• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.131-153
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• 2019

Purpose This study examines the roles of firm-level IT competence in the relationship between marketing orientation and marketing performance in the context of Chinese SMEs. To achieve this goal, this study presents and empirically tests a model of how competitor orientation and customer orientation can be exploited to positively influence marketing performance through IT competence. Design/methodology/approach The competitor orientation and customer orientation are based on the market orientation construct developed by Trainor et al. (2011). IT competence re based on the market orientation construct developed by Reitz et al. 2018) and the marketing performance are based on the performance construct developed by Hooley et al., (2005). To complete the investigation, we conducted a survey in China from February 2019 to April 2019. Randomly contacted 150 Chinese SMEs, including SMEs of all sizes and types. To test our hypotheses, partial least squares (PLS) method was employed. Findings The findings indicate that customer orientation is antecedent to IT competence, while competitor orientation has no significant relationship with IT competence. This study provides a better understanding of the connection between IT competence and firm performance. So companies should focus on shaping customer-oriented culture and training IT competence.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.243-254
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• 2015

To increase their market shares and grow continuously, it is very important for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to expand their markets. Although various factors may influence an SME's effort to cultivate a new market, this research focused on activities related to the search and utilization of external knowledge. After conducting Tobit analysis based on the dataset of 959 Korean SMEs included in the 2010 Korean Innovation Survey, we found that external knowledge search and utilization activities positively affect the market expansion of SMEs. This result has two implications: (1) SMEs should actively search for appropriate external knowledge sources with which they can expand their markets and reduce their dependence on internal R&D activities; and (2) they should implement an efficient corporate system to effectively absorb and utilize external knowledge inside the firms. Despite these contributions, this research has its shortcoming in that it utilized a cross-sectional dataset, which can be further analyzed by incorporating the dataset from previous and future periods.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.151-156
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• 2020

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a very important role in developing countries. In Vietnam, SMEs operating in the field of handicrafts, besides contributing to the economy, also tasked to maintain and develop traditional handicrafts. However, accessing loans from banks of SMEs faces many difficulties. This study explores the determinants of bank lending decision for SMEs, particular, in traditional handicrafts business. Using dataset based on a survey conducted in Binh Duong province, Vietnam, we investigated to what determinant effects for loan approval. The analytical methods used include descriptive statistics for overall assessment, principal component analysis and regression to examine determinants of lending decisions. The results indicate that company's collateral was the most positive determinant to bank lending decision, follow by company's business plan. The role of company's leader is very important for banks considers to approve credit because company's leaders experience and relationship with stakeholders as well as banks have positive relations with bank's lending decision. Agreed with previous studies, the company's financial statement and company's credit history with banks are also significant determinants for lending decision. Whereas, the business environment seam unaffected lending decision as their relations is not significant..

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.8
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• pp.625-633
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• 2020

This study aims to empirically investigate the influence of organizational capability and organizational learning on the financial performance of family-business type small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In addition, this study examines the moderating role of SMEs' ages and the managers' experiences in the relationship between organizational capability and organizational learning on the SMEs financial performance. This study is a basic exploratory research conducted by using an empirical survey, i.e., sampling of the businessman (the owner) of family-business type SMEs cross-functional in the area of DIY. The study uses purposive sampling. The respondents are the SME businessmen from the various business sectors in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The number of respondents is 150. Hypothesis testing used SPSS program's moderation regression approach; validity and reliability testing used confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha. The result of this study shows that organizational capability positively and significantly affects the financial performance. Also, organizational learning significantly affects the financial performance. The organization's age factor does not moderate the relationship between organizational capability and the financial performance, but it is significant on the organizational learning. The factor of manager's experience moderates insignificantly on the relationship between organizational capability and financial performance. However, it is significant to the organizational learning.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.11
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• pp.1009-1019
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• 2020

This study presents an exploratory investigation of SMEs in Vietnam to understand the impact of personal-level factors on middle managers' work motivation and the moderating role of work environment. A survey of 450 middle managers (MMs) in 150 Hanoi's SMEs was conducted. The findings of this research showed a significant positive impact of Achievement (ACHV), Recognition (RECOG), and Responsibility (RESP) on work motivation of MMs under the investigation. Furthermore, the result indicated that the work environment affects the relationship between personal-level factors and work motivation of participants. Consequently, both work environment improvement and strategies related to personal-level factors need to be taken into consideration. Especially, Recognition and transparency in Responsibility are appreciated in organizations with a low level of work environment satisfaction. However, there were no indications that Participation (PAR) and Communication (CMM) have a considerable impact on work motivation of respondents, being neither low level nor high level of work environment satisfaction. Based on the findings, recommendations are suggested for Vietnam's SMEs to improve work motivation of MMs, by (i) developing standards with emphasis on their achievement, (ii) paying attention to organizational culture focusing on the responsibility of this managerial level, and (iii) building an adequate incentive system, especially non-financial incentives.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.1420-1425
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• 2015

Lately, information and communications environmentis in accordance with the smartphone release is changing the paradigm of working environments setting a high value on mobility and efficiency as well as the ecosystem of information and communication technologies. In this paper, we proposed smart work-based IT system modeling suitable for SMEs in order to transform the paradigm of working environments, strengthen the competitiveness of SMEs, and to establish a foundation on which SMEs could leap to the global economy, by fostering the acceleration of information service implementation and smart work foundation. We conducted a survey of the change in awareness and creation of smart work environment targeting companies with less than thirty workers and proved it. will also contribute to smart work diffusion in SMEs by drawing a positive result of more than 75%.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.10
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• pp.285-295
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• 2021

This study estimates the influence of organizational-level factors on work motivation and job performance of middle managers of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam. A 5-point-Likert-scale structural questionnaire consisting of 36 observation variables was used to survey middle managers of Vietnamese SMEs. 425 out of 500 responses collected were valid for multivariate data analysis. The results of confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling reveal three main findings. First, philosophy and policy, compensation and benefits, goal system, and leadership have positively significant impacts on the work motivation of middle managers under investigation. Second, there is a significantly positive influence of work motivation on job performance. However, there is no indication that growth opportunities, work environment, evaluation system have significant impacts on the work motivation of respondents. Based on the findings, the study suggests four recommendations for Vietnamese SMEs to improve motivation and job performance of middle managers, which are (1) ensuring the clarity and soundness of the organizational policies and philosophies, especially human resources policy that boosts employees' work motivation; (2) building a comprehensive compensation and benefit system to attract and retain talented employees; (3) developing a clear and adequate goal system; (4) enhancing top-level managers' leadership abilities.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.128-145
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• 2021

Purpose - The main purpose of this study is thus to investigate the contingent effect of imitation strategies on firm performance in transition economies such as China, focusing on pure and creative imitation. Design/methodology - We conducted a survey targeting department heads of each company who have more than 10 years work experiences. We assessed that the ability to gain trust and to access information from high-ranking informants would be greater if the firms were from the same country - Korea - as the lead researcher. A total of 200 highly reliable samples were obtained, which could effectively explain the nine variables set in the study. Relevant hypotheses were tested using a hierarchical linear model (HLM). Findings - The findings suggest that SMEs' technology level also had a positive impact on performance. Firms with better technology had a positive impact on performance, irrespective of pure or creative imitation. This reflects the cases where many Korean SMEs entering China without high technology level lose their competitiveness due to Chinese firms' technology catch-up within a short period of time. Originality/value - SMEs that lack technology and know-how need to focus on pure imitation strategies. It is possible that SMEs can perform creative imitation, but it seems difficult under the current circumstances. Therefore, SMEs with limitations in technology and know-how should maintain their competitive advantage for a while, by maintaining their pure imitation strategy.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.863-872
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• 2021

The main goal of this research is to understand how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) owners in Oman perceive the factors that drive or impede their growth and sustainability. Based on survey data of 395 SMEs in Oman, factor analysis was conducted to check if all the items load as one factor in each of the constructs. The results show that all the items measuring motivators and barriers loaded significantly for the respective scales, with high reliability (Cronbach alpha for Motivators = 0.991 and Barriers = 0.995). Relationships between the demographic factors of entrepreneurs and firm characteristics were tested and it was found that all the four variables: age of the entrepreneur (p = 0.00), qualification of the entrepreneur (p = 0.00), SME sector (p = 0.00), and age of the firm (p = 0.00) have a significant relationship with both the Motivators and the Barriers. The findings of this study could have significant implications for policymakers in Oman and other Middle Eastern countries. Since SMEs face similar problems and are given priority around the world, the findings could be applicable to other countries, as well. The findings also add important results to the empirical literature on SMEs.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.7
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• pp.333-339
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• 2021

The study seeks to identify the determinants of the adoption of e-commerce by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries, in our case, in Indonesia. The aim of this study is to examine the factors influencing e-commerce adoption. This study uses the method of quantitative data collection based on a questionnaire survey of SMEs in Indonesia. The research relies on Regional Project stipulations regarding Business Development in Indonesia, to capture businesses with a range of 5 to 100 employees that are classified as SMEs. This study randomly chose 100 SMEs in Indonesia from the IndoNetwork database. Partial least square (PLS) structural model data processing was used for path coefficients analysis. Structural equation modeling is applied in this study to analyze the determinant factors on the e-commerce adoption. The study findings reveal that four factors, namely, perceived benefits, compatibility, technology readiness, and government support, significantly influence the adoption of e-commerce, whereas customer/supplier pressure does not have influence. So, this study concludes that perceived benefits, compatibility, technology readiness, and government support had a significant and positive relationship with e-commerce adoption. Meanwhile, customer/supplier pressure had no effect on the e-commerce adoption of by Indonesia SMEs.