• Journal of Information Technology Services
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.27-41
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• 2022

In a fiercely competitive environment, quality is a key factor that enables dashboard camera makers to maintain their competitive advantage. Quality affects consumer satisfaction, brand loyalty, and firm performance. Therefore, to remain competitive, it is important that manufacturers maintain product quality that meets consumer expectations. To this end, it is necessary to investigate customer preferences and product performance in terms of product quality and to properly allocate resources to improve the quality level such that the firm can maintain a competitive advantage. In this paper, we proposed the various ways in which manufacturing firms can determine which quality dimensions need improvement in order to secure competitiveness. To this end, we analyzed a case study of Urive to develop a quality improvement strategy through importance performance competitor analysis (IPCA). Urive's IPCA results showed that 14 quality dimensions, namely performance, size, price, ease of use, country of origin, manufacturer, brand, product certificate, warranty, distribution channel, market share, reliability, durability, and conformance, were not absolutely competitive compared with those of Mando, Inavi, and Finevu. In terms of color, Urive had an absolute competitive advantage over Mando, but not Inavi and Finevu. Urive's appearance was more competitive than Mando's, but not Inavi's and Finevu's. In terms of advertisement and serviceability, Urive was absolutely less competitive than Mando and Inavi, but had a competitive advantage over Finevu. Therefore, it is necessary to put resources and time as the first priority for performance, reliability, and durability, which have a large performance difference in common among the three brands. The quality dimensions in which resources and time need to be put in second place are price and ease of use, which have a large performance difference in common among the two brands.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.117-142
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• 2013

Brand orientation is a relatively new paradigm in marketing which was first introduced in the 1990s. Since then, an accumulating body of research has addressed the strategic importance of brand orientation. Although there is a growing body of literature on brand orientation, there have been no empirical studies examining the mediation effect of brand orientation on market orientation-performance relationship to date. Moreover, most studies on brand orientation have been carried out in the context of large enterprises. Hence, the aim of this research is to extend the literature and address market orientation, brand orientation, and firm performance against the backdrop of Korean SMEs. The authors empirically investigate the impact of market/brand orientation on organizational performance and the mediating role of brand orientation. They utilize 178 usable responses to test the four research hypotheses. The hypothesized model predicts that there is a positive association among market orientation, brand orientation, and firm performance. It is also expected that brand orientation mediates the relationship between market orientation and organizational performance. The statistical results based on PLS analysis confirm our prediction among the constructs in the research model. The empirical evidence provides significant theoretical and managerial implications for brand orientation among SMEs. The first theoretical implication is that we provide empirical evidence regarding the important role of brand orientation in explaining the multi-trait perspectives of strategic orientation. The second theoretical implication is that the concept of brand orientation can be empirically validated in the context of SMEs. In terms of managerial implications, managers of SMEs should attempt to build a brand-oriented corporate culture or mindset that places brand values and brand norms as the top priority among their company's tasks. In addition, managers should recognize that brand orientation is critical for SMEs as well as large enterprises. In the last section, the authors address limitations of the study and provide directions for further research.

• Journal of the Korea Computer Industry Society
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• v.2 no.12
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• pp.1549-1556
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• 2001

Although the implementation of TQM principles has been proven to be a great success in many of the leading large corporations, small firms have lagged behind their larger counterparts in adapting to TQM. Because significant differences do exist between large and small companies, understanding the advantages and disadvantages of a small firm is a sine qua non. Intended to help small firms implement the principles of TQM, this paper, based on the principles of TQM, identifies the advantages and disadvantages and discusses the implementation strategies.

• Journal of the Korean Operations Research and Management Science Society
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.45-61
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• 1990

This study examines shareholder wealth effects in tender offers and attempts to explain abnormal return variations of bidding and target firms at announcement of takeovers using the free cash flow hypothesis of Jensen. On average, bidders with large free cash flows pay higher premia (apparently more than fair market value) to targets than do other bidders with no free cash flows. Thereby, these bidders experience negative wealth effects on announcement of tender offers. Cross-sectional regression analysis suggests that for the subsample of takeover bids where bidders have large free cash flows, the increase in the debt ratio resulting from takeover has a significant positive wealth effect for bidding firm shareholders, while it has no effect in other subsamples. The evidence is consistent with the free cash flow hypothesis.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.467-479
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• 2017

This study examines how the characteristics of cooperative research and development (R&D) projects in the public domain impact information and communication technology (ICT) convergence. Based on the analysis of 416 cooperative R&D projects under the ICT-based industry convergence R&D program in Korea, the study finds that the characteristics of cooperative R&D projects significantly impact ICT convergence. Moreover, the participation of public research institutes and universities is critical for ICT convergence compared with that of firms. However, in firm-to-firm cooperation, the participation of small and medium enterprises contributes to cross-sectional convergence, while the participation of large firms leads to overall and longitudinal convergence. R&D inputs such as the number of partners and government subsidies exhibit an inverted U-shaped relationship (negative quadratic effect) with technology convergence. Project duration and homogeneous partners are also critical factors for ICT convergence. The results indicate several implications and guidelines on how to effectively organize cooperative R&D projects to facilitate technology convergence.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.119-139
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• 2011

Using a establishment-worker matched data, this paper estimates wage differentials between standard and non-standard workers. Unlike previous studies, we estimate a fixed-effect model for the tree-way error-components that control for both unobserved individual heterogeneities and unobserved firm heterogeneities. The estimation results show that standard workers earn 6.5~8.4% mire than non-standard workers. This wage premium is 30~40% of the wage differential estimated from the OLS model. The results implies that a large proportion of the wage differentials between standard and non standard workers can be explained by unobserved firm and individual characteristics.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.286-293
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was conducted to provide basic information on developing highschool-uniform pants with more suitable fit. To carry out this study, questionnaires were administered to 187 students in high schools in Gwangju. The collected data were analyzed with frequencies statistics, t-test, ANOVA using the SPSS WIN 18.0. The results are as follows; As results of research on highschool-uniform regulation, 88% of the highschool in Gwangju allowed their students to wear school uniform pants. As results of investigation on the school-uniform pants sizing system of manufacturing firm, it was found that there's a trend towards increasing a large size with the change body type. The size labelling for school uniform pants was waist circumference-stature. There were differences in pants sizes according to the manufacturing firm and body measurements such as hip circumference, in seam length, pants length. As results of survey on wearing conditions, the selection of school uniform pants has increased in winter season. The most important body measurement in the choice of purchase was thigh circumference. In fit of uniform pants, respondents answered that waist circumference and hip circumference became smaller according to the physical growth.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.93-100
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• 2016

Purpose - This study examines lenders' reactions to M&A, based on the strength of the lender-borrower relationship and the lender's expectations of the potential benefits or risks of the deal. Research design, data, and methodology - This research addresses the lender's influence on the implementation stage of a large-scale strategic action such as M&A to understand the motivation and dynamics of lenders' responses and empirically examines how the lender-borrower relationship influences the focal firm's merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions, using data on 501 M&A deals in Japan from 1990 to 2010. Results - The presented analysis found that lenders that have a strong lender-borrower relationship, especially those showing a high debt equity ratio, support borrowers' M&A progress and the target firm's lenders resist the deal progressing and may raise the acquisition premium if their current power relative to borrowers is weak. Conclusions - Stakeholders including lenders do not favor strategies of focal firms that threaten their future benefits, while they also tend to estimate the potential benefits and losses by comparing their current circumstances with those of other stakeholders. The empirical results of the presented analysis help explain the mechanism of lenders' reactions and offer insights into the power of a closer and stronger lender-borrower relationship.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.17-39
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• 2016

Despite the importance of university-industry collaboration, issues pertaining to the characteristics of collaborating firms, their modes of interaction, and the relationship between these modes and outcomes are not well-researched. The impact of country's development on these issues is also unclear. This case study examines Japan and Thailand-respectively representing developed and developing countries-and features the following key findings: 1) the characteristics of firms affect modes, with large Japanese firms being more collaborative with universities, whereas Thai SMEs significantly collaborate more with universities; 2) the relationship between modes in Thai firms is stronger than those of Japanese firms because in Thailand, perhaps due to weak technological capacity, R&D collaboration is conducted alongside university consultancy services; and 3) in Japan, R&D and human resource development collaboration lead to product innovation, whereas different outcomes are expected from different modes in Thailand. Apparently, trivial informal collaborations do have significant impact on innovation.

• Korean Journal of Computational Design and Engineering
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.77-91
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• 2004

Integrating computer-aided design with computer-aided fabrication and construction will fundamentally redefine the relationship between design and construction. Rapid prototyping(RP) is evaluated as one of the integration method available but it has been regarded as very expensive and complex design evaluation tool and is only suitable for large mechanical design shops in automobile and aerospace industry. However current status of rapid prototyping is changing since the new generation of RP equipment, less expensive and more user-friendlier, now can be installed and use in design firms. Simultaneously increasing use of 3D CAAD software is also helping to use rapid prototyping widely. It is crucial to acknowledge rapid prototyping technologies are not only for avant-garde architect such as Frank O. Gehry but ordinary 90% architects, who can have benefit from fast and cost-effective technology. With its fast development and adaptation in architectural industry, it is quite necessary to include rapid prototyping education in regular CAAD courses either undergraduate or graduate level.