• Korea Trade Review
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.285-304
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• 2016

e-Commerce in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises(SMEs) provides a platform for fair competition between SMEs and large enterprises, and brings economic benefits to SMEs. Thus in the recent years, the e-Commerce in SMEs developed rapidly. However, the overall proportion of e-Commerce in SMEs in China remains low, and many SMEs' decision-makers tend to feel that their business is relatively weak in terms of information construction of scale and financial management, thus they keep the 'wait and see' attitude about the e-Commerce development decisions. Therefore, SMEs are facing three puzzles about e-Commerce application. First, if the companies need to implement e-Commerce, what are the e-Commerce adoption decision factors. Second, what are the successful implementation factors of e-Commerce. And how about the relationship between them. The third is how to measure the implementation effect of e-Commerce. What is the performance evaluation factors of e-Commerce. In this paper, the theoretical and empirical exploration and research are conducted towards these SMEs. Considering the actual situation of SMEs, this paper builds a theoretical model, then puts forward relevant hypothesis. This paper analyzes present influencing factors based on enormous research papers, and finally discovers the critical successful factors in doing business with e-Commerce in SMEs by conducting Structural Equation Modeling. Five critical factors are verified by cases of enterprise by demonstration study. Lastly, we can draw a conclusion that the innovation ability of leaders, the IT support of leaders and e-Commerce strategies are the success factors of e-Commerce for Chinese SMEs.

• Korean small business review
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.103-122
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• 2020

This study investigates the research trends of SMEs and technological innovations in the last 40 years. Research topics and methodological trends were analyzed for 114 academic papers deals with technology innovation in SMEs. In terms of research subjects, there have been interested in the technology capability and technology accumulation of SMEs in the 1990s, but after the 2000s, research on external open innovation and innovation performance has increased. The empirical analysis studies using primary or secondary data were dominated since the 2000s. We suggest some future research directions, more systematic innovation processes in SMEs, the interactions between technology innovation and external environments, and advanced methodologies on SMEs' technology innovation studies.

• Journal of Korea Society of Digital Industry and Information Management
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.177-195
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to examine the trouble of recruitment and research and development of ICT SMEs. Recently, many ICT SMEs have emerged for selling products and services using the technology of the 4th industrial revolution. However, SMEs have relatively deficient resources compared to large companies, the difficulty of maintenance or growth of human resources and intangible resources. This research methodology organized the four stages of the analysis process. The first analysis is the association rules for human resource recruitment. The second analysis is the difficulty of hiring jobs and experienced workers by each stage of company growth. The third analysis is a regression analysis of the trouble of R&D activity. The last analysis is an analysis of association rules on the difficulties of management activities by company growth. As the research result, the first analysis has shown a difference in favored human resources by the ICT industry. The second analysis also showed factor differences in job recruitment difficulties for each stage of corporate growth. In the third analysis, the operation of research institutes in ICT SMEs is influenced by industry type, corporate certification, corporate growth stage, self-technology development, joint technology development, technology transfer, and commercialization. As the last analysis, ICT SMEs showed factor differences in difficulties in management activities by stage of corporate growth. This study contributed empirically emphasizing the troubling phenomenon of human resources and R&D necessary for the growth of ICT SMEs. As a theoretical implication, this research contributed to the research-area expansion of management information using big-data technologies. In particular, this research practically suggests the differentiated direction of recruitment and R&D by ICT SMEs based on industry and each stage of company growth through the association rules of big data.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.35-46
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• 2017

This study aim to figure out the limitation of existing ICT SMEs technology support programs conducted by Government Funded Research Institute. To investigate the limitations of SMEs programs, we conducted Focus Group Interview(FGI) with staff in charge of R&D department of beneficiaries(ICT SMEs). The results of FGI show that SMEs have troubles with the lack of R&D manpower, R&D infrastructure and non-R&D activities. Then, we conducted Delphi survey(derived from FGI) with related field experts to ask the problems and limitations of SMEs programs. The Results of Delphi show that SMEs programs has limitations with avoiding of SMEs support staff, lack of public R&D infrastructure sharing center, incompleteness of policies. Based on the results of FGI and Delphi, we suggest the several ways to improving SMEs programs.

• The Journal of Small Business Innovation
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.15-26
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• 2018

SMEs need a strategy to respond to rapid changes in the global business environment of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In order to overcome such a business environment, SMEs must concentrate on the core competency. Because of the structural characteristics of SMEs, government support is very important, as it is difficult for SMEs to carry out the entire supply chain role. The support of GRIs is very important for ensuring competitiveness through technological innovation of SMEs. Recently, the construction of SMEs network for business expansion is demanded. SMEs can form networks to induce synergistic effects. In order to secure the competitiveness of SMEs by utilizing the advantages of mutually cooperating networks, the necessity of cooperation of SMEs is increasing. The government has proposed various support programs to support network cooperation. In this research, in order to derive an effective strategy of the SME support program, we analyzed the difference in necessity and satisfaction of the GRIs support program. We analyze the differences between government policies and perceptions for SMEs and to derive strategies for supporting SMEs in a systematic approach for the development of SMEs. In a situation where research to revitalize SMEs is insufficient, in consideration of the market demand of SMEs, we grasp the problems of the current system and try to guide improvement strategies. Also, we suggest policies that can derive and utilize support strategies for SMEs. From a long-term perspective, research related SMEs must be conducted and a sustainable support program for SMEs must be developed.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.61-67
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• 2020

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the interaction effect of customers relationship management (CRM) on the competitive advantage (CA) of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in Yemen. Research design, data and methodology: This study applied a quantitative approach in dealing with the interaction effect of CRM dimensions and SMEs' competitive advantage in Yemen. The research uses a sample of 247 manufacturing SMEs surveyed in Yemen. Results: The results indicate that only three dimensions of CRM, namely (TCM), (KM) and (CRMO), have a significant effect on SMEs' competitive advantage, but not that between (KCF) and SMEs' competitive advantage. Conclusions: The findings of this study offer important insights for owners and managers of SMEs, researchers and policymakers to further understand the effects of CRM on SMEs' competitive advantage. SMEs should also be encouraged to develop their CRM to improve their competitive advantage. Lastly, this study makes several contributions to the literature, the first of which is the provision of evidence concerning the major role of CRM as a dependent variable and competitive advantage as an independent variable. The second contribution pertains to its pioneering status in examining the direct relationship between CRM dimensions and the competitive advantage of SMEs in a Middle Eastern country.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.41-50
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• 2020

The paper investigates the factors that affect the demand for a voluntary audit of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam. A structured questionnaire survey of 284 SMEs was employed, preceded by in-depth interviews with auditors and SMEs' managers. The research used logistic regression estimator to address econometric issues and to improve the accuracy of the regression coefficients. The results show that the degree of director's view on voluntary audit, related stakeholder, degree of recommendation, and firm size have a statistically significant positive effect on audit decisions of SMEs while degree of audit fee has a statistically significant negative effect, and degree of subjective norm does not affect. This indicated that SMEs are more likely to have an external audit if they have some typical features: it is becoming larger in terms of size, and the directors consider that the audit has a relative benefit outweighing its cost. The research results suggested that Vietnam Government should make a statutory audit of SMEs' financial statements rather than make it an option for SMEs. The auditing firms were also recommended to actively take their audit services to SMEs rather than waiting for the SMEs' managers to contact them for their services.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.179-192
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• 2021

Purpose - This study is aim to stimulate ESG management of SMEs in Korea with SWOT analysis. Presently, ESG is also affecting a company's supply chain and sales. We tried to make the complementary point of Korea SMEs through domestic and foreign cases. Design/methodology/approach - We divide foreign cases into three countries, and in Korea, also divide into three groups of government, major companies, SMEs to conduct SWOT analysis. Findings - We confirmed that ESG activities were delayed in Korea compared to overseas, but the government and major companies were responding quickly. However, SMEs are complaining of difficulties in ESG activities due to cost issues and limited information. Nevertheless, some SMEs companies show the possibility by carrying out ESG activities based on their own strengths. Research implications or Originality - We suggested the need for SMEs' ESG management. The SMEs are inevitably vulnerable to ESG management compared to other groups. Therefore, We suggested the direction of SMEs ESG management expansion, that are R&D and distribution of eco-friendly activities through collaboration with universities(E), social program to improve working places(S), and expansion of governance that guarantees autonomy(G).

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.61-72
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• 2013

This research aims to identify promising IT items from the perspectives of Korean SMEs and further to development a policy for SMEs in the IT industry. For this purpose, we adopted a bottom-up approach by discovering IT items on high demand by SMEs as their now growth engines and thus used a survey method. We also analyzed the ecosystem characteristics for the items to help policy-makers establish customized strategy to support their growth. We believe that this research is timely when the concept of ecosystem has emerged and the role of SMEs is emphasized in the IT industry. And the research results are expected to produce valuable information to make a policy for promoting IT items for SMEs and ultimately leading to balanced growth of large firms and SMEs.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.87-104
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• 2015

Public procurement for innovation is used as one of the major policy tools to stimulate innovation and promote growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Korea. However, it is evaluated that this policy has not been so effective in promoting technological innovation among SMEs largely because it heavily depends on price competitiveness of SMEs products and services. In order to draw some policy implications, this study examines the PPI policies of selected countries as comparative references and conducts an empirical analysis on Korean Public Procurement Services (PPS) data for identifying challenges of the current policy in Korea. We conclude that in order to enhance technological innovations of SMEs, PPI policy in Korea should 1) focus more on the potential competitiveness of SMEs, 2) enlarge public demands especially on R&D services, 3) encourage private sector participation in the public procurement market, 4) improve the assessment criteria for public procurement market registration, and 5) restructure the responsible organizations.