• International Area Studies Review
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.209-237
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• 2012

Multinational enterprises(MNEs) try to strengthen their global innovative capabilities by incorporating the foreign subsidiaries' knowledge bases. Foreign subsidiaries play an important role in MNEs' knowledge creation activities. This study develops a strategy model that strengthening the knowledge creation capabilities of Korean firms' foreign subsidiaries. Four strengthening strategy types are derived from three research areas related with center of excellence, subsidiary strategic roles, and knowledge creation capabilities. The strategies that strengthen knowledge creation capabilities are including organizational culture and autonomy reinforcing strategy, subsidiary's absorptive capacity reinforcing strategy, local environment management strategy, and network building strategy. Strategic fit conditions which support the success of each strategy type are also discussed.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.221-249
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• 2014

This study analyzed the sufficient conditions for Korean firm's foreign subsidiaries in order to evolve into a center of excellence for knowledge creation and diffusion. In this respect, the purpose of this study is to develop a new framework based on literatures related to subsidiary knowledge creation and a center of excellence. Specifically, we created seven decisive factors for subsidiary knowledge creation: two general factors, two strategic important factors, and three excellent factors. Each factor can be a necessary condition or sufficient condition according to research purpose. For example, the decentralized organizational structure belonging to general factors become a sufficient factor for facilitating subsidiary's knowledge creation but it become a necessary condition for a center of excellence because all subsidiaries with decentralized organizational structure cannot be strategically important subsidiaries. By using seven decisive factors, this study examines the determinants' validity theoretically and practically.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.227-256
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• 2013

Existing multinational subsidiary typologies seem to have limitations in two respects. First, the prevalence of subsidiary classification along two-dimensions fails to capture many distinct subsidiary types. Failure to reflect a sufficient richness in dimensionality can give rise to a partial picture of subsidiary typologies in the international business literature. A new typology developed from multi-dimensional approach will be required for reflecting various subsidiary roles in the multinational enterprise. Second, multinational subsidiary performing a number of activities is hard to be defined functionally across the value chain activities. In addition, multinational subsidiary roles can vary dramatically. In conclusion, despite a growing amount of work on subsidiary typologies, there seems to be limited convergence of results. the study regarding subsidiary roles still remain a challenge. In this respect, the purpose of this study is to develop a new typology based on multi-dimensional approach in order to overcome the limitations of traditional typologies. To classify subsidiary types, we propose 8 types of multinational subsidiary according to three dimensions that are adopted: (1) number of required value chain activities (2) subsidiary's sourcing capability and autonomy (3) global orientation (3) The case study analyzing Korean foreign subsidiaries appropriate for 8 types is performed to establish the validity of this study.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.75-138
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• 1997

해외투자로 인해 수출 및 고용이 감소할 것이라는 우려가 있다. 본고는 이론적, 통계적, 실증적 분석을 통하여 이에 관한 논의를 하고 향후 전망과 함께 정책적 시사점을 도출하는 것을 목적으로 한다. 본고의 분석결과 및 투자제도 개선방향을 요약하면 다음과 같다. 해외투자가 아직까지 수출을 대체하였다는 근거는 없다. 향후 국내부품업체의 현지동반진출 확대, 해외자회사의 역할 증대, 국제분업생산체제의 진전 등 해외투자전략의 변화에 따라 해외투자가 수출을 대체할 가능성을 배제할 수 없으나 해외투자의 제한시에는 수출 및 고용에 더욱 악영향을 줄 수 있다. 해외투자를 제한하는 것은 예상되는 실업을 단지 연기시키는 것에 불과하며, 오히려 향후 실업문제가 훨씬 심각해질 수 있다. 해외투자는 기업의 경쟁력 유지 및 구조조정을 위해서는 타대안보다 고용안정에 기여할 수 있다. 또한 과도한 해외투자가 기업 및 국내경제에 미칠 악영향을 우려하여 해외투자를 규제하는 것도 설득력이 약하다. 정부가 해외투자의 과도성 여부를 판달할 능력이 기업보다 우월하다고 할 수 없다. 설령 해외투자 결정이 비합리적으로 이루어질 가능성이 있다 하더라도, 이 문제는 투자기업 및 여신은행 등의 책임을 분명히 하여 기업은 투자성과의 책임을 지고, 여신은행, 채권자 등은 투자기업의 재무현황 및 투자계획의 성공가능성을 고려하여 자금제공을 하도록 유도해야 한다. 따라서 일부 대규모 해외투자에 대한 사전심의로 대표되는 현행규제는 철폐되어야 한다. 일부 대규모 해외투자의 적정성 여부를 판단하기 위해 운용되고 있는 해외투자 심의는 실효성이 없을 뿐만 아니라 신속한 해외투자결정을 방해할 수 있다. 중장기적인 관점에서 해외투자로 인한 국제분업을 국내고용 및 수출의 증가뿐만 아니라 경제성장으로 연결시키기 위해서는 국내의 입지여건을 혁신활동 및 고부가가치 활동에 적합하도록 개선해 나갈 필요가 있다. 한편 단기적 고용감소에 대비한 정책도 필요한데, 고육훈련제도의 개선, 노동시장의 유연성 제고, 고용서비스 개선은 이런 마찰을 완화하는데 기여할 것이다.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.1-26
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how internal capability adjustments made by subsidiaries in response to local market adaption and market changes, together with the use of internal and external networks, have an impact on the investment performance of such subsidiaries. From the empirical results, it was proven that the larger the extent of internal capability adjustment made by subsidiaries, and the more quickly and flexibly it is implemented, the more positive the investment performance is. The empirical findings also showed that in this process, the use of internal/external network embeddedness has a positive mediating impact on the investment performance. Additionally, the results of statistical analysis support the research hypothesis that external embeddedness has a greater mediating influence on multinational manufacturing companies entering Chinese market than internal embeddedness. It implies to the top managers of subsidiaries that the subsidiary should actively utilize external embeddedness to create a new locational competitive advantage in the local region, as well as develop a strategy to reduce foreignness costs such as cost of adapting to the local system.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.693-705
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• 2012

It is increasing the necessity of technology cooperation between nations, in the world, more and more. The international cooperation for the technology development have the dissipating effect of costs and risks and encourage efficient use of the knowledge and eventually help the firms better access overseas market easily. The S&T diplomacy of Korea is, at present, on international S&T cooperation to secure technologies to strengthen base of science, technology and innovation. This tendency is closely related with the governance issue in international S&T cooperation. And This international S&T cooperation is connected with the internationalization of firms. But it is getting more difficult for a firm, especially smaller firm like Korean SME to sustain the technological advantage over any significant period. The small and medium sized enterprises as Korean SME, internationalization of R&D is difficult just to think in terms of one framework with the limited accumulation of informations and experiences. So against that situation, this paper shows a new concept 'SME co-ordinator' as the role client(or player) reinforcing international S&T cooperation, sustaining the technological advantage for Korean SME. And 'SME co-ordinator' leads Korean SME to progress 'open innovation' not 'close innovation' as well as serving adequate information about appropriate partners and capable employer to help manage the international S&T cooperation for Internationalization of Industrial R&D for Korean SME.