• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.116-134
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• 2005

This paper investigates the relationships between export and firm characteristics, focusing on technology factors. It is based on a longitudinal data covering listed firms in the Korean manufacturing industry. A regression model for the determinant of export/sales ratio including dynamic adjustment process is tested on a cross-section sample of the year 2001. Empirical findings suggest that there is no significant relationship between export/sales ratio and firm's technological level. The hypotheses concerning human capital intensity and physical capital intensity are also rejected. But we found a positive and inversely U-shaped relationship between firm size and export/sales for basic material and capital good industry. As a dynamic aspect, we found that the pattern of export/sales ratio changed unstably over the last decade. Finally, some policy implications are presented.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.135-144
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• 2016

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the moderating effects of social capital on antecedents factors path of export performance in the materials and components SMEs(Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) of Busan and Kyungnam region. In case of materials and components SMEs, they are always trying to achieve business performance including export sales and market share, but it is difficult for them to increase performance due to the limitation of inner & tangible resources. Therefore intangible asset such as technology capability and its antecedents factors which are technology innovation and learning orientation are getting more important to SMEs. In addition, it is supposed that social capital such as local network including distribution channel in overseas market plays an essential role to enhance export performance. Accordingly, the main goal of this study is to find out the relationship between export performance and antecedents factors and the validity of social capital as a moderating valuable. Research design, data, and methodology - Technology innovation, learning orientation and technology capability have been used as antecedents factors for export performance and social capital such as network diversity and intensity has been used for moderating effects analysis. In order to select these valuables mentioned above, this study examined the existing researches on a basis of Resources Based View, Organizational Learning Theory and Social Capital theory. To achieve the objective of this paper, 7 hypotheses including the moderating effects have been proposed with 6 potential variables measured by 24 questions. The survey was carried out from December 2014 to March 2015 and 137 samples out of total 175 were selected for the analysis. PLS(Partial Least Squares) has been used for the methodology of empirical analysis for both antecedents factors path and moderating effects. Results - Research findings are as follows. First, technology innovation has a significant impact on learning orientation, learning orientation has a positive effect on the technology capability and technology capability also has a significant impact on export performance. Therefore 3 valuables are proved as antecedents factors of export performance. Second, the social capital(both network diversity and intensity) plays a moderating role with learning orientation to technology capability. However, there is no moderating effects between both of social capital and technology capability regarding export performance. Conclusions - According to path analysis results, it is suggested that the materials and components SMEs should raise technology innovation and learning orientation in order to improve technology capability and export performance. Meantime, the moderating effect analysis shows that SMEs should consider local network diversity and intensity along with learning orientation to add up technology capability. But local network diversity and intensity does not work systematically with technology capability for export performance and it means that SMEs should find the appropriate local partners for the purpose of establishing concrete distribution channels based on marketing perspective, not for improving technology capability.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.63-82
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• 2022

Purpose - Drawing on relational institutional theory, we explored how demographic similarity between board members of a firm and newly emerged political elites led to firms' increased financial resource acquisition such as leverage ratio and decreased export intensity amidst the Asian financial crisis. We also studied how a firm's leverage ratio and export intensity can further affect firm profitability and financial credit rating. Design/methodology - We revisited and explored a unique, unprecedented crisis that affected most Korean firms: the Asian financial crisis that coincided with a governmental shift from a conservative to a liberal party. We collected demographic information from 432 listed Korean firms' board members and 43 political elites of the Blue House from 1998-2000 to create a demographic similarity measurement. We collected firms' financial information, built panel data, and used ordinary least squares regression to test our theory. Findings - Our results showed that demographic similarity between a firm's directors and newly emerged politicians had a positive association with a firm's leverage ratio but a negative association with a firm's export intensity. A firm's leverage ratio had a negative relationship with firm performance measured by firm profitability and financial credit rating. A firm's export intensity showed a positive effect on firm performance. Originality/value - We highlighted that during an economic crisis that coincided with a governmental shift and change of leading political actors, firms exerted efforts to survey the environment and build new external stakeholder relationships to cope with the changing landscape. We proposed that in an emerging market like Korea where low levels of trust and favoritism are prevalent across society, one of the relational institutional strategies that firms can employ is the selection of directors with similar demographic characteristics to political elites based on factors including birthplace and school affiliations. We examined the efforts of firms to build political networks with newly empowered political elites during a financial crisis, and the consequences of establishing such networks. We highlighted that during a financial crisis, the demographic similarity between a firm's board members and newly emerged politicians can provide firms with access to financial resources but can also result in poor management and reduced effort to enhance its international competitiveness.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.39-55
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• 2022

Purpose - This study empirically examines the effect of the Korean government export promotion program (EPP) on small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) export performance using firm-level data. Unlike most previous studies that investigated some specific samples of firms, this study analyzes a vast amount of SME data of the Korean Small and Medium Business Administration over the period 2005 to 2008. Design/methodology - An endogeneity problem arises when a firm's probability of being selected is correlated with the likelihood of successfully implementing EPPs. To control for the endogeneity of the EPPs in a relatively short-period sample, we employ 2-Stage Residual Inclusion (2SRI) RE-Tobit and bivariate Tobit procedure. Findings - Analyses show that Korean government EPPs have positive significant effects on SME exports. Empirical results also show that SME export activities are significantly encouraged by R&D investment and capital intensity, but not obviously by labor productivity. Originality/value - This study provides evidence that SME capital intensity, R&D investment, and the number of workers are significant determinants to SME exporting activities, whereas per worker labor cost and employee education are not. These results imply that even for SMEs, firm size is a major factor in promoting exporting activities.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.299-325
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• 2010

The purpose of this empirical study is an index to usage of export assistance programs for korean small-medium exporters. Build around the index make an analysis of SMEs internal or exterior factors have an effect on export at present or in future export performance and the relative importance. Based on 128 surveys form korean SMEs experienced export assistance programs, 8 hypotheses, which are set up each factor, were verified through the practical analysis. The main result of hypothesis drawn by empirical study are as follows : The more SMEs use the programs, the more high export performance at present and in future. Export competitive factor reject at present export performance, but it will affect future export performance. A size of the firm in the characteristics of SEMs will affect export performance. Export rate of own brand will not affect performance. Another factors show adoption partly concerned hypothesis. Classified exterior factors of SMEs, a intensity of market competition shows adoption partly concerned hypothesis. Market growth rate will affect export performance at present and future strongly. Finally the usage of assistance programs will affect between a consumption goods and an industrial goods differently. From this study we found if we want to develop the export assistance programs that can actually in phases help the SEMs.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.1-18
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• 2020

Purpose - This paper examines how differently output and input tariffs affect domestic employment across industrial characteristics of comparative advantage such as labor quality and capital intensity. Design/methodology - The paper focuses on 453 Korean industries from 2007 to 2014 because Korea is a typical example of a natural resource-scarce open economy and experienced the transition of the export pattern from labor intensity to technology intensity during this period. Findings - The results show that input tariff reduction stimulated total employment, focusing on the early 2010s, while the effects of output tariff reduction were statistically insignificant in general. However, the stimulation effects of output tariff reduction on employment were found in comparative advantage industries with greater labor quality and capital intensity. As for input tariff reduction, its stimulation effects on employment were more prominent in comparative disadvantage industries with lower labor quality and capital intensity. Originality/value - These results provide significant implications for natural resource-scarce open economies which are experiencing the transition of the export pattern from labor intensity to technology intensity and the unequal distribution of income after trade liberalization: imported intermediate inputs has become increasing important, leading to trade effects on employment and alleviation of income inequality.

• Journal of Venture Innovation
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.131-148
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• 2023

This study analyzed the effect of marketing ability of SMEs using online export marketing on market performance. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are making efforts to expand their markets from the domestic market to the overseas market and increase sales. We studied the factors that can produce results in the fiercely competitive overseas market. A total of 400 export SMEs were surveyed, and 159 companies directly participating in online export marketing were selected as final targets. The survey was analyzed using SMART PLS 4.0 and SPSS 26.0 statistical programs, and research hypotheses were verified. The results of the study are as follows. First, it was found that the marketing ability of SMEs had a positive (+) effect on online export marketing. Second, it was confirmed that online export marketing had a significant positive (+) effect on market performance through its mediating role. In addition, the intensity of competition in the export market was found to have a moderating effect in online export marketing. The implications of this study are as follows. The theoretical basis was established that the marketing capabilities (product development capability, distribution capability, pricing capability, public relations capability) of exporting SMEs have a positive effect on overseas market performance through online export marketing. In the market, the use of online export marketing by SMEs can provide implications in that it can be an important means for overseas market development and performance. As a result, it is necessary to actively utilize online export marketing for SMEs to enter overseas markets and achieve results.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.1-22
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• 2022

Purpose - This paper empirically investigates the effect of a rise in the global value chain (GVC) on the industry-level efficiency of resource allocation (based on plant-level inefficiency measures) in Korea, with a focus on various channels through which a rise in the GVC can increase competition among firms and thus induce resources to be allocated more efficiently across firms. Design/methodology - We empirically investigate the relationship between the industry-specific importance of GVC and the industry-level allocative inefficiency that is measured as the dispersion of the plant-level marginal revenue of capital (MRK) as in Hsieh and Klenow's (2009) influential model. We compute MRK dispersion for industries sorted by various characteristics that are closely related to firm/industry sensitivity to the GVC. In other words, we compute the average industry-level MRK dispersion for industries sorted by industry-specific importance of GVC and compute the difference between the two groups of industries (higher vs. lower than the median GVC); we also calculate the difference between industries sorted by industry-specific export (import) intensity. This is our difference-in-difference estimate of the MRK dispersion associated with the GVC for the export (import)-intensive industry versus the non-export (non-import)-intensive industry. This difference-in-difference estimate of the MRK dispersion conditional vs. unconditional on firm-level productivity is then calculated further (triple-difference estimate). Findings - A rise in GVC is associated with a decrease in the MRK dispersion in the export-intensive industry compared to the non-export-intensive industry. The same is true for industries that rely heavily on imports versus those that do not (i.e., import intensive vs. non-intensive). Furthermore, the reduction in the MRK dispersion in the export-intensive industry associated with an increase in the GVC is disproportionately greater for high-productivity firms. In contrast, the negative relationship between GVC and MRK dispersion in the import-intensive industry is disproportionately smaller for high-productivity firms. Originality/value - Existing studies focus on the relationship between GVC and aggregate output, exports, and imports at the country level. We investigate detailed firm/industry-level mechanisms that determine the relationship between GVC, trade, and productivity. Using the plant-level data in South Korea, we investigate how GVC is related to the cross-firm MRK dispersion, an important measure of allocative inefficiency, based on Hsieh and Klenow's (2009) influential economic theory. This is the first study to provide plant-level evidence of how GVC affects MRK dispersion. Furthermore, we examine how the relationship between GVC and MRK-dispersion varies across export intensity, import intensity, and firm-level productivity, providing insight into how GVC can affect firms' exposure to competition in the global market differently depending on market conditions and thus generate trade-related productivity gains.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.103-123
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• 2014

Export performance has been a core topic in export marketing research. This study aims to investigate the relationship between adaptation/standardization strategies and export performance obtained after implementing each of these strategies to marketing mix variables. It is expected that the study results will help companies better understand an efficient marketing mix and applicability of adaptation/standardization approaches in their export ventures. New Zealand exporting firms which actively seek for export markets in Korea are selected for empirical analysis of this study. Adaptation and standardization are concepts that signify the level of intensity in each strategy; both have advantages and weaknesses. In the case of adaptation approach, it is shown that the difference in export performance between satisfactory and non satisfactory export ventures is statistically significant in marketing mix variables such as price, place and promotion. However, product variables affect statistical significance on export performance between satisfactory and non satisfactory export ventures in standardization approach. This study implies that when a company exports its product overseas, standardization effort is more important for product variables whereas much effort needed in adapting marketing variables such as price, place, and promotion to get satisfactory export performance.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.237-251
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• 2019

This paper seeks to recommend strategic policy options geared towards enhancing sophistication level of Ulsan City's major export industries in the Republic of Korea. Ulsan's major export industries, including shipbuilding, automobile and petrochemical industries, turn out to be based mostly on low to medium technology with low R&D intensity suggesting relatively low level of product sophistication. Using a recent Eurostat high-tech industry classification table which suggests 9 high-tech industries, the paper identifies Ulsan's chemical industry as the only RCA industry. Focusing on chemical industry products at HS 6-digit level, specific products are identified at the efficiency frontier for future policy considerations.