is a powerful factor affecting others, with advertising as a prime example. The marketing strategy planning framework is proposed according to the relationship of decision factors. This study provides relationships and marketing strategy planning for firms in the LCD-TV market to meet customer needs.

Fuzzy Multiple Criteria Selection of Government-Sponsored Frontier Technology R&D Projects

Selection of government-sponsored frontier R&D projects is made difficult by the coexistence of the conflicting participating parties, the availability of experts for new frontier technology review, and the ambiguity of new frontier technology. This paper presents a model that includes (1) using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method to integrate various expectations from different interest groups into evaluating objectives/criteria, (2) the group-decision method by technical experts based on the predetermined objectives/criteria, and (3) the fuzzy approach in scoring the subjective judgments of the experts. The results reveal that differences of weights toward each criterion exist among various groups. The government and academia care more about social benefits, the researchers are more concerned about intellectual properties, and the experts from industry emphasize the importance of feasibility. The method presented in this paper was applied at a national research institute in Taiwan. The results reveal that: (1) the approach can solve the disparity between the profound knowledge required for evaluation and the different expectation from various interest groups, (2) the fuzzy approach is suitable to frontier technology R&D project selection because of the vagueness of the nature of frontier technology and the difficulties in evaluating quantitatively and accurately.

Exploring the Interaction Between Incubators and Industrial Clusters: The Case of the ITRI Incubator in Taiwan

This article aims to explore the interaction between incubators and industrial clusters, which is an important linkage for local development but has not been analyzed in the literature. A model is proposed to describe this interaction. The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) Incubator within the Hsinchu industrial cluster, the core of Taiwans technology industries, is considered to be an empirical case. This case is investigated with the proposed model and methods including data analysis, in-depth interviews, manager surveys and stakeholder analysis. It was found that the clustering effect in the Hsinchu industrial cluster is main factor in the ITRI Incubators development. The ITRI Incubator in turn reinforces the cluster in some aspects as feedback. This result confirms the existence and importance of this interaction in local development. It is recommended that government officials and incubator managers take account of this interaction in operating an incubator program and utilize the proposed model to analyze the incubators contributions to its industrial cluster.

Innovation Policy for Developing Taiwan's Competitive Advantages

Innovation is a prerequisite for every nation and business facing the emergence of a knowledge-based economy and globalization. For small and medium firms in developing countries with limited resources and relatively low national advantage innovation is much more difficult. Government innovation policy, stemming from three sides - supply, demand, and environment, has been shown to play a major role in assisting firms to conduct innovation activities, especially in developing countries. This paper first summarizes recent tends and issues relevant to Taiwans innovation structure and policy. Then, considering the present situation of Taiwan, analyzes the effect of government policy and current problems. Recommendations are presented systematically, based upon innovation policy.

Policy tools on the formation of new biotechnology firms in Taiwan

Abstract This research explores the contribution of policy tool toward the formation of Taiwanese biotechnology firms. The effect of technological policy for the formation of new biotechnology firms (NBFs) is complicated by the fact that biotechnology is new, and its development raises issues where there is a great deal of uncertainty. This research involved the evaluation of policy tools on the formation of NBFs and was based on a combination of fuzzy multiple criteria decision-making method (MCDM) and interviews with key actors in the field. The focus of this paper is how the users, biofirms, and venture capitalists perceive the contribution of policy tools toward the formation of NBFs. The evaluating hierarchy toward the formation of NBFs shows that two user groups perceive differently. Venture capitalists emphasize the importance of factors relating to technology and human resources, while biofirm groups emphasize those relating to market. The results of the evaluation reveal that: First, policy tools relating to technology and human capital are currently the main focus in Taiwan, a focus consistent with the perception of venture capitalists. However, from the perspective of biofirms, there are mismatches. Second, policy tools contribute to the formation of NBFs in different ways. Some contribute more widely across the criteria, while some are more specific. Third, the ranking of eight policy tools indicates that the role of public research institutes in economic development has become more sophisticated. Not only are they the source of initial capabilities of emerging firms, they are also important actors in industrial innovation, especially for a knowledge-intensive, industry-like biotechnology.

Using Nonadditive Fuzzy Integral to Assess Performances of Organizational Transformation Via Communities of Practice

Organizational transformations have been widely adopted by firms who wish to improve their competitive advantage to be better prepared to face external challenges. This research has chosen Communities of Practice (CoPs) as the subject of discussion for an assessment model to reform organizations that undertake CoPs for collective knowledge to enhance their core competencies. Given the interrelationships between criteria, this research uses the nonadditive fuzzy integral to develop a framework for the CoPs performance assessment. The purposes of this paper are to identify the key dimensions/criteria in the CoPs, to use fuzzy logic method to analyze the relative importance of each criterion, and to rank the criteria so that proper resources can be allocated while managing the CoPs. Through interviews with experts, four strategy alternatives and 16 criteria along four dimensions are generated. A survey of the CoPs practitioners is then conducted to compare the results of each criterion. The results will not only help organizations that intend to initiate changes via the CoPs activities to decide the ranking of their appraisal criteria, but it can also assist them in guiding the behavior of their staff while effectively monitoring and improving the performances of the CoPs

A Cross-National Comparative Analysis of Innovation Policy in the Integrated Circuit Industry

Abstract This research discusses innovation policies in the integrated circuit industries of the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, the United States, and the Peoples Republic of China. Using Rothwell and Zegvelds model of industrial innovation policy as a starting point, this research compares innovation policy across the four nations, specifically focusing on three topics: (1) national preferences for innovation policy; (2) the influence of innovation policy on industry innovation requirements; and (3) the competitive advantages realized as a result of industrial innovation requirements in the four countries. Our research indicates the policy tools used by each country, followed by results that indicate the effectiveness of industry innovation policies on requirements for industry innovation. This work generates several suggestions for Taiwans integrated circuit industry: the Taiwan government should emphasize specific policies to provide a better research and development environment; it should build a complete information system that encourages knowledge diffusion and accumulation; and it should adopt Procurement as a policy to extend domestic market demand.

A Litterman BVAR approach for production forecasting of technology industries

Abstract Forecasting the production of technology industries is important to entrepreneurs and governments, but usually suffers from market fluctuation and explosion. This paper aims to propose a Litterman Bayesian vector autoregression (LBVAR) model for production prediction based on the interaction of industrial clusters. Related industries within industrial clusters are included into the LBVAR model to provide more accurate predictions. The LBVAR model possesses the superiority of Bayesian statistics in small sample forecasting and holds the dynamic property of the vector autoregression (VAR) model. Two technology industries in Taiwan, the photonics industry and semiconductor industry are used to examine the LBVAR model using a rolling forecasting procedure. As a result, the LBVAR model was found to be capable of providing outstanding predictions for these two technology industries in comparison to the autoregression (AR) model and VAR model.

Applying multivariate time series models to technological product sales forecasting

Sales forecasting plays a crucial role in conducting marketing and mix strategies in technological industries. However, traditional sales forecasting methods focus only on customer behaviour and other quantitative variables. This paper proposes multivariate time series models, using the vector autoregression (VAR) model and the Litterman Bayesian vector autoregression (LBVAR) model, for sales forecasting in technological industries. In this study, macroeconomic data are considered to be useful leading indicators and are included in the VAR and LBVAR models. The LBVAR model possesses superior Bayesian statistics in small sample forecasting and holds the VAR model dynamic properties. An empirical study of Taiwans portable computer industry is used to examine the VAR and LBVAR models to validate the informative effect of macroeconomic data on sales forecasting. As a result, multivariate time series models with macroeconomic data appear to be useful models for technological product sales forecasting.

Surface analysis of dealuminated Y zeolites by ESCA

A series of dealuminated NaY zeolites was studied by ESCA. NaY zeolite was dealuminated using an aqueous solution of H4EDTA. Changes in surface compositions and chemical states as a result of dealumination are reported. ESCA data indicated that aluminum and sodium are preferentially removed from the external surface of the zeolite during dealumination. This is presumably due to diffusional limitations of EDTA molecules into the internal cavities of the zeolite particles. It was found also that Al atoms in the zeolite crystal termination positions are either neutralized by protons or tri-coordinated.