• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.121-130
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• 2016

Amidst a competitive environment, success and innovation of a company hinge on establishment of competitive strategies through CEO's capabilities for discovering new businesses. In other words, several alternatives that are being considered as new businesses and the ensuing selection that a top management makes lead to a company's success and innovation. Examples of this are numerous among global corporations as well as Korean small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This research has analyzed the role of a CEO to be a condition for success in the growth and innovation of a company. Starting from the topic of entrepreneurship, the research on the role of a CEO has been actively conducted in context with the latest innovations. A prime example involves research related to the innovativeness of a CEO. In this regard, this research was an empirical analysis on the impact that a CEO's ability to discover new business opportunities and competitive strategies has on the performance of a firm. This analysis was conducted based on nationwide data of 286 large conglomerates and smaller-sized companies alike. Based on the analysis, "experimenting" and "association", among abilities of discovery, have been found to strengthen competitive strategies. Also in the context of abilities needed for discovery, differentiation strategy has a greater effect on a firm's performance than the cost leadership strategy. Furthermore, the mediating effect of competitive strategies was prominently displayed in experimenting and corporate performance.