Journal of Technology Management in China

Fuzzy MCDM approach to R&D project evaluation in Taiwan's public sectors : Table of Contents

Wen-Hsiang Lai, Pao-Long Chang, Ying-Chyi Chou — Mon Mar 15 02:05:42 GMT 2010

Abstract:
Purpose – Establishing a performance-oriented evaluation in public sectors is the key to successful administrations. However, because of lacking relative comparable measuring standards, it is difficult to measure the relative performance of one unit while comparing to other units with regard to the multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) of performance evaluation. This paper aims to focus on the performance ranking of research and development (R&D) projects in Taiwan's public sectors. Design/methodology/approach – The algorithm in this paper is based on the concept of fuzzy set theory and the hierarchical structure analysis. The analyzing method adopts the methods of standard normal distribution, linear transformation, and fuzzy MCDM, carrying on the analysis of multiple criteria of the performance evaluation. Findings – This paper constructs linguistic values to the subjective judgments and analyzes the ranking results of the performance evaluation with respect to 45 R&D projects of one of Taiwan's electric power companies. Thus, the paper demonstrates a successful way of evaluating R&D projects in the public sector. Originality/value – In this paper, a decision algorithm based on the fuzzy set theory is proposed to solve the performance evaluation of R&D projects in public sectors. In order to solve the difficulties of measuring one unit of the relative performance of quantitative criteria comparing to the other units, the method of standard normal distribution is adopted while measuring the quantitative criteria. The concept of linguistic values and fuzzy numbers are used in this paper since they could easily be used to describe the subjective measurement of the appropriateness of alternatives and the importance weightings of criteria.

Explaining supervisory support to work-family conflict: The perspectives of guanxi, LMX, and emotional intelligence : Table of Contents

Bi-Fen Hsu, Wan-Yu Chen, Mei-Ling Wang, Yen-Yu Lin — Mon Mar 15 02:05:42 GMT 2010

Abstract:
Purpose – Previous studies of manufacturing management have ignored a critical theme: the relationship between supervisory support and work-family conflict. This paper aims to explore the link between interpersonal relationships, guanxi, leader-member exchange (LMX) theory, emotional intelligence (EI), supervisory support, and work-family conflict. Design/methodology/approach – The unit of analysis of this research is the dyad; the paper gathered 244 valid questionnaires from workers in traditional industries in Taiwan and China. Multiple regression analyses were used to analyze the data and to test the hypotheses. Findings – The paper finds that supervisory support for work-family conflict has faded in traditional industries. And, it finds that leaders with a higher level of LMX and expressive ties to their subordinates tend to offer a higher level of supervisory support, but that leaders with higher level of instrumental ties to their subordinates tend to offer lower levels of support. Finally, the survey results also show that a leader's level of EI is not related to supervisory support. Originality/value – The research combines Western concepts of relationships with the Eastern concept of guanxi with the goal of clarifying the transfer of management concepts and exploring the explanatory power of guanxi in Chinese society. Although the empirical results of this study do not totally agree with expectations, they treat the benefits of supervisors' EI for organizations from a new point of view.

Strategic planning for management of technology of China's high technology enterprises : Table of Contents

Wei-wei Wu, Da-peng Liang, Bo Yu, Ying Yang — Mon Mar 15 02:05:42 GMT 2010

Abstract:
Purpose – The objective of this paper is to explore, describe, and explicate the processes which are related to the strategic planning for technology management, and to provide beneficial suggestions for China's high technology enterprises to promote technology management capability. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, a model for strategic planning for management of technology is developed, which is expected to be used to provide effective processes of articulating strategic planning. The model involves several key points including defining the current situations of technology management, determining the objectives of managing technology, and designing the approaches for the promotion of technology management capability. Capability maturity model (CMM) and fitness landscape theory are applied in this model to construct useful analysis tools. The model is used to make the strategic planning for management of technology of China's high technology enterprises. A survey of 43 high technology companies in China is conducted. Technology management maturity model (TMMM) is employed to assess the technology management maturity level, and fitness landscape of technology management is developed to explore the routines of promoting technology management capability. Findings – The authors find that there is still much room for China's high technology enterprises to improve their technology management capability, since the average technology management maturity is only in the managed level. And the maturity of quality management is lower than that of organization management and resource management, and so quality management should have more importance attached to it, promoting holistic technology management capability. All such findings imply that our research makes theoretical contributions to technology management and strategy related literature with significant managerial implications. Originality/value – The paper contributes to technology management literature by constructing the model of strategic planning for technology management, viewing it as the roadmap of the development of technology management, explaining three interrelated points and illustrating three processes. Second, the paper uses fitness landscape and NK model to explore the routines of promoting technology management capability.

Relationship between job position, job attributes, and workplace friendship: Taiwan and China : Table of Contents

Chun-Te Lin — Mon Mar 15 02:05:42 GMT 2010

Abstract:
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between job attributes, job position, and workplace friendship. This paper also attempts to expand the ontology of workplace friendship. Design/methodology/approach – The independent variables consisted of five job attributes and a category recorded by anticipant's self-response. The dependent variable is workplace friendship. The hierarchical polynomial regression is conducted to test the independent variables, dependent variable, and control variables. This paper adopts two-way analysis of variance which is conducted to test the relationship between job attributes, job position, and workplace friendship to address the two research problems. Findings – There are two research findings, first, within a particular job attribute, this paper shows that supervisors have better workplace friendship than subordinates. Second, this paper proves that with a particular job attribute, supervisors/subordinates from Taiwan have better workplace friendship than those from Mainland China. Research limitations/implications – In this paper, there are two research limitations. The first limitation is that the data are only collected from the eastern coastland of China. This means that the data may not be able to truly reflect the situation of every company in China. The second limitation is that the questionnaire is filled in by self-reporting participants. Practical implications – The development of workplace friendship is mainly based on the requirement of team work in an organization. The higher demand of team work corresponds to better development of workplace friendship. There are differences in workplace friendship in Taiwan and China due to different regional cultures and individual cognitions of job attributes which are eventually affected by individual and organizational elements. Originality/value – The major contribution of this paper is that it expanded the ontology of workplace friendship. Furthermore, this paper verifies workplace friendship difference in an organization which is affected by different job positions and job attributes and also compares the nature of the relationship in Taiwan and Mainland China.

Combining forecasts for technology forecasting and decision making : Table of Contents

Chen-Chun Lin, Ying-Hwa Tang, Joseph Z. Shyu, Yi-Ming Li — Mon Mar 15 02:05:42 GMT 2010

Abstract:
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose an approach to achieve better accuracy in technology forecasting (TF) by providing the concepts of the service components and service composition based on the theory of the combining forecasts. Next, it adopts three quantitative analyses as service components to form service composition. This will support the need of more predictable TF, which raises the accuracy of the quantitative analysis and, at the same time, presents the service composition logic in a consistent manner in the form of customized TF. Design/methodology/approach – This paper provides a systematic analysis of the technology forecasts for third-generation (3G) telecommunication industry. This systematic approach mainly unifies the Bass model, logit model, and least squares analysis forecasting techniques, along with a reasonable assessment of the scope for the normal curve (±1 standard deviation), and attempts to find the maximum possibility frontier of the predictive value. Findings – Through the integration and comparison of these three techniques, not only can the predicted values of the three forecasting methods be determined, but a preferred solution can also be derived through new methods, and in return, to investigate better accuracy and performances. Such an approach can also integrate the advantages of various methods to provide a prediction interval, as well as objective and realistic projections. Research limitations/implications – This envisaged concept of “service component and service composition” is an integration of backing up in TF instruments in selection and reselection, which in return, provide optimization of service composition and accuracy maximization, as well as better performance prediction. A well-known limitation of this research is that sudden technology breakthroughs are often unforeseeable in the majority of main-stream quantitative analyses. Originality/value – Constructing a new effective approach as results of “service component and service composition” can be compared to the traditional research methods such as Delphi method or other mathematical algorithms. This method generally produces higher quality forecasts than those attained from a single source.

A study of the entrepreneurship of Taiwanese youth by the Chinese Entrepreneur Aptitude Scale : Table of Contents

Wan-Yu Chen, Calvin S. Weng, Hui-Ying Hsu — Mon Mar 15 02:05:42 GMT 2010

Abstract:
Purpose – The purposes are as follows. First, this paper aims to explore the reliability and validity of the Chinese Entrepreneur Aptitude Scale (CEAS) and to establish a normative score among surveyed students. Second, this paper seeks to compare the scaling scores differences between the genders, departments, and classes in the sample. Finally, this paper aims to compare the student sample's CEAS results with models of Taiwanese entrepreneurial youth. Design/methodology/approach – Completed questionnaires from 1,053 students from the Transworld Institute of Technology in Taiwan and the CEAS, constructed by Chen and Wu, formed the basis of the empirical analysis. Findings – This paper tests the performance of the CEAS for Taiwanese students at a technological institute that puts entrepreneurial education into practice. The results match those of Chen and Wu, which used qualitative methods to conduct a content analysis of the biographies of models of entrepreneurial youth in Taiwan. Both groups rank high in autonomy and self-discipline, indicating that entrepreneurial models and potential entrepreneurs have a high sense of mission and responsibility to society. And, this paper finds significant differences between the two groups; the entrepreneurial models rate higher overall on CEAS constructs than the institute students. In particular, the sample students score low on social networking, indicating that the undergraduates lack social and networking experience. Originality/value – The main contribution of this paper has been to test the applicability of the CEAS in Taiwanese Institute of Technology students, including comparisons between genders, grades, and colleges. The results offer insights for institutes and universities seeking to improve their entrepreneurial education offerings. Moreover, the results offer lessons for fostering entrepreneurial abilities and behavioral traits in undergraduates.