Title: A comparative performance evaluation of Taiwan's high-tech industries

Authors: Chung-Jen Chen, Quey-Jen Yeh

Addresses: National Cheng Kung University, Graduate Institute of Business Administration, 1, University Road, Tainan, Taiwan. ' National Cheng Kung University, Graduate Institute of Business Administration, 1, University Road, Tainan, Taiwan

Abstract: This study applied Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), a multiple inputs-multiple outputs evaluation tool, to analyse the comparative performances of six high-tech industries currently developed in Taiwan. These six high-tech industries are semiconductor, computer, communications, photo-electronics, precision equipment, and biotech. The results indicate that computer and semiconductor industries have the best performance. Communications, photo-electronics, and precision equipment industries perform at the middle level, while the biotech operates at a worst level. Communications and photo-electronics industries have a satisfying average scale efficiency score, but a poor pure technical efficiency score. On the contrary, the biotech industry reveals a lowest average scale efficiency score, but a highest pure technical efficiency score among the six. A slack analysis was used to analyse the gaps between the optimal and current inputs and outputs to achieve an improvement direction for each sector.

Keywords: performance evaluation; high-tech industry; DEA; data envelopment analysis; Taiwan; performance efficiency; performance measurement; semiconductor industry; computer industry; communications industry; photoelectronics industry; precision equipment industry; biotechnology industry.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBPM.2005.006241

International Journal of Business Performance Management, 2005 Vol.7 No.1, pp.16 - 33

Published online: 07 Feb 2005 *

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