Abstract
Object : Because of the shift of the economic structure from an industrial economy to a knowledge-based economy, management of research and development must gain greater attention as the power that drives corporate value. The pharmaceutical companies are poised to advance independent development compared with other industrial types, as the recognition of importance of investing research and development continues to rise in China. However, empirical research lags behind and the realities of the R&D management remain essentially a black-box in China. This paper aims to initiate an investigation into the actual conditions relevant to and concerning R&D management for pharmaceutical companies in China, and to clarify whether the inherent differences of respective attributes of the companies are reflected in a consistent R&D strategy and coherent management plan.
Material and Method: A survey was conducted in China in 2006 in order to assess the feasibility of the R&D approach. About 1,500 companies were selected according to the regions, products, and scale from 2,393 pharmaceutical companies in China, and data were collected from 270 companies (with a response rate of 18.0%). The attributes of the pharmaceutical companies in China were assessed using principal component analysis, and the cluster is analyzed from the result of the principal ingredient score. According to the pattern of the pharmaceutical companies obtained by the cluster analysis, the analyses would establish whether the differences seen with the systematic management, creating a work environment enhancing the creativity of research workers, improvement of special abilities, and stimulation of motivation occurred or require additional focus.
Results: We patterned the pharmaceutical companies in China, and three distinct patterns emerged. The major differences seen occurred in the R&D management due to the degree of the performance and intention of the R&D.
Discussion: In present day China, there are many pharmaceutical companies with low performance and weak R&D intent, forming 45.6% of the whole. Pharmaceutical companies in China now regard base-making of the management, team-working and a payment-for-results system as important.
