• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.115-126
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of the factors that hinder innovation of SMEs on innovation activities of Korean firms. Many existing literature studies remain focused on factors that promote innovation activities. However, in order for companies to promote innovation, it is important to analyze the factors that hinder innovation as well as those that promote innovation. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between technological innovation inhibition factors and technological innovation performance of 4,075 SMEs in Korea using the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Policy statistical data. The research model and hypothesis test of this study consist of three stages. First, the reliability of the variables used was verified using exploratory factor analysis. Second, the proposed hypothesis was modeled using structural equation modeling. Finally, validity of the structural equation was verified using confirmatory factor analysis. As a result, the lack of need for innovation influenced innovation performance and the government support system mediated them. SMEs should establish technological innovation strategies to maximize the effect of technological innovation with limited resources, and government should make polices to promote innovation of SMEs. It's expected to be used in the case of establishing a support policy.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.67-90
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• 2016

This study examines whether there is any significant relation between executive compensation and future firm performance for the Korean export manufacturing small and medium-sized firms. We sorted the whole sample firms into the sub-groups of 10 deciles by firm size and the KSIC standard. We found the following empirical results. First, Korean export manufacturing small and medium-sized firms typically showed lower or even negative profitability in terms of return on equity and operating profit ratio to sales. Foreign equity ownership is very low with an average of 3.77%. Second, for the firms with higher ratio of excess executive compensation to asset had lower future firm performance. It implies that the typical owner-manager in Korean export manufacturing SMEs earns excess pay, but do not contribute much to firm performance. Third, as for future cumulative abnormal returns for future one- and three-year periods, firms with higher owner-executive pay had lower returns compared with firms with lower pay. So the stock market investors set a lower value on them. Fourth, there is a positive relation between excess executive pay and executive overconfidence, and it implies that owner-CEOs with higher pay may become overconfident, thereby lowering future firm performance somehow.

• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.205-224
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• 2023

Purpose This study investigates the impact of organizational characteristics on organizational performance through case studies of smart factory implementation in the context of Korean small and medium Enterprises (SMEs). To achieve this goal, this study adopts the smart factory index of KOSMO (Korea Smart Manufacturing Office) established by Korean Ministry of SMEs and Startups. We visited 3 firms implemented smart factory projects. This study presents the results of field study in detail with evaluation criteria on how organizational competences like AI technology adoption and facility automation can be exploited to positively influence organizational performance through smart factory implementation. Design/methodology/approach There are not so many results of empirical studies related to smart factories in Korea. This is because organizational support and user involvement are required for facility AI platform service beyond factory automation after the start of the 4th Industrial Revolution. Korean government's KOSMO (Korean Smart Manufacturing Office) has developed and proposed a level measurement index for smart factory implementation. This study conducts case studies based on the level measurement method proposed by KOSMO in the process of conducting case studies of three companies belonging to the root and mechanic industries in Korea. Findings The findings indicate that organizational competences, such as facility AI platform adoption and user involvement, are antecedents to influence smart factory implementation, while smart factory implementation has significant relationship with organizational performance. This study provides a better understanding of the connection between organizational competences and organizational performance through smart factory case studies. This study suggests that SMEs should focus on enhancing their organizational competences for improving organizational performance through implementing smart factory projects.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Computer Information Conference
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• 2017.07a
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• pp.190-193
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• 2017

인더스트리 4.0 또는 4차 산업 혁명이 큰 화두이고, 그 중심에 제조업의 스마트 공장으로의 변화는 필수불가결의 현상으로 이해되고 있는 상황이다. 이에 한국 정부에서는 스마트공장 보급 사업을 활발하게 추진하여 한국 내 중소기업을 대상으로 스마트 공장 관련 기술을 확산하고자 노력하고 있다. 하지만, 여전히 많은 기업들은 스마트 공장 구축 사업을 받아들이려는 의지가 부족하고 자발적으로 받아들이지 않고 있어, 정부의 사업 확대에 어려움을 가지고 있다. 따라서 스마트 공장 보급 사업을 확대하고 한국 제조업의 경쟁력을 강화를 도모하는데 있어서 과연 어떤 요인이 중소기업들로 하여금 정부의 스마트 공장 관련 사업에 참여하여 관련 기술을 받아들이고, 기업에 적용하게 되는지 분석은 중요한 의미를 가질 것이다. 본 연구는 지난 2년간 스마트 공장 관련 기술을 도입한 기업을 대상으로 한 실증 연구를 통해서 실증 연구를 통해서 스마트 공장 관련 기술의 수용을 위한 중요한 요인이 무엇인지 검증하고, 향후 스마트 공장 관련 기술의 보급 확산을 위한 정책 결정과 사업 추진에 효율적인 추진 방향을 제시하고자 한다.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.32-46
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• 2018

Research in the Servitization of Manufacturing has become focused more on cases than concepts over the past decade. This is because governments have emphasized some practical research with policies to support their industries. Manufacturers need differentiated strategies to gain competitiveness by servitization in the global market. They should examine how common servitization has become in the same industries and markets. They should also make sure how it works and for what purpose it is done since it is necessary to make the best decision to be able to distribute the limited resources most effectively to defeat the global competitors. South Korea has the sixth largest trade volume in the world, but Korean SMEs' marketing capabilities fall short compared to that of major global companies. This paper seeks to develop the proper model and its application for the servitization with global cases which are recommended for Korean SMEs. They need to check the urgency in servitization according to their products, industries and target markets. In addition, factors such as purposes, time and types of the servitization are examined to see how they are related each other. The most significant implication of this study is that the processes for early-stage companies in servitazation are modeled to help them make the best choices.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.97-124
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• 1992

The recent sharp increase in wages has driven many Korean manufacturing firms to move into technology-intensive fields. The task of industrial restructuring is, however, rather difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises (hereafter, "SMEs") which suffer from limited R&D resources. If the R&D activities of SMEs are left unattended, industrial restructuring process may be retarded. Hence, the government-sponsored programs can be justified when used to promote the technological level of SMEs. Because of the limited internal R&D resources of SMEs, in particular human resources, the government-sponsored programs that depend on financial subsidies to stimulate the R&D activities of SMEs may not be recommended. Rather, a more desirable policy is programs to subsidize outside sourcing of SMEs. Basic principles of the program are; (i) that the government should establish R&D laboratories which are specialized in joint researches with SMEs in each industry; (ii) research projects of the laboratories should be funded by SMEs; the government's support covers only fixed costs such as construction costs in order to avoid moral hazard problem. (iii) technology adviser programs sponsored by the government should be improved; geographical distribution is to be expanded and the activities are to be monitored by local governments. Also foreign networks need be strengthened.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.1-25
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• 2017

By applying the AHP(Analytic Hierarchy Process), we have analyzed the importance and the order for priorities to the management risk factors of Korean SMEs & Venture companies in China. The major management risk factors of manufacturing companies were the rise in labor costs followed by fierce competition in the marketplace, problems involved with human resource management and the rise in the cost of materials. In the case of companies manufacturing electronic products, the rise of labor costs and alteration in government's tax policy were seen as the main risk factors. In the case of chemical product manufacturing companies, the reinforcement of environmental protection law and in automobile component manufacturing companies, apart from the rise in labor cost, the increase in raw materials costs were analyzed as the main risk factors. While considering the time period, the main risk factors of the companies that entered China in the 1990's were fierce competition and alteration in government's tax policy and for the companies that entered China in the 2000's, increase in raw material cost, the rise in labor cost etc were analyzed to be the main risk management factors.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.657-665
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• 2019

The domestic railway parts and equipment manufacturing industry is mainly focused on SMEs, and the majority of them are suffering from profitability because they cannot build economies of scale. Besides, they have survived in the form of importing technology products from overseas advanced countries and delivering them to domestic railway operators rather than having in-house technology. Therefore it is necessary to study whether the problems of the current railway industry can be identified and improved and at the same time, whether the government's railway industry development policy is properly reflected. literature studies related to technology commercialization, and conduct surveys of AHP questionnaires on the experts of the manufacturing industry of SMEs, academics / research institutes of the railway industry. After that, the Level 3 activation method AHP analysis was additionally performed on the important factors of Level 2 that have the highest importance and priority in Level 1. As a result of the AHP analysis, 'Technical Connectivity' was the most important method in the technical factor, and SME experts and academic and research institute experts were highly evaluated for 'commercialization ability' Competence in terms of importance. As for external support factors, it was analyzed that SME experts "support for manpower development" was important, while the other two group experts research and development support was important. In this study, the priority of the government support and policy priorities are suggested according to the capabilities of the railway manufacturing SMEs before the future R&D support.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.155-175
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• 2018

This study estimates the technical efficiency and total factor productivity(TFP) of and analyzes the relationship between TFP and exports for Korean manufacturing companies from 2000 to 2016. Specially, TFP is decomposed into Technical Change(TC), Technical Efficiency Change (TEC), and Sale Effect(SE), and compared between large and small enterprises. First, in the case of technical efficiency, the Korean economy has been very vulnerable to external shocks, such as the sharp decline following the 2008 financial crisis. The efficiency of the electronics, automobile, and machinery sectors is low and needs to be improved. In addition, the technological efficiency of large enterprises is higher than that of SMEs in most manufacturing sub-sectors except for non-ferrous metals. In the case of TFP, most changes are due to TC, and the effective combination of labor, capital and the effect of scale have little effect, suggesting that improvement of internal structure is urgent. In addition, volatility due to the impact of the financial crisis in 2008 was much larger in SMEs than in large companies, so external economic impacts are more greater for SMEs than large enterprises. The relationship between TFP decomposition factors and exports shows that TC has a positive effect only on exports of SMEs. Therefore, in order to increase exports, in the case of SMEs, R&D support to promote technological development is needed. In the case of large companies, it is necessary to establish differentiated strategies for each export market, competitor company, and item to link efficiency and scale effect of exports.

• Korean small business review
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.1-22
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• 2019

The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of the partner types (supplier, customer, competitor, research institution, more than one partner type) for SMEs on radical and incremental innovation. Another purpose was to examine how the relation varies according to the technological intensity of an industry to which the focal firm belongs. To test the hypotheses, we used the 'KIS(Korean Innovation Survey) 2014' data and the empirical analysis was done with the effective survey from 3,846 Korean SMEs. We employed STATA 14 for validity, confirmatory factor analysis, and binary logistic regression analysis. The results revealed that, when viewed the entire manufacturing SMEs, cooperation with suppliers, customers and research institutes has all been shown to have a positive effect on the radical and gradual innovations of SMEs. However, The relationship between partner type and radical innovation has been significantly different depending on the technical intensity of the industry. When cooperating with suppliers, the impact on radical innovation of SMEs was significant only in low-tech and medium-low tech industries. In contrast, when working with customers, the impact on the radical innovation of SMEs was significant only in the high-tech, medium-high tech, and medium-low tech industries, except for low tech industries. Meanwhile, although cooperation with competitors has a positive effect on radical innovation, this has been only significant in the medium-high tech industries.