Mei-Chi Lai

Overcoming organizational inertia to strengthen business model innovation

Purpose – This study aims to examine how open innovation can be effective in changing organizational inertia to create business model innovation and improve firm performance. It also seeks to explore whether the existence of open innovation has a mediating effect and influence. Design/methodology/approach – This study constructs a theoretical model to explore the relationship between latent variables and uses a questionnaire to collect research data. In the conceptual framework, organizational inertia is a second-order latent variable and comprises three first-order latent variables: insight inertia, action inertia, and psychological inertia. Open innovation is also a second-order latent variable, and consists of two first-order latent variables: outbound and inbound open innovation. To clarify the relationship between these latent variables, structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to test the goodness of fit of the theoretical model and research hypotheses. This study uses 141 small to medium-sized ma...

Developing strategic measurement and improvement for the biopharmaceutical firm

Research highlights? This paper presents the use of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to prioritize all of the measures and strategies in a BSC framework. ? This case illustrates selection or design of the most appropriate and helpful measures of the BSC in the pharmaceutical firm in an emerging market. ? According to the AHP, assure sustainable shareholder value, intellectual property, maintain the asset quality, and customer relationship management are the prioritizing strategies for strategy execution. The balanced scorecard (BSC) provides an enterprise view of an organizations overall performance. It integrates financial measures with other key performance indicators around customer perspectives, internal business processes, and organizational growth, learning, and innovation. The strategy planning is a virtual necessity for business activities, and this paper presents the use of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to prioritize all of the measures and strategies in a BSC framework. This study has found related strategies and objectives from four perspectives of balanced scorecard. This case illustrates selection or design of the most appropriate and helpful measures of the BSC in the pharmaceutical firm in an emerging market.

Designing a knowledge-based system for benchmarking: A DEA approach

First developed by Xerox in 1979, benchmarking provides measurement and comparison to improve processes and achieve higher performance. Benchmarking has proven a powerful tool for total quality management and process improvement. Successful benchmarking implementation is based on an effective benchmarking tool. To effectively implement benchmarking processes, this work proposes an integrated framework for the benchmarking tool and knowledge-based system using the data envelopment analysis (DEA) method, and then develops an intellectual benchmarking knowledge-based system (BKBS) for benchmarking, performance evaluation and process improvement. Accordingly, this work illustrates how the benchmarking knowledge-based system (BKBS) is implemented in a medical center. This system can help determine the particular benchmarking partners to evaluate the relative efficiency and fill the gaps between the benchmarking partners in the healthcare industry. Finally, the intellectual benchmarking knowledge-based system offers a very fast way to implement the benchmarking processes.

Design of a knowledge-based performance evaluation system: A case of high-tech state-owned enterprises in an emerging economy

This paper describes an intelligent decision support system for evaluating state-owned enterprises (SOEs) using DEA models. This decision support system converts numerical data into information that can be used to evaluate state-owned enterprises (SOEs). In this paper, we use DEA models, including CCR, BCC and FDH, to shed new light on the operational efficiency and determinants of state-owned enterprises in Beijing. We propose an evaluation framework for evaluating state-owned enterprises (SOEs), including a database management subsystem, a model base subsystem, a knowledge acquisition subsystem, and a dialogue subsystem. Finally, we adopt the logistic regression model to analyze the effect factors of inefficient state-owned enterprises and provide optimum decision-making for state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

Strategic linkage process and value-driven system: A dynamic analysis of high-tech firms in a newly-industrialized country

The current balanced scorecard literature suggests that a link should exist between lagging and leading measurements of non-financial performance perspectives and financial performance measures. This work designed a dynamic integrated model for examining the influence of strategic links on the Taiwanese high-tech industry, and to examine the relationships among the strategic perspectives of the balanced scorecard (BSC). This work studied the descriptive validity of the balanced scorecard as a causal model for leading and lagging measurements of non-financial and financial performance in relation to time-lag effects. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and dynamic analysis were used to empirically examine the relations among strategic linkages and value drivers within the model. The analytical results demonstrate the existence of directly positive driver effects between the learning-growth, customer, and financial perspectives; also the internal process (leading measurements) mediates the relationship between learning-growth (leading measurements) and financial perspective (lagging measurements). The results indicated that time tag positively influenced the non-financial and financial perspectives, and that they were strongly correlated with the strategic linkage process.

Aligning intangible assets to innovation in biopharmaceutical industry

This study investigates whether or not intangible asset is a source of organizational innovation according to the resource-based view of firm (RBV). Accordingly, this study designs an empirical model for verifying the influence of intangible assets on innovative capability within the Taiwanese biopharmaceutical industry. This study concerns intangible assets and, more specifically, its potential influence on innovative capability in the biopharmaceutical industry. In short, the empirical model analyzes the impacts of human capital, information capital, and organization capital on innovative capability from the resource-based and balanced scorecard perspectives. To clarify the relational influences of these contextual variables, the empirical analysis includes a structural equation modeling (SEM) that examines the hypothesized model fit and four hypotheses. The analytical results demonstrate that aligning intangible assets positively influence innovation process, and the organization capital mediates the relationship between intangible assets and innovative capability in the biopharmaceutical industry.

Potential of organizational memory for creating service performance: A cross-level analysis

This study investigates employee service performance creation potential in relation to organizational memory and knowledge sharing. Accordingly, this study devises a multilevel model for examining the links among contextual variables and collects data via a multi-informant questionnaire design. To clarify the multilevel influence of these individual-level (e.g., knowledge sharing) and organizational-level variables (e.g., organizational memory) on individual-level outcome (e.g., employee service performance), this study applies hierarchical linear modeling to examine three hypotheses. Using data from a study of 266 healthcare employees and 34 supervisors sampled from 34 hospitals, the HLM results clearly indicate how organizational memory moderates the relationship between knowledge sharing and employee service performance. Finally, the findings of this study and their implications are discussed.

Rating the relative efficiency of financial holding companies in an emerging economy: A multiple DEA approach

Since the banking industry was liberalized in 1991, the financial holding company has become more and more competitive in Taiwan. Thus, it is an important for financial holding companies to be operated efficiently. This paper focuses on a study, which used data envelopment analysis (DEA) technique to compare the performance of 14 financial holding companies in Taiwan. We provide the conceptual model for simultaneous analysis of operating and human resource performance in this paper. The analysis models of DEA include CCR, BCC, Bilateral, Slack-Based Measure, and the FDH model. We analyze overall efficiency, pure technique efficiency and scale efficiency of the financial holding companies in Taiwan. We also use bilateral model to measure and compare efficiency between the bank-based holding companies and non bank-based holding companies. And we investigate the most productive scale size for the financial holding companies. Finally, we provide some management suggestions for the financial holding companies.

Linking the benchmarking tool to a knowledge-based system for performance improvement

In this work, a knowledge-based system for the benchmarking of public university libraries was developed in order to provide more useful information for decision-making and process benchmarking. This knowledge-based system converts numerical data into information that can be used to evaluate relative efficiency of public university libraries in Taiwan. We propose an integrated framework for the benchmarking wheel and knowledge-based system, including a database management subsystem, model base subsystem, knowledge acquisition subsystem, and dialogue subsystem. In the model-base, we use the DEA models, including the CCR and BCC models, in order to shed new light on the operational efficiency of public libraries in Taiwan. Finally, we provide strategies for improving inefficient public university libraries.

Value creation potential of individual and organizational memory in health care services

This study focuses on social capital and knowledge storage, and specifically how these factors influence service performance in the healthcare industry. Accordingly, this study analyzes the impacts of personal relationships, individual memory, and organizational memory on hospital service performance. An empirical model is developed to explore the links among contextual variables. To clarify the relational influences of these variables, structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to examine the fit of the hypothesized model and related hypotheses. By analyzing data from a survey of 610 participants from 22 medical centers in Taiwan, the empirical results show that knowledge storage (that is, individual memory and organizational memory) is a fully mediating factor between personal relationships and hospital service performance. Moreover, the results also show that personal relationships may facilitate knowledge storage, in turn affecting service performance. Findings and their implications are discussed.