校園一隅

三鶯研究

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傳統水貨市場的網絡世界─跑單幫與委託行
(碩士班:黃姿淳) (指導教授:郭文般)

刊登日期:2010-08-31  
友善列印


  • 研究生:  黃姿淳
  • 論文名稱: 傳統水貨市場的網絡世界-跑單幫與委託行
  • 指導教授: 郭文般
  • 關鍵字:  水貨、跑單幫、委託行
  • 跑單幫與委託行一直是臺灣的經濟部門當中,一個鮮為人研究,但卻又獨樹一格的現象。本研究企圖透過田野研究,對這一群人所形成的社會世界作一個初步的探討。本研究嘗試回答三個問題:一、跑單幫與委託行業者的運作過程呈現出甚麼樣的面貌和動態?二、這一個行業的特性為何?甚麼樣的特性使得這個行業可以持續多年?三、跑單幫的人與委託行的業者的生活世界與人際網絡的基本情況為何?四、面臨愈來愈不利的經濟處境,為何這些人仍然樂此不疲地持續經營下去?

    本研究發現,一、跑單幫的業者主要是由一群上了年紀的阿嬤成群結隊地來往於臺灣與日本那霸之間,她們一方面從臺灣採買商品,供應那霸當地的需要;另一方面則在那霸蒐集採買臺灣委託行所需要的日本貨品,並親身運送回臺。那霸當地有一、二家提供跑單幫業主作為交貨、採買與居住的基地,她們在這兩地都經營並擁有一個買與賣的關係相當固定的社會網絡;二、跑單業者所形成的社會圈本身具有相當高的封閉性,每個個體都會擁有並維持以自己為中心的一個買與賣的社會網絡,人際間的信任使得這些買賣關係持續運作,經營這個社會網絡是跑單幫業者的「祕密知識」;與之相較,委託行業者也有一個以自身為中心的社會網絡,但是這個行業的封閉性要比跑單幫業者的網絡封閉性少得多。究其原因主要是因為跑單幫的入行門檻低,因此所擁有的社會網絡為其收入主要的關鍵;委託行業者則除了擁有的社會網絡,尚需有更高的經濟資本,以及與人交往的社會能力和文化資本。三、跑單幫與委託行業者的同行關係都相當緊密,跑單業者來往奔波而委託行業者長時期守在市場一隅,同行的關係就是他們生活世界中最緊密、最親近的關係;相對的,這兩類人的家庭關係都顯得有些疏遠。這其中,親子關係往往是她們最深的遺憾;四、在經濟全球化的處境之下,她們的利潤其實已經非常有限,甚至只能維持收支平衡,但長期處在緊密的同業社會網絡中,這個社會網絡的生活世界已經成為她們「唯一」重要的生活世界,它的情感性已經重於工具性,因此即便在獲利幾已不可能的情況下,多數的業者仍然死守這份工作。

    原本是基於工具性的關係,在長期的運作下,彼此間的信任以及相互間情感的支持已經充滿了她們的社會關係當中。在高度獲利的過去,信任與情感的支持使得這個行業得以運作自如,並使她們從中獲取極高的工具性報酬;但在獲利逐漸減少,甚至幾已一無所得的情況下,情感性的社會關係,則成為她們最的利潤。

  • The joint business of commercial travelers(CT) and grey goods retailers(GGR) has been a very intriguing yet seldom studied phenomenon. This study intends to explore the social words of these people. Four research questions served as the guideline for the study: 1. What are the major features and dynamics of the CTs and CGRs in operation? 2.What are the main characters of this joint business that make it persist all these years? 3. What do the social networks of CTs and GGRs look like? And how do these social networks work? 4. To these days, when the business’ niche keeps shrinking, why do these people still hang around and keep running it?

    The major findings are as the follows: Firstly. the CTs consist of a group mainly of aged women travelling between Taiwan and Naha, Japan. They personally bring with them goods from Taiwan for certain Japanese retailers in Nah and then purchases goods from Naha and bring them back for Taiwanese GGRs. One or two hostels in Naha serve as their social bases for the operation and the CTs maintain their own more or less stable networks at both ends of the travel. 2. A high degree of closure is found among the social circle of the CTs. Each individual CT has to create and maintain her/his own ego-network of buying and selling. The relatively high degree of trust is necessary to keep the network stable and intact. And the knowledge of that network seems to be esoteric for others. In comparison, all the GGRs keep their own networks, too, however with much less closure and esoteric. The CTs are highly dependent on their ego-networks for their income, whereas the GGRs rely more on other capabilities, e.g. their economic forces to keep a physical shop, social skills to deal with all others and cultural capitals to persuade the customers, etc..

    Thirdly, within the social circles of CTs and GGRs, strong and close relationships are always found. The closeness and intimacy among co-works of the same business has superseded those of their families’ in many cases. Of them, the parent-child relation is often reported as the most regrettable one for both CTs and GGRs. Fourthly, This joint business has been hit hard by recent economic globalization. The profit rate keeps diminishing to the point of barely keeping the account books balanced. However, many CTs and GGRs strive to keep their business running. It seems that the importance of the social network itself has exceeded other more material considerations.

    In other words, the importance of mutual trust and interpersonal emotional support of the relations have been outgrown their instrumentality. In the past years whence the profitability was high, trust and emotional support soothed the business operations from which high material rewards were generated. However, even when the profits were taken out completely, the emotionality of the relations itself is deemed significant enough for the CTs and GGRs to keep this joint business running.