• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.21-33
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• 2014

This study investigated the effect of protection of property right on foreign direct investment. With the US. multinational corporations over the periods from 2000 to 2008, this study used the FEM and system GMM, and found that the change of protection of property right level positively affects attracting foreign direct investment while protection of property right level itself does not. In the analyses on high income and low income countries(by income level), only the change of protection of property right level positively affects attracting foreign direct investment in low income countries. In considering the problem of heteroscedasticity on the error term, this study used FGLS and PCSE estimation methods. It is reported that the change of protection of property right level positively affects attracting foreign direct investment while protection of property right level itself does not. And only the change of protection of property right level positively affects attracting foreign direct investment in low income countries. This result means the change of protection of property right level is a key determinant to attract foreign direct investment.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.277-306
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• 2008

Knowledge1 is considered to be a key element of understanding how organizations gain and sustain competitive advantages. But very few firms are capable of creating the requisite knowledge and thus, firms should acquire and exploit new knowledge through knowledge transfer processes. The empirical part of this study involves examining relationships among adaptability of knowledge and knowledge transfer and marketing performance and testing the moderating roles of absorptive capacity, socialization and local marketing knowledge. This study is organized as follows: (1) Previous literature on knowledge, knowledge transfer and absorptive capacity is summarized, followed by the development of hypotheses derived from the knowledge-based view and absorptive capacity. (2) The hypotheses are tested with data collected from MNCs' subsidiaries performing marketing activities in Korea.Thestudyisclosedwithfindings,implications,andconclusions. Following six research hypotheses are drawn from literature review in related areas: H1: Adaptability of knowledge transferred from the MNCs' headquarters and other subsidiaries is positively associated with knowledge inflows into the receiving subsidiary. H2: The level of marketing knowledge transferred from the MNCs' headquarters and other subsidiaries is positively associated with marketing performance of the receiving subsidiary. H3: Increases in potential absorptive capacity will enhance the relationship between adaptability of knowledge and the level of marketing knowledge transfer. H4: Increases in realized absorptive capacity will enhance the relationship between the level of knowledge transfer and marketing performance of the receiving subsidiary. H5: Increases in socialization activity among the headquarters and subsidiaries will enhance the relationship between adaptability of knowledge and the level of marketing knowledge transfer. H6: Increases in the level of locally developed marketing knowledge will enhance the relationship between the level of knowledge transfer and marketing performance of the receiving subsidiary. The research framework that illustrates the proposed hypotheses is presented in figure 1. The unit of analysis for this study is knowledge transfer from the MNCs' headquarters and other subsidiaries to their subsidiaries operating in South Korea. The population for this study consists of subsidiaries established either as joint ventures or as wholly-owned subsidiaries. A group of 603 foreign firms were drawn from diverse industry organizations and business societies. After personal contact, telephone, fax, and e-mail to request that the respondents complete the questionnaire, 282 valid questionnaires from 133 initial sample companies were collected. The results of the empirical analyses significantly support all of the proposed hypotheses except hypothesis 3. Adaptability of external knowledge promotes knowledge transfer and the relationship is moderated by a firm's potential knowledge absorptive capacity. On the other hand, knowledge transfer improves a firm's marketing performance and a firm's realized knowledge absorptive capacity and local marketing knowledge moderate the relationship. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings in this study are as follows: (1) firms must take seeking, transferring, sharing and exploiting of external knowledge into serious consideration, while simultaneously creating knowledge to support the necessary business operations, remain competitive, and achieve superior performance. (2) Firms should continuously seek to develop their knowledge absorptive capacity (both potential and realized capacity) to absorb, learn and utilize valuable external knowledge. (3) Firms should emphasize not only absorptive capacity, but also development of local knowledge. Firms with strong absorptive capability and local knowledge can learn and transfer more external knowledge, which can be translated into greater levels of competence and performance.

• Journal of International Area Studies (JIAS)
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.129-153
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• 2010

The guiding research question of this paper is to discover 'why the UK could not develop a general structure in which transnational corporations were born during the end of the 19th ~ beginning of the 20th century like other countries'. In response to this question, although acknowledging its imperfections, the author would like to explore the causality in the context of 'Social Construction' which is reflected in the attributes of British society. As such, researchers are strongly recommended to take into account the actors' interests and the increased value effect of events which is driven by control power. This paper concludes that: firstly, not only was contempt for industrial capitalism prevalent in British society, the British government was unable to recognize the necessity of promoting policies for the development of transnational corporation. In addition, the increase in the clout of commercial-financial capitalists in the city of London along with the expansion of gentlemanly elites interfered with the transnationality of British companies. Secondly, the foundation of the political and economic structures in the UK experienced continuity and challenge simultaneously. Since the 1850's, the British social structure has been progressively characterized by the strengthening power of the commercial-financial elites in London, which resulted not in the transnationality of manufacturing but that of financial services. Finally, the configuration of the social network driven by the British elites consists of the actors' interests and control power in association with severance and connection. Unlike the complementarity of interests, in the initial stage, intended connection based on voluntary motivation between gentries and commercial-financial elites occurred in terms of control power. However, ultimately, the holding of power was transferred to the commercial-financial elites excluding the industrial capitalists and resulted in the reconfiguration of the social network.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.18
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• pp.159-188
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• 2002

International joint ventures are usually formed and managed by domestic companies and foreign investors for the common objectives. They offer an opportunity for each partner to benefit significantly from the comparative advantages of the other. Local partners bring knowledge of the domestic market; familiarity with government bureaucracies and regulations; understanding of local labor markets; and existing manufacturing facilities. Foreign partners can offer advanced process and product technologies, management know-how, and access to export markets. In Korea, joint ventures have been encouraged to usher in foreign investors with foreign currency capital badly needed during the IMF financial crisis. In the meantime, Korean laws and regulations with respect to joint ventures have been largely overhauled to promote foreign direct investment (FDI) both inbound and outbound. They include four types of FDI, i.e., acquisition of foreign stocks, provision of long-term loans, participation in joint operations like resources development, and establishment of foreign offices. From the legal point of view, the formal joint venture agreement must be an offspring of a series of tough negotiations between domestic and foreign partners. They usually stress the long-term relationship with the good will and dedication to each other, and restrict the free transfer of stocks. Both partners are earnestly interested in the ownership and management of the joint venture. So they keep a close eye on the articles of incorporation, changes of business environment, conflict resolution methods, transparency of accounting and other financial matters. When a multinational corporation (MNC) is involved in the joint venture, conflicts over management strategies, marketing and other issues take place more often than not between the MNC and local partners. We have to pay attention to joint ventures, particularly, in China and North Korea. As witnessed in other transition economies, China is eagerly bringing in foreign direct investments for the development of nation's economy. China encourages foreign investors to establish ordinary joint ventures, contractual joint ventures, solely invested foreign capital companies and jointly operated development companies with local partners. In North Korea, however, joint ventures have a different meaning like contractual joint ventures in China, in which North Korean partners have an initiative in the management. Rather, jointly operated companies or simply processing-for-wage companies are recommended in view of the unpredictable legal infrastructure in North Korea.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.275-301
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• 2011

This study examines antecedent factors that influence subsidiaries' MNC (multinational corporation) knowledge adoption. I argue that subsidiary local environmental factors(local embeddedness, level of local competition), subsidiary organizational factors(parent investment, subsidiary CEO expatriation, scope of subsidiary value chain), and subsidiary relational factors(subsidiary autonomy, the strength of subsidiary in MNC, social capital) are the important enablers for subsidiaries to adopt knowledge from other MNC units. Especially, I use two data set (knowledge from (1) peer subsidiaries, (2) parent company) to estimate the effect of the factors. The results indicate that subsidiary local embeddedness and scope of subsidiary value chain negatively influence on subsidiary knowledge adoption from peer subsidiaries. Conversely, the strength of subsidiary in MNC and social capital positively influence on that. Subsidiary knowledge adoption from parent company is positively influenced by parent investment and social capital.

• The Southeast Asian review
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.1-48
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• 2013

Taking the cases of Korean garment factories in Binh Duong area, this study aims to explain the phases and causes of the wildcat strikes that have rapidly expanded recently in Vietnam. For the purpose, this study raises several questions as follows. Why the strikes sometimes increase and decrease other times? Why the factory workers prefer a wildcat strike even though it is politically risky, unproductive, and complicated? By the same token, why the foreign management cannot or will not preemptively preclude the wildcat strikes that are usually predictable and the workers are mostly able to accomplish their demands? While answering these questions, this study explores the economic, political, and socio-cultural conditions of the wildcat strikes respectively. Based on the fieldwork in around 30 Korean owned garment factories and the interview with around 100 Vietnamese factory workers in Binh Duong, this study confirms several findings on the phases and causes of the strikes in the area in specific and in Vietnam in general. First, the annual trends of the wildcat strikes reflect the macroeconomic conditions in which the consumer prices and the labor market in Vietnamese economy and business conditions in the world economy are pivotal. Second, however, the influence of macroeconomic conditions on both the management and the workers in the garment factories are differential, depending on the financial situations of the multinational corporations and the workers' capability of reproducing their household economies. Thirdly, the possibility of the wildcat strike in each factory is relatively independent on the financial conditions of a factory and rather associated with the stable political structure and active political processes within the factory that enable the management and the workers to efficiently communicate each other. Lastly, the necessity of establishing political stability in a factory arises from the distinctive social and cultural characteristics of the multinational corporation in which foreign managers and native workers inevitably live in separate and different socio-cultural worlds.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.23-45
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• 2018

Logistic costs refer to trade costs, but it could influence FDI as well as global trade. Multinational corporations choose the geographic organization to produce their products. Therefore, it involves many countries to produce one product. International trade between countries more frequently involves the trade of raw materials, components, and unfinished goods. This implies that countries with better logistic performance are attractive for investment because of low transaction costs. Using the logistic performance index provided from the World Bank, this paper investigates the impacts of logistic performance on FDI inflow to developing countries. Results show that infrastructure and timeliness have a positive effects on FDI inflow to low income countries. In the case of middle income countries, timeliness has a negative effect on FDI inflow. This discrepancy between the low- and middle- income countries comes from the different motivation. FDI for low income countries primarily attempts to minimize labor costs. However, FDI for middle-income countries seems to be motivated to reduce labor costs and expand sales markets. FDI inflow in low-income countries serves as part of the offshoring or global outsourcing of multinational corporation.

• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.79-99
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• 1993

This paper identifies the mechanisms governing the industrial location changes in Korea by focusing upon the emergence of the country's large conglomerate business organizations (chaebols). As the country has distinctive industrial organization, production systems, and government-business relations, this study tries to develop an ideal conceptual framework for the analysis of industrial location changes in Korea. It perceives the Korean economy as a system within which 'space-organizing', lage business organizations interact over time with government, smaller firms and multinational corporations at different geographical scales. The usefulness of the model is assessed using a case study of Korea's most representative chaebol, the Samsung Group. This study identifies chaebols as the dominant institutions in Korean society. Their growth and business strategies have been influenced by the Korean Government through its power to allocate capital resources. Regional dynamics of industry and labor, therfore, have been strongly influenced by changes in the location, industrial structure, and production system of chaebols. With econmic power concentrated within a few giant business groups and their major areas of operation restricted, unbalanced regional development has resulted. Dissatisfaction from residents in less-developed areas has pressured the Government to advise chaebols to disperse their production facilities. Most small and medium-sized firms are closely linked to large corporations through subcontracting. By forming hierarchical subcontracting. By forming hierarchical subcontracting systems, chaebols have indirectly exploited scattered, part-time, home-based, female and lower-paid laborers organized by subcontractors. Further, chaebols have expanded their business arena to encompass overseas locations in a bid to overcome the problem of a small domestic market, trade regulations and increased market, trade regulations and increased labor costs. Through their international business networks Korea's local and regional economies are integrated into the world economy. Indeed, the identification of the changing relationships of chaebols with both the Korean Government and smaller firms is the key to explaining the nations's spatial dyanmics of industry and labor.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.37-41
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the recent resurgence of popularism and the possible impacts it may have on contemporary business and economics. Research design, data and methodology: This is an exploratory case study that examines the rise of popularism and identifies and analyzes the likely implications for contemporary business and economics. Results: Although populists tend to reject elitism, capitalism, economic globalization, and political establishment, their ethnocentric behavior is no different from those of the corrupt political and economic elites. Popularism does enable nationalism and protectionism and negatively impacts business and economic growth. Conclusions: Popularism existed for a long time, and this phenomenon will continue to exist as long as a triggered mechanism exist, e.g., income inequality, resurgence of immigration, recession, insufficient factors of resources and social welfare. The recent rise of popularism is not a fad or a short-lived anti-establishment and anti-elitism movements but, rather, a force to be reckoned with in the near future. The rise of economic nationalism limits international trade, integration, and cooperation. As a result, international capital, service, and product flows will decline, and countries and multinational corporations have to develop and restructure their international supply and value chain to cope with this phenomenon.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.56
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• pp.77-100
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• 2012

China draws lots of attention from many multinational corporations all over the world as one of the biggest market in the world. Due to the huge territory and explosive population, it is considered that China has endless potentiality. Moreover, since China joined the WTO, China opens its market, developing the policies for opening of its market. Based on the enormous purchasing power, China gets another attention in industry of electronic commerce. With the development and expansion of information technologies, China's electronic commerce has rapidly developed. Since the market of electronic commerce in China is in the developing stage, there is still a big market for electronic commerce and also Chinese government has made much effort in order to develop the industry of electronic commerce. However, in spite of these circumstances, the Chinese electronic commerce industry is far behind the developed countries. There could be many reasons for slow development in industry of electronic commerce and the main purpose of this paper is to discuss these reasons. First of all, the current status of electronic commerce industry in China will be analysed, and then, main problems of electronic commerce industry will be discussed in order to find out the reasons why the industry of electronic commerce cannot develop as much as it is anticipated. It is expected that this paper can contribute to understanding electronic commerce industry in China, and it will be helpful for companies which have a plan to extend their businesses in China.