• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.181-201
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• 2016

In this study, transaction cost approach was applied to analysis on direct export determinants of SMEs by using key attributes of transactions, asset specificity, environmental uncertainty, frequency and marketing capability, with a parameter of opportunism. Typical Transaction Cost Analysis theory explains that when transaction cost with business channels(whether it is for buy or sell) increase, the firms integrate the channels. So it is a choice made by firms regarding direct versus indirect channels. The theory was extended to a model of choice of institutional form of direct or indirect export by a norm of opportunism in this empirical study. The survey result showed that lower level of asset specificity and marketing capability or higher level of environmental uncertainty were likely to expose indirect exporters to higher level of opportunism of direct exporter. And we also saw that indirect exporters were likely to choose direct export chanel when opportunism of exporters was higher. From the standpoint of theory, we can say that the basic propositions of the Transaction Cost Analysis, except the attribute of frequency, are supported. This study result could provide a profiling of target business areas and firms for government's policy on direct export promotion of SMEs.

• Design Convergence Study
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.1-16
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• 2017

As the local manufacturing industry has entered a phase of stagnation, service and product design based on user experience has been highlighted as an alternative for the innovation. However, SMEs(Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) are still struggling to overcome the current crisis. One of the reasons is that SMEs do not have enough contact points with the validated UX firms and experts. Thus, SMEs has a high barrier to invest in new opportunity area, user experience. In this study, we aim to figure out UX experts' competence to perform the UX method to solve the UX problems based on the KSA framework(Knowledge, Skill, Attitude). Based on the literature review and expert workshop, we grouped the UX method according to the similarity of the competence required to conduct the method. With cluster analysis, 5 different groups of UX method were defined based on the competence, Panoramic Analysis, Meticulous Observation and Analysis, Intuitive Interpretation, Agile Visualization, and Logical Inspection. The results would be applied to compose a portfolio of UX experts and to implement a mechanism that could recommend the professional experts to the company.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.111-143
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• 2011

As the 'jobless growth' is developing into a worldwide phenomenon, many countries try to recover a virtuous relationship between the growth and employment using various wage subsidy programs. This study focuses on wage subsidy to employers, labor demand-side wage subsidy for which one can think of two types-a tax credit(a flat wage subsidy) and a social insurance premium exemption(a proportional wage subsidy). For job creation, Korean government reintroduced a tax credit to small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) which have increased their employment level in 2010. But many experts has continuously insisted that it should be replaced with a social insurance premium exemption arguing only a few SMEs benefit from the tax credit as most of them are actually not paying any corporate or general income tax bills. However, as the insurance premium exemption accompanies an increase in the amount of budget with the coverage widen, one cannot confirm its cost effectiveness over the tax credit. This paper aims to provide a theoretical analysis to derive some formal conditions under which a social insurance premium exemption creates more jobs than a tax credit does given a budget constraint. We show that the former's dominance over the latter depends on whether there exists a dead zone of social insurance or not. If there does not exist a dead zone, a social insurance premium exemption is more desirable in many cases, whereas one cannot guarantees its dominance over a tax credit if there exists a dead zone. Therefore in order to realize its dominance, the government should minimize a dead zone so that most SMEs effectively benefit from the insurance premium exemption. In addition, applying discriminative exemption rates which reflect each firm's job conditions such as wage level and labor demand/supply sensitivity, the government try to enhance job creation effect.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.57-69
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• 2023

In a situation where digital transformation using artificial intelligence is active around the world, the growth of domestic AI companies or AI industrial ecosystems is slow. Where a large amount of government funds related to AI are being invested to overcome the difficult economic situation, systematic research on the effect is insufficient. So, this study aimed to examine the policy effectiveness of the government artificial intelligence solution voucher support project for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) using Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and Difference-in-Differences (DID) on the financial performance of beneficiary companies. For empirical analysis, PSM-DID analysis was performed using sales performance since 2019 for 461 companies with a history of voucher support among the AI SMEs data released by the National IT Industry Promotion Agency. As a result of the analysis, the beneficiary companies' asset growth, salary, and R&D expenses increased overall after government support, and no significant contribution could be confirmed in terms of profits. This study suggests that the voucher policy business directly contributed to the company's growth in the short term, but it requires a certain period of time to generate profits.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.109-124
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• 2021

This study tried to verify the causal relationship that SMEs' organizational culture and self-efficacy would affect job crafting and job satisfaction. Unlike previous domestic studies that have been studied for organizational culture at the organizational level and self-efficacy at the individual level, this study tried to verify the interaction between job crafting and job satisfaction using different mechanisms as antecedent factors. In order to verify the research model of this study, questionnaires of 144 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) workers located in Seoul and metropolitan areas were analyzed. Factor analysis and correlation analysis were performed to verify the reliability and validity of the research model on the relationship between variables, and empirical analysis was performed using regression analysis and mediation effect analysis to verify the hypothesis. The results of the study were first, that organizational culture and self-efficacy had a positive (+) effect on job crafting. On the other hand, relationship-oriented culture and hierarchical-oriented culture, which are sub-factors of organizational culture, were found to be insignificant. Second, organizational culture and self-efficacy were found to have a positive (+) effect on job satisfaction. On the other hand, it was found that market-oriented culture and hierarchical-oriented culture, which are sub-factors of organizational culture, were not significant. Third, job crafting was found to have a positive (+) effect on job satisfaction. On the other hand, it was found that the sub-factors of job crafting, disruptive job demands and social job resources, were not significant. This means that organizational culture partially affects job crafting and job satisfaction of SMEs, and job crafting also partially affects job satisfaction. The implications of this study are first, suggesting the meaning of SME organizational culture for stable and efficient human resource management for SMEs suffering from low productivity and high turnover rate. Second, it was meaningful to understand the possibility of introducing job crafting as an effective job management plan for SMEs. Third, in the current situation where there are few cases of practical introduction of job crafting, research on understanding job crafting for SMEs and improving job satisfaction is thought to be helpful in improving the productivity of SMEs.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.55-80
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• 2012

I. Introduction Developing the relationships between companies is very important issue to ensure a competitive advantage in today's business environment (Bleeke & Ernst 1991; Mohr & Spekman 1994; Powell 1990). Partnerships between companies are based on having same goals, pursuing mutual understanding, and having a professional level of interdependence. By having such a partnerships and cooperative efforts between companies, they will achieve efficiency and effectiveness of their business (Mohr and Spekman, 1994). However, it is difficult to expect these ideal results only in the B2B corporate transaction. According to agency theory which is the well-accepted theory in various fields of business strategy, organization, and marketing, the two independent companies have fundamentally different corporate purposes. Also there is a higher chance of developing opportunism and conflict due to natures of human(organization), such as self-interest, bounded rationality, risk aversion, and environment factor as imbalance of information (Eisenhardt 1989). That is, especially partnerships between principal(or buyer) and agent(or supplier) of companies within supply chain, the business contract itself will not provide competitive advantage. But managing partnership between companies is the key to success. Therefore, managing partnership between manufacturer and supplier, and finding causes of conflict are essential to improve B2B performance. In conclusion, based on prior researches and Agency theory, this study will clarify how business hazards cause conflicts on supply chain and then identify how developed conflicts have been managed by two control mechanisms. II. Research model III. Method In order to validate our research model, this study gathered questionnaires from small and medium sized enterprises(SMEs). In Korea, SMEs mean the firms whose employee is under 300 and capital is under 8 billion won(about 7.2 million dollar). We asked the manufacturer's perception about the relationship with the biggest supplier, and our key informants are denied to a person responsible for buying(ex)CEO, executives, managers of purchasing department, and so on). In detail, we contact by telephone to our initial sample(about 1,200 firms) and introduce our research motivation and send our questionnaires by e-mail, mail, and direct survey. Finally we received 361 data and eliminate 32 inappropriate questionnaires. We use 329 manufactures' data on analysis. The purpose of this study is to identify the anticipant role of business hazard (environmental dynamism, asset specificity) and investigate the moderating effect of control mechanism(formal control, social control) on conflict-performance relationship. To find out moderating effect of control methods, we need to compare the regression weight between low versus. high group(about level of exercised control methods). Therefore we choose the structural equation modeling method that is proper to do multi-group analysis. The data analysis is performed by AMOS 17.0 software, and model fits are good statically (CMIN/DF=1.982, p<.000, CFI=.936, IFI=.937, RMSEA=.056). IV. Result V. Discussion Results show that the higher environmental dynamism and asset specificity(on particular supplier) buyer(manufacturer) has, the more B2B conflict exists. And this conflict affect relationship quality and financial outcomes negatively. In addition, social control and formal control could weaken the negative effect of conflict on relationship quality significantly. However, unlikely to assure conflict resolution effect of control mechanisms on relationship quality, financial outcomes are changed by neither social control nor formal control. We could explain this results with the characteristics of our sample, SMEs(Small and Medium sized Enterprises). Financial outcomes of these SMEs(manufacturer or principal) are affected by their customer(usually major company) more easily than their supplier(or agent). And, in recent few years, most of companies have suffered from financial problems because of global economic recession. It means that it is hard to evaluate the contribution of supplier(agent). Therefore we also support the suggestion of Gladstein(1984), Poppo & Zenger(2002) that relational performance variable can capture the focal outcomes of relationship(exchange) better than financial performance variable. This study has some implications that it tests the sources of conflict and investigates the effect of resolution methods of B2B conflict empirically. And, especially, it finds out the significant moderating effect of formal control which past B2B management studies have ignored in Korea.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.159-180
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the efficient selection of SMEs' trade settlement system through the empirical analysis of determinants of the payment method of SMEs in Korea. In the previous study, external factors, internal factors, settlement characteristics, transaction goods, transaction amount factors and risk management factors were used. Questionnaires were excluded from analysis, and the number of validated samples collected was 155. To conduct the study, all empirical analyses were verified at the significance level p <.005. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSSWIN 18.0 program. Analysis results found the payment method used in the company was based on the year of establishment, export items, transaction area, type of transaction, and size of company. Empirical analysis showed that factors influencing the choice of the letter of credit are external factors, internal factors, the risk management factors, and the transaction amounts, etc. Results of this study are as follows: First, the effects of external factors, internal factors, settlement characteristics, and transaction amounts were significant. Hypothesis testing of collections trading methods has not been adopted in all areas presented. In order to utilize the research results, we conducted the study and comparison of the payment method of the income.

• Journal of the Korea Society for Simulation
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.51-64
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• 2014

Small and medium Enterprises (SMEs), which have a manufacturing method of small quantity batch production produce goods using a general-purpose equipment and attached auxiliary tools. Many previous studies have focused on finding the effective resource allocations for improving the firms' productivity. It is very important for SMEs to keep costs low in assigning jobs to each resource, because they should meet the future uncertain demand of consumers under the limited budget. Using the concept of salvage cost, this paper proposes how to effectively allocate the tasks to main resources in the production process. The salvage cost is defined that purchasing cost minus decrease in value by workload, the method considering this is expected to reduce total purchasing costs during business period. To validate the effect of the proposed method, we proceed the real case study targeting on S company, PCB manufacturer to compare purchase amounts and its costs between the allocation proposed based salvage cost and current allocation method of current S company. As a results, In short-term (3 year) business period, salvage allocation have remarkable superior outcome to existing method, but gradually have cancelled out the effects in long-term (8 year) plans. Unlike the cycle allocation method, there exists the idle-equipments in allocation based salvage value. we additionally analyze the profits with respect to rental strategy of them during business period.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.157-175
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• 2013

Since Korean government announced 'Smartwork promotion strategy' in 2010, Korean firms and government organizations have started to adopt smartwork. However, the smartwork has been implemented only in a few of large enterprises and government organizations rather than SMEs (small and medium enterprises). In USA, both Yahoo! and Best Buy have stopped their flexible work because of its reported low productivity and job loafing problems. In addition, according to the literature on smartwork, we could draw obstacles of smartwork adoption and categorize them into the three types: institutional, organizational, and technological. The first category of smartwork adoption obstacles, institutional, include the difficulties of smartwork performance evaluation metrics, the lack of readiness of organizational processes, limitation of smartwork types and models, lack of employee participation in smartwork adoption procedure, high cost of building smartwork system, and insufficiency of government support. The second category, organizational, includes limitation of the organization hierarchy, wrong perception of employees and employers, a difficulty in close collaboration, low productivity with remote coworkers, insufficient understanding on remote working, and lack of training about smartwork. The third category, technological, obstacles include security concern of mobile work, lack of specialized solution, and lack of adoption and operation know-how. To overcome the current problems of smartwork in reality and the reported obstacles in literature, we suggest a novel smartwork service model based on NFC(Near Field Communication). This paper suggests NFC-based Smartwork Service Model composed of NFC-based Smartworker networking service and NFC-based Smartwork space management service. NFC-based smartworker networking service is comprised of NFC-based communication/SNS service and NFC-based recruiting/job seeking service. NFC-based communication/SNS Service Model supplements the key shortcomings that existing smartwork service model has. By connecting to existing legacy system of a company through NFC tags and systems, the low productivity and the difficulty of collaboration and attendance management can be overcome since managers can get work processing information, work time information and work space information of employees and employees can do real-time communication with coworkers and get location information of coworkers. Shortly, this service model has features such as affordable system cost, provision of location-based information, and possibility of knowledge accumulation. NFC-based recruiting/job-seeking service provides new value by linking NFC tag service and sharing economy sites. This service model has features such as easiness of service attachment and removal, efficient space-based work provision, easy search of location-based recruiting/job-seeking information, and system flexibility. This service model combines advantages of sharing economy sites with the advantages of NFC. By cooperation with sharing economy sites, the model can provide recruiters with human resource who finds not only long-term works but also short-term works. Additionally, SMEs (Small Medium-sized Enterprises) can easily find job seeker by attaching NFC tags to any spaces at which human resource with qualification may be located. In short, this service model helps efficient human resource distribution by providing location of job hunters and job applicants. NFC-based smartwork space management service can promote smartwork by linking NFC tags attached to the work space and existing smartwork system. This service has features such as low cost, provision of indoor and outdoor location information, and customized service. In particular, this model can help small company adopt smartwork system because it is light-weight system and cost-effective compared to existing smartwork system. This paper proposes the scenarios of the service models, the roles and incentives of the participants, and the comparative analysis. The superiority of NFC-based smartwork service model is shown by comparing and analyzing the new service models and the existing service models. The service model can expand scope of enterprises and organizations that adopt smartwork and expand the scope of employees that take advantages of smartwork.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.2215-2224
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• 2013

This study performed empirical analysis to estimate SMEs needs in terms of business support policy by growth stages(start-up growth expansion). The subject is the SMEs in Cheonan and Asan, ChungNam and the results are as follows. First, In the initial start-up stage, management plays a key role in dealing with money, labor force, markets and technology while running the organization is a key role of the management in the expansion stage. Major policies to help SMEs grow includes money provision needed in the start-up stage, domestic marketing assistance and the provision of human resources in the growth stage, and assistance in foreign marketing and R&D in the expansion stage. Second, To achieve markets businesses aim at entering the existing and niche markets in the initial phase, and creating new markets in the growth phase. Third, Labor force for technology, sales and management planning in the start-up stage, marketing in the growth stage, and labor force for production in the expansion stage are core man- power needed. Fourth, Money for technology development, securing land for factories, organizing man power, securing markets and running the company is needed in the initial and growth stages while fund for facility investment is needed to grow in the expansion stage. Five, Regarding technology, the initial stage needs technology related to new product development, renewing existing products, improving the existing manufacturing process or developing new manufacturing process, while the growth stage needs processing techniques, and the expansion stage needs technology for developing new manufacturing process. Sixth, Making supply contracts with conglomerates, SMEs and public institutions, and sales to foreign markets are ways for SMEs to grow sales. Seventh, What SMEs wish to get includes business incubating support, R&D assistance, information exchanges, practical use of the R&D results, merchandising support, help with the land to build factories and custom-made support for management in the foundation stage while the support they want to get in the growth stage and in the expansion stage is training assistance and trial production respectively.