The Impacts of Investments in China and Brand-Developing Potential on Operating Performances - The Evidence of Taiwan's Information-Electronics Industry

This paper examines the influence of investments in China and brand-developing potential on operating performances (technical efficiency, return on assets, and Tobin's Q) with data drawn from samples of listed information-electronics industry firms in Taiwan between 1999 and 2003. We first apply non-paired t-tests to examine if there is a difference in operating performance between sample firms with investments in China and those without investments in China. Then, using R&D and advertising intensities as proxies for branding-developing potential, we construct regression models to evaluate the impacts of investments in China and brand-developing potential on operating performances. We conclude that (1) the technical efficiency of Taiwan's information-electronics industry increased year by year, but the value of Tobin's Q decreased year by year; (2) on average, sample firms with both investments in China and brand-developing potential have higher Tobin's Q than other sample firms, indicating that investment strategies in China and brand developing can enhance growth opportunities; (3) we conclude that in the era of trifling profit, in addition to reallocating internal resources to enhance technical efficiency, sample firms can increase long-run performance by adopting investment strategies in China and by developing brand recognition. However, in the short run, sample firms must overcome the operating barrier of foreign liability and brand investment when they directly invest in China and develop brand recognition.