• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.279-302
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• 2013

This paper empirically examines the effect of government R&D support on the performance of the firm in Korea. In particular, we examine to what extent the government R&D support affected the firm's exploratative performance. Using a novel dataset combining patent information with national government R&D funding data and firm performance indicators from 2005-2008, we construct and run an empirical model where a firm's exploratative activity, measured by a firm patenting in a different field, is a function of the government R&D support a firm receives. The empirical results show that the government R&D support has a positive effect on the firm's exploratative activity. Especially, this effect is stronger for the small and medium size firms, while large firms are relatively relying on their own R&D funding for exploration. This result indicates that the government needs to focus more on R&D funding for small and medium size firms, if it wants more exploratative outcomes to enhance potential resources for economic development.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.151-178
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• 2014

The objective of the present case study is to analysis how effectively Hilti, which is a former family firm owned and managed by a family in Liechtenstein as a tiny european country, a land sandwiched between Switzerland and Austria, has made a global market success. Liechtenstein has $160km^2$ land and about 36,000 residents. Despite its small size of country, however, Hilti Corporation doesn't view its location as a liability in its business strategy. Hilti is a global leading provider of professional power tools in building, mining, civil engineering etc. Also, Hilti is a firm with a clear vision to become the leading industry partner for construction professionals and building installations through customer focus, high quality equipment, and tools and systems specially designed for specific jobs. This study considered Hilti as a good case, which verifies that born-conditions, endogenous factors according to Michael Porters diamond model does not decisive role more for international competitiveness of firms. Lessons from Hilti are that in order to obtain and sustain the global competitiveness of small and medium-sized firms in Korean manufacturing sector under high production cost, they have to do actively innovative. Also they can give to customers newer and higher customer-values than competitors in abroad give. The case summarizes that the strategy of Hilti for the global market success is comprised of several factors: Technological and organizational innovation, and a clear customer-value oriented business strategy and its implementation. Innovation and its integration into marketing for the customers value creation is central to Hilti's Success. The present case study is expected to provide insights and implication for many firms in Korea that are seeking to secure global presence and market success.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.247-266
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• 2005

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effects of a firm's financial and non-financial factors on the relationship formation with its main bank in the industry of parts and material in Pusan-Kyungnam region. The results, out of accordance with the relation-banking or regional financial market perspective, do not support the hypothesis that regional financial institutions would be useful for decreasing the financial difficulties of the small and medium firms in the region. The analyses about the effects of non-financial factors on the formation of main bank relations show that while Kookmin Bank and Industrial Bank play important roles as main banks of small businesses other national banks put emphasis on the transaction lending. And the analyses about the effects of financial factors show that firms having main bank relations with non-bank financial institutions and Kookmin bank are more profitable and stable than firms having main bank relations with other banks including local banks. On the whole it seems that local banks are not making a commitment to the regional economy and their operational grounds are not strong enough.

• Korean small business review
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.59-87
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• 2017

There is growing concern of the international community for the environmental issues including climate change. Scholars have examined various issues regrading Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) but they mainly have focused on why firms introduce and implement GSCM from the persecutive of manufacturers. In particular, there has been few studies of green supply chain management in Korea. We investigate the effects of long-term relationships on green supply chain management and the relationship between GSCM and environmental performance. We also examine the relationship between long-term relationships and green information sharing, the effects of green information sharing on the GSCM. The data for this study were collected through a questionnaire survey on firms that participated in the Green Partnership Program of Korea Institute of Industrial Technology. Based on the responses of 155 firms the research model is empirically tested through a structural equation model. We found that long-term relationships facilitate GSCM significantly as it was expected. Green purchase and green product design also appears to improve environmental performance. Long-term relationship appears to affect positively green information sharing. Green information sharing does not have a statistically significant effect on environmental performance but show positive effect on GSCM including green purchase and green product design.

• Korean Business Review
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.91-117
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• 2008

Since the late 20th century, due to the globalization of markets and the rapid developments of information and communication technologies, the world has entered into the age of fierce competition. With their abundant low-cost labor, former communist countries such as China, Russia and East Europe and former low-developed countries such as India and Brazil have received foreign investments from major industrial companies. Thus, there are no other alternatives remained for Korea and OECD countries other than moving the industrial economies to the knowledge based innovation systems. In the knowledge based innovation systems, economic developments and employments of regions and nations depend solely on companies situated in their territories. In this article, after reviewing the current state of technological based innovation small firms in korea, we provide a theoretical framework to promote the level of technology based innovation and entrepreneurship. The theoretical framework for analysis and policy suggestions is based on the Schumpeter's value system model that consist of supply factors, demand factors, and supporting institutions. In order to create more innovative small businesses, we insist on the followings. First, more R&D and innovation activities related with promising new technologies should be performed. Second, more R&D funds for technological innovation small companies should be provided from governments. Third, more M&A transactions and technology transactions should be marketed freely and competitively. Fourth, more business incubating services and venture capital services should be provided. Fifth, entrepreneurship and innovation culture should be popular and institutionized among people.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.69-82
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• 2015

This Research is based on the theory of the prior researches that have demonstrated a positive impact of the entrepreneurship and competitive advantages on business performance. And the purpose of this research which approaches in the viewpoint of combining a entrepreneurial attribute including two factors(entrepreneurship and commercialization capabilities) and the differentiated competitive advantage as a role of core competence is to examine how the combined competence affects the business performance. In order to achieve this purpose, we conduct a survey for CEO of 250 small firms which belong to the start-up phase and are located in the 6 administrative region with the assistance of Small & Medium Business Administration representatives and analyze empirically the survey data by utilizing statistical program(Spss 18.0). As the results, we conclude that the entrepreneurial attributes of small firms' CEO and DFCA have a positive impact on business performance respectively and the entrepreneurship, one of the two entrepreneurial factors, has a positive impact on choosing DFCA. Also we report that DFCA plays a mediating role with regards to relationship between entrepreneurial attributes and business performance. Therefore, this research suggests the followings: First, the CEO of start-up business should focus on building a differential competitive advantage which is the basis for creating competitiveness from the initial point. Secondly, he should make a alignment for core competencies, in order to reach the stable growth phase in the shortest period, through which the entrepreneurial attributes is to be inherent as a discriminatory competitive competence. Third, he should promote to establish a business strategy based on strengthening of entrepreneurship and discriminatory competitive as a growth strategy during start-up phase.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.27-52
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• 2019

This research studied the determinants of private R&D investment by examining the innovation strategies of 481 small and medium enterprises (SMEs, their employee size is 5 or more and less than 300) in Busan, South Korea. The data is derived from the Technology Survey of Small and Medium Enterprises in 2001 and 2003. Three explanatory variables for the innovation strategies are the R&D portfolio, the organization (personnel) for R&D, and the strategic role of CEO for innovation. The technological levels of industries are controlled in the linear regression model. The dependent variable is the total private R&D investment of a firm in the given fiscal year. The empirical results indicate that the private R&D investment positively correlates with the complexity of the R&D portfolio, the formal organization for R&D team, and the increase of R&D personnel. The formal organization for R&D team and the number of R&D personnel are correlated with the increase of private R&D investment across the four groups in the manufacturing sector but not in the service sector. These findings suggest that the innovation policy needs to target firms who have complex R&D portfolios, the formal organization of R&D teams, and sufficient R&D personnel in order to increase the private R&D investment of SMEs in regions, with consideration of industrial characteristics.

• Korean Business Review
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.23-46
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• 2006

In modern economic societies, individuals are governed by organizations and they managed their daily lives in one way or another. through such organizations. All activities of the organizations are carried out by the job performance of individuals. Job is a very important factor for both individuals and organizations. The study is the explore. the effect of job characteristics and organizational characteristics on the job satisfaction in the small- and medium- sized firms in Namdong und Banwool Area. Job characteristics and organizational justice were hypothesized to be positively related to job satisfaction. To examine the influence of job characteristics and organizational justice on job satisfactions, data were collected from 320 employees of the small- and medium- sized manufacturing companies in Namdong und Banwool Area. This research took independent variables as the core job characteristics of the job characteristic theory such as skill variety, job stagnation, job importance, autonomy, feed back, and organizational justice as distributive and procedural justice. As a result, I can make the following suggestions. First, The Results show that job characteristics and organizational justice were significant and important predictors of job satisfaction. Secondarily, to raise the job desire of organizational members, job must be designed in such a way that the members can highly recognize their job characteristics.

• Journal of Convergence Society for SMB
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.1-8
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• 2013

This study examine the relation between small and medium firm's stability and tax avoidance. We use some financial data of small and medium IT firms in KOSDAQ during 2001 to 2009. Following previous research(Desai and Dhamapala 2006), we estimate corporate tax avoidance. And we use quick ratio and current ratio as a short-term stability and equity ratio as a long-term stability. Empirical results follows as. First, It was not significant statistically between short-term stability and corporate tax avoidance. Second, it was significant statistically between the long-term stability and corporate. As corporate tax avoidance increases, the long-term stability(equity ratio) was low. Our analysis provides the empirical evidence between long-term stability and tax avoidance. It offers implications of corporate tax avoidance to small and medium IT firms in KOSDAQ. But this results is difficult generalization because of sample limits.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.31-42
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• 2012

After the rapidly changing business management environment and financial crisis, high prices and domestic recession in Korea posed threats to the business survival of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This paper looks at the potential of micro business owners for sustainable development: those who have a spirit of entrepreneurship and the potential to be a hidden champion. Our study of micro business values uses structure equation modeling by LISREL. We have done so in order to understand the foundation of management innovation and success model of micro enterprise by increasing the entrepreneurship and management performance relationship analysis. A micro-enterprise is a type of small business, found only in Korea, often registered as having ten or fewer employees. We examine the successful type of hidden champions and the influence of entrepreneurship on start-ups in business. As compared to past research on the SME entrepreneurship, this study segments small businesses even further. Small business entrepreneurship was classified into three forms that are most appropriate for the Korean situation today: innovation, risk-taking, and pro-activeness. This research is meaningful as it is Korea's first empirical analysis on four business types: wholesale and retail sales, food and lodging business, service business, and manufacturing business. Thus far, research on small business entrepreneurship was carried out using small-scale investigative analysis. However, this research attempted to develop a model that can explain a cause-effect relation of the motivational level when it comes to the difference of entrepreneurship by each business type and small business start-up success factors. Various conceptual and operational definitions could be developed in a diverse and precise manner. Independent variables that are related to the success of small businesses can be developed additionally to examine the success factors related to the systematization in detailed manner. The research showed that the innovation, risk-taking and pro-activeness of the manifested difference in the degree of perception depending on the type of small businesses. Among the four business types, the ones that manifested the highest successful start-up rates were food, service, wholesale and retail sales and manufacturing. Results after conducting the regression analysis are shown on, which proves that the small business entrepreneurship exerts direct effect on the financial management performance of small businesses. In other words, small business entrepreneurship exerts a positive effect on the small business financial success and management performance. The R² value is 0.61. It is possible to know that the perception of systematization and variables on attitude explains the 61% of the success for small self-employed businesses management performance. We define start-up key factors that are helpful to achieve internal growth of firms by finding business survival strategies. The results also focus on Korean government policy for micro enterprise and small business support.