This research discusses factors influencing hospital performance following the implementation of Taiwan's National Health Insurance scheme. Regression analysis showed that the out-patient revenue ratio and fixed assets ratio were significantly and positively associated with operating margin and return on fixed assets. Liability conditions and average length of stay were negatively associated with operating margin. Return on fixed assets was positively associated with the use of hi-tech equipment and negatively associated with average length of stay. Implications of findings and recommendations to improve the performance of Taiwan hospitals are discussed.

This study investigates investor concerns in the formation of strategic alliances, specifically concerns regarding opportunistic behavior and partner capabilities at the announcement of the alliance. Consistent with prior studies, our results show that both two partners gain in terms of abnormal returns and firm size, but that these benefits disappear within few days following the announcement, indicating that the market takes a dim view of alliances between large companies. The results suggest that investors are mostly concerned with short-term gains from speculation, rather than the ability of the alliance to increase long-term value.