• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.28-36
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• 2009

While existing literature has focused extensively on the strengths and weaknesses of the Chaebol and their ownership and governance, there have been few studies of Korean non-Chaebol firms. However, Lee, Lee and Pennings (2001) did not specifically investigate the competitive strategies that non-Chaebol firms use to survive against the Chaebol in the domestic Korean market. The motivation of this paper is to document, through four exploratory case studies, the successful competitive strategies of non-Chaebol Korean companies against the Chaebol and then offer some propositions that may be useful to other entrepreneurial firms as well as public policy makers. Competition and cooperation as conceptualized by product similarity and cooperative inter.firm relationship respectively, are major dimensions of firm.level marketing strategy. From these two dimensions, we develop the following $2{\times}2$ matrix, with 4 types of competitive strategies for non-Chaebol companies against the Chaebol (Fig. 1.). The non-Chaebol firm in Cell 1 has a "me-too" product for the low-end market while conceding the high-end market to a Chaebol. In Cell 2, the non-Chaebol firm partners with a Chaebol company, either as a supplier or complementor. In Cell 3, the non-Chaebol firm engages in direct competition with a Chaebol. In Cell 4, the non-Chaebol firm targets an unserved part of the market with an innovative product or service. The four selected cases such as E.Rae Electronics Industry Company (Co-exister), Intops (Supplier), Pantech (Competitor) and Humax (Niche Player) are analyzed to provide each strategy with richer insights. Following propositions are generated based upon our conceptual framework: Proposition 1: Non-Chaebol firms that have a cooperative relationship with a Chaebol will perform better than firms that do not. Proposition 1a; Co-existers will perform better than Competitors. Proposition 1b: Partners (suppliers or complementors) will perform better than Niche players. Proposition 2: Firms that have no product similarity with a Chaebol will perform better than firms that have product similarity. Proposition 2a: Partners (suppliers or complementors) will perform better than Co.existers. Proposition 2b: Niche players will perform better than Competitors. Proposition 3: Niche players should perform better than Co-existers. Proposition 4: Performance can be rank.ordered in descending order as Partners, Niche Players, Co.existers, Competitors. A team of experts was constituted to categorize each of these 216 non-Chaebol companies into one of the 4 cells in our typology. Simple Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in SPSS statistical software was used to test our propositions. Overall findings are that it is better to have a cooperative relationship with a Chaebol and to offer products or services differentiated from a Chaebol. It is clear that the only profitable strategy, on average, to compete against the Chaebol is to be a partner (supplier or complementor). Competing head on with a Chaebol company is a costly strategy not likely to pay off for a non-Chaebol firm. Strategies to avoid head on competition with the Chaebol by serving niche markets with differentiated products or by serving the low-end of the market ignored by the Chaebol are better survival strategies. This paper illustrates that there are ways in which small and medium Korean non-Chaebol firms can thrive in a Chaebol environment, though not without risks. Using different combinations of competition and cooperation firms may choose particular positions along the product similarity and cooperative relationship dimensions to develop their competitive strategies-co-exister, competitor, partner, niche player. Based on our exploratory case-study analysis, partner seems to be the best strategy for non-Chaebol firms while competitor appears to be the most risky one. Niche players and co-existers have intermediate performance, though the former do better than the latter. It is often the case with managers of small and medium size companies that they tend to view market leaders, typically the Chaebol, with rather simplistic assumptions of either competition or collaboration. Consequently, many non-Chaebol firms turn out to be either passive collaborators or overwhelmed competitors of the Chaebol. In fact, competition and collaboration are not mutually exclusive, and can be pursued at the same time. As suggested in this paper, non-Chaebol firms can actively choose to compete and collaborate, depending on their environment, internal resources and capabilities.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.49-65
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• 2015

As South Korean large business groups, also known as Chaebol, have broadened their influence in the domestic economy, it is important to analyze the influence of internal transactions among Chaebol affiliates on their performance. In this paper, relationship between internal transactions and efficiency of Chaebol affiliates has been analyzed. Top five Chaebol groups in South Korea are selected; they include Samsung, Hyundai Motors, LG, SK, and Lotte group. Based on internal transactions among affiliates, social networks are constructed for each Chaebol group to analyze centrality, network structures and cliques. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was conducted to examine the efficiency of the Chaebol affiliates. Then, correlations between the degree centrality and the efficiency of Chaebol affiliates were analyzed, and the network structures of Chaebol groups are presented. The result shows that positive correlations between degree centrality and efficiency are observed among four Chaebol Groups. This paper shows that the Social Network Analysis (SNA) techniques can be used in the empirical research for the analysis of internal transactions of Chaebol groups.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.1-24
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• 2021

Purpose - We aim to verify whether CSM activities increase investment efficiency, and to verify whether the influence of CSM activities on investment efficiency is discriminatory depending on whether or not they belong to chaebol. Design/methodology/approach - Using 4,701 Korean firm-year observations over the 2011-2017 period, we used multiple regression analysis. CSM is measured by the evaluation score of the Korea Corporate Governance Service (KCGS). Findings - Our study confirms that CSM is a significantly positive relationship with investment efficiency. This shows that, as a result of CSM, the increased earnings quality acts as an incentive to increase investment efficiency. Next, in analysis of a dataset into two groups (a chaebol, non-chaebol), the results show that the relationship between CSM and investment efficiency differs among detailed indicator activities depending on whether or not they belong to chaebol. Research implications or Originality - It is significant that this study focused on and analyzed CSM as a determinant of investment efficiency, and examined the effects of whether or not it belongs to chaebol in the relationship between CSM and investment efficiency. Our results, which suggested that CSM can increase investment efficiency, are expected to provide important implications not only for managers but also for investors and supervisors.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.74-92
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• 2021

Purpose - Utilizing a large sample of Korean firms, this study examines international diversification impacts on corporate tax avoidance and whether firms affiliated with large business groups (known in Korean as "chaebol") reinforce the relationship between international diversification and tax avoidance. Design/methodology - This paper hypothesizes that 1) international diversification is likely to increase tax avoidance, 2) the positive effect of international diversification on tax avoidance is likely to be more pronounced for chaebol firms. We examine the hypotheses by using Korean firms listed in the Korean stock market between 2011 and 2016. We employ the number of foreign subsidiaries and the entropy index as proxies for international diversification and CASH ETR and GAAP ETR as proxies for tax avoidance. Findings - Our findings are summarized as follows. First, we have found that as firms are more internationally diversified, tax avoidance increases. It means that international diversification can be employed as a method of reducing the tax burden. Second, firms affiliated with chaebol are strengthened by the positive relation between international diversification and tax avoidance. It is interpreted that chaebol firms have more effective opportunities to reduce taxes than other firms. When entering foreign markets, they can share experience and resources to decrease taxation within the large business group. Originality/value - This study provides empirical evidence regarding the tax effect of international diversification. Unlike prior studies, international diversification is positively related to tax avoidance in Korea. In addition, we present additional evidence on the chaebol effects of international diversification on tax avoidance, in which they have an advantage to reduce taxes using transfer pricing through related party transactions, income shifting to low tax rate countries, and establishing subsidiaries in tax havens.

• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.233-249
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• 2017

This study investigates the relation of managerial ability and firm performance in case of Chaebol in Korea. We employ non-financing firms at Korean markets for the period 2000-2015. Most important decision is made by the head of Chaebol which increases firm value eventually and he has such a strong dominant power that managers belongs to Chaebol have to follow mother firm's decision directions. So it is expected that managers belongs to Chaebol have to focus on long term performance rather than short term profits, which means they concentrate their managerial ability much on the firm value. Otherwise, managers in which non-Chaebol focus their ability on periodic accounting earnings. Thus, this study examines an empirical analysis on the relation of managerial ability and firm performance and the effect of Chaebol on the relation of managerial ability and firm performance. Empirical results are as follows: First, there exists a statistically significant positive relation between managerial ability and firm performance either short- or long-term. Second, we extend this relationship into Chaebol condition and find that managerial ability of Chaebol positively influences on the firm value which is long-term performance, rather than return on assets which is short-term performance. These results imply that managers belongs to Chaebol much concentrate their ability on long-term value which is differenciated from the case of non-Chaebol samples. Chaebol is an important issue in Korea because it dominates most of Korean local economy so its' impact from small changes on our economy is big enough. Our study examining the relationships between managerial ability of Chaebol and firm performance is meaningful and it is a good signal that they concentrate their ability much on the long-term value rather than short-term profits. We expect that the results of this study will provide the academic and practical references. This study will contribute to the future research in accounting through an analysis of managerial ability which is a new measure, Chaebol, and firm value.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.145-156
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• 2021

While the current literature has considered business group as a temporary form of organizations that only exists under the developing contries with under-developed financial markets. Chaebol, a form of businss group in Korea, has sustained as a major organization form in Korea. To fill the current gap in the literature and practice, I suggest a theoretical model of Chaebol scion's entrepreneurial firm growth mechanisms. First, I posit that social, structural, and psychological factors motivate Chaebol scions to engage in entrepreneurship. Second, I suggest that five mechanisms, including business opportunity, financial support, recruitment, marketing, and inter-organizational collaboration, will facilitate entrepreneurial firm growth. By constituting a model of Chaebol scion's entrepreneurial firm growth, the current theoretical paper advances the literature on business group and entrepreneurship with indicating Korean Chaebol's new expansion possibilities.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.195-208
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• 2021

Purpose - The primary objective of this paper is to empirically examine whether the engagement of socially responsible activities in corporations affect the tendency of tax-avoidance by using the sample of Korean companies. We are particularly interested in Chaebol-affiliated firms, which are a special type of Korean conglomerates. Design/methodology/approach - This study is based on a sample of 5,496 firm-year observation data from 2011 to 2017 by using the ESG ratings from the Korea Corporate Governance Service(KCGS), a ESG rating agency in Korea. For our analysis, the firms were separated into 1,547 Chaebol-affiliated firms and other 3,949 firms. All financial and firm data were extracted from Fn-guide, which provides financial information for Korean listed firms. Findings - We find that CSR is generally positively related to the effective tax rate, which indicates a lower level of tax avoidance for more socially responsible firms. In particular, a positive relationship of social score with GAAP ETR was observed. Research implications or Originality - We find that the positive relationship is robust to the group of chaebol and non-chaebol affiliates unlike extant literature.

• The Korean Journal of Financial Management
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.35-61
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• 2009

This paper investigates whether the investment of a chaebol firm depends on financial characteristics such as leverage and growth opportunity. We find that the investment of a chaebol firm increases as its growth opportunity increases. We also find that this positive effect of growth opportunity on the investment is more pronounced in a low-leverage firm than in a high-leverage firm. Unlike chaebol firms, however, the interaction effect between leverage and growth opportunity is not statistically significant for nonchaebol firms.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.287-296
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• 2021

This paper investigates the relationship between the ownership of the largest family blockholders and corporate risk. We also examine whether firms that belong to 30 main Chaebol groups lower corporate risk. We use panel analysis for companies listed on the Korea Exchange from 2005 to 2017. We use beta, volatility, and idiosyncratic risk as a proxy for corporate risk. We employ both the ownership of the largest family blockholders and firms that belong to 30 main Chaebol groups as a major independent variable. The results show that the ownership of the largest family blockholders is associated with low beta. In terms of the effects of the ownership of the largest family blockholders on beta, we find that a firm that belongs to the 30 main Chaebol group reinforces the lower beta. These results suggest that the ownership of the largest family blockholders and firms that belongs to 30 main Chaebol groups may be associated with low systematic risk in the Korean stock market. Our findings can provide meaningful information to investors and field officers who are interested in the relationship between firm risk and both the largest family blockholders' ownership and firms that belong to 30 main Chaebol groups.

• The Korean Journal of Financial Management
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.63-91
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• 2009

This paper tests the validity of pecking order theory by Myers(1977) and Myers and Majluf(1984) on Korean manufacturing firms listed in the KRX for the years of 1994 to 2003. We also want to see if there is any difference in financing behavior between chaebol affiliated firms and non-chaebol affiliated firms. We develop testable hypotheses from the idea that established relationship between bank and firm mitigates the problem of information asymmetry (Kang and Lim, 2001), and thus makes it easier for firms to raise funds through banks. The test result of the first stage shows that firms prefer cash reserves to debt financing, and prefer debt to equity. Chaebol affiliated firms are found to behave as if they already exploit internal capital markets. The second stage of the test carried out by dividing debt capital into bank loans and corporate bonds also shows a consistent pattern of financing behavior. Firms are testified to prefer cash to bank loans, bank loans to corporate bonds, and corporate bonds to equity. In this case chaebol affiliation seems to make firms behave as if they already establish internal capital markets. Further analysis shows that some, though not in every case, difference of ordering around the occasion of Korean financial crisis exists. It may be from the change of attitude of Korean firms to risk, or from weakened influence of internal capital market along with strengthened market power in the post-crisis period.