台灣資訊軟體產業發展之生態演進分析

The Development of Computer Software Industry in Taiwan: An Ecological Evolution Perspective

本研究採用組織生態理論探討台灣地區資訊軟體產業的產業環境與產業發展過程之間的關係，探討台灣地區軟體產業發展不如預期的關鍵因素。本研究以「技術採用生命週期」的概念，將市場需求的變化過程區分成六階段，同時，本研究透過利基寬度與負載容量的觀點，探討軟體產業在不同發展階段，因應不同環境特性所形成的組織型式特性。研究結果顯示，產業的演進過程會隨著產業環境的階段性變化而改變。在不同的產業環境特性下，特定的組織型式因符合環境特性，具有較強的競爭能力，較能取得生存與成長的優勢，擁有較強的存活能力。其他的組織型式存活能力較差，較容易遭到淘汰的命運。軟體產業屬於新興的知識型產業，對於產業知識的彙集處理仍然缺乏系統性的方法，也沒有類似硬體產業的代工模式做為學習與成長的緩衝地帶，造成產業成熟的困難。同時，更由於台灣地區市場規模小、環境資源不足，限制了廠商成長過程的容錯空間，個別公司常來不及建立成熟的運作機制就已經面臨淘汰。台灣地區資訊軟體產業若能掌握產業發展的階段特性與關鍵條件，選定適當的目標市場建立自主的核心能力，則其未來的發展潛力不容忽視。

Based on the organizational ecology perspective, this study investigates the relationship between the environment and the development process of the computer software industry in Taiwan. It attempts to gain insights into possible underlying factors that cause the underdevelopment of the local software industry. According to the model of technology adoption life cycle, this study defines the software market development life cycle into six stages. Based on the niche width and carrying capacity concepts, organization forms that best fit the environmental characteristics of the software industry at each stage is investigated. Results show that the evolution of the software industry depends on the development of market stages. At different stages, certain types of organization form will be more competitive than others. Companies that take the right form which better fits the environmental conditions of the specific stage have higher possibility to survive. The software industry is a newly emerged knowledge industry. There is still a lack of experience and effective ways of processing knowledge in running successful businesses. The small market scale and scarce environment resources in Taiwan also reduces tolerance for error in a company's growing process. The software industry has to control its own stage-specific critical factors, identify proper market positions, and build propriety core competence in order to survive long.