Jong-Wen Wann, Ta-Jung Lu, Ina Lozada and Guillermo Cangahuala
The purpose of this paper is to understand the existing incubation practices and to develop suggestions for other incubations programs’ practitioners, by developing a benchmark…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand the existing incubation practices and to develop suggestions for other incubations programs’ practitioners, by developing a benchmark study of outstanding Taiwanese university-based incubators (UBIs).
Design/methodology/approach
This research result is based on the methodology for generating a benchmarking from six outstanding Taiwanese UBIs and for other business incubators around the world.
Findings
According to this research result, the authors propose eight key performance indicators (KPIs): three for setting up and operating UBIs and five for incubator functions and services. Among those eight KPIs, the average set-up cost is US$595,000; the average number of incubatees is 22; the length of tenancy is four years; and the growth in incubatees’ turnover is around 15 percent.
Research limitations/implications
Even the samples were outstanding UBIs in Taiwan; for future research, this approach might be applied to a bigger number of incubation centers or UBIs.
Practical implications
Many countries or areas still lack experience in setting up and running business incubators; therefore, practical advices for the managers are crucial for the success of these business incubators, and this benchmarking methodology can be applicable in some of those cases.
Originality/value
The benchmarking methodology for setting up the values of each KPI and the evaluation approach.
Details
Keywords
We compare the development over fifty years of two family chemical companies, leaders in their market niches: Zobele Chemical Industries (Italy) and Chemical Group of Sinon…
Abstract
We compare the development over fifty years of two family chemical companies, leaders in their market niches: Zobele Chemical Industries (Italy) and Chemical Group of Sinon Corporation (Taiwan). We follow the evolution of the two companies from serving the domestic market through product and market expansion and finally to globalization. We conclude that their parallel but finally divergent evolutionary patterns are strongly influenced by the cultural dimensions of their countries and, to a lesser degree, by other environmental and structural factors. The insights provided by this dual case study may be of value to owners and managers of family companies, to outside investors, to global business scholars, and to national economic development officials.