廠商跨界學習能力與文化鄰近性?以台商在中國方便麵產品創新為例

Abstract

本研究從台灣食品業（方便麵）廠商在中國的活動現象，思考在國家與跨國廠商的關係，並以產品創新過程中的知識流動過程分析，挖掘廠商特質的構成背景與跨界知識吸收的深刻關聯，以及廠商展現自主操作的可能，主張以動態取徑觀察廠商能力的變化與提昇過程。本研究的核心發問是食物的知識特質如何影響了台灣方便麵廠商在中國的口味開發（創新）活動？如何理解廠商的學習與母國和地主國的關係？企圖在廠商跨界學習的活動中找到國家尺度形塑知識特質的力量。本文提出觀察廠商學習能力的方式，必然在廠商與母國、廠商與地主國、地主國與母國三者之間考察知識的特質和變化過程，學習是廠商在跨界中尋求自我的可能。主要論點有三：（1）異地的知識特質與學習：因產品創新的需要和產業的特性不同，應被學習的知識特質和關注不同的學習來源，新知識是在時間和空間的變動過程中重新生產，鄰近性是在學習的過程中被建立。（2）食品廠商在長期與經營環境互動的結果，母國的口味和食物種類專長是廠商的最明顯的國家印記，然而印記的背負和淡化、利用的過程不應被忽略，而體認到廠商的能動性，廠商跨越國界之後的可能發生的能力重組，應該要回歸到“國家”之於廠商如何轉化成內部資源而遷移至他處。（3）廠商的實踐方式和學習的知識內涵不必然以國家制度的作用來理解知識的國家記號，我主張以國家本身對於地域和歷史形塑的角色影響知識發展和變動，來詮釋國家的角色和廠商能力的構成。

This article discusses the cross-border learning process of firms by a case study of Taiwanese instant noodles firms (Tinghsin and Uni-preside) in China. I propose that the researchers should pay more attention to the industrial categories beyond technology-intensive and global-assessing ones. Beside the demand of skills or technologies, other kinds of knowledge resources and its peculiarities should be taken into consideration. I stress that all proximities influenced knowledge transmission don’t come automatically, and those should be built instead of a pre-given condition. According to that, we should figure out how different geographical scales affect the learning capability of firms, and why it can be the indispensable foundation of firms. In the context of cross-border economic activities, the capability of firm is not only transferred but also exploited and developed in the process. And the national stamp of firm can be renewed in the cross-bordering process. I argue that the role of nation-state in shaping the learning capability of frim should not merely be bound to the national institution, and we can understand that by examining the process how the territorial and historical characteristics of nation-state effect the change and hybridization of the production of knowledge.