• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.229-235
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• 2021

The ability of entrepreneurs to arrange working capital is the key to maximizing the profitability of small- and medium-sized enterprises and the wealth of entrepreneurs. The study investigates the correlation between entrepreneurs' working capital management and the profitability of SMEs listed on six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) stock exchanges between 2019 and 2020. The secondary data is collected from the financial statements of SMEs listed on the six GCC stock exchanges. Actual sample for the research study was a total of 136 small- and medium-sized enterprises selected using purposive sampling methods. Four research models were considered in this analysis, all ending up affecting gross profits. The selected entrepreneurial SMEs were listed on six different Gulf Cooperation Council stock exchanges during 2019-2020. The fixed financial assets ratio, financial debt ratio, and company size are used as control variables and data were analyzed using multiple regression. The research results demonstrate that there is a statistically significant negative correlation between profitability measured by gross profit and cash cycle and the components of the cash cycle (including days of accounts receivable and days of inventory). The study further reveals that there is no significant correlation between gross profit and days of accounts payable.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.1217-1230
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• 2021

Using a multinomial logit model with the panel-data set of Vietnam manufacturing firms, this paper investigates the impacts of foreign direct investment (FDI) - small and medium enterprises (SMEs) linkages and other factors on SMEs' participation in the global value chain (GVC). We consider GVC firms are those engaging in any of the three modes including (i) using domestic inputs to export (D2E), (ii) using imported inputs to produce for the domestic market (I2P), (iii) using imported inputs to export (I2E). We discover that FDI-SME linkages statistically encourage Vietnamese SMEs to integrate into the GVC via I2P and I2E, while no statistical association between FDI-SME linkage and D2E participation is found. GVCs participation likelihood is also positively correlated with the introduction of new product introduction. The establishment of firms' production facilities in industrial zones and foreign ownership are both reported to be significantly decisive factors to SMEs' decisions on GVC participation. Besides, there is a strong association between firms' attributes, i.e. employment, capital intensity as well as financial access, and their participation in the GVC. Local governance quality (proxied by the Provincial Competitiveness Index) and the share of skilled labor at the province-level can facilitate firms' integration into GVCs, while greater market concentration may be a hurdle to such potential.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.7
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• pp.161-167
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• 2021

Nowadays, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are placed among the key components of the economy in both developed and developing countries. They are internationally known as the driving force based on their enormous contributions to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and generating new employment. They are generally presumed as the leader of environmental sustainability, economic prosperity, and innovation, particularly for the economy of developing countries such as Vietnam. However, SMEs have difficulty in raising capital, as well as access to credit. One of the reasons is that there are inadequacies in accounting information quality in SMEs as well as the provision of accounting information and accounting information confidentiality. The main objective of this study was to identify, evaluate, and measure the attributes of accounting information quality of SMEs in Hanoi. The study was based on a field survey using a semi-structured questionnaire on a sample of 150 accountants. The study has identified and measured six (6) attributes of accounting information quality of SMEs that have great effects on accountants. There is, statistically, no significant difference in the level of accounting information quality of SMEs in Hanoi from these different business areas. There is no, statistically, significant difference in the level of accounting information quality of SMEs in Hanoi between the mentioned three groups of the job description. Based on the findings, some recommendations are given for SMEs to improve accounting information quality.

• 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.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.192-200
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• 2021

Background: A number of accidents have occurred in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Efforts in reducing accidents have been undertaken through the implementation of safety behaviors. Unfortunately, few studies have examined motives behind unsafe behaviors, such as safety silence motives. This study aimed to observe the motives underlying safety behaviors, namely safety silence motive (SSM) (SSM-relation, SSM-climate, SSM-issue, and SSM-job) and to evaluate the effect of SSM and safety communication on safety participation in different industrial sectors and scales. Materials and Methods: Eighty workers from two industrial sectors and scales of SMEs were involved. They were instructed to fill out a set of questionnaires. A five-Likert scale was used to respond. An independent t test was applied to find any significant differences. The partial least square-structural equation modeling for multigroup was used to develop a model on relations among the variables. Results: The results showed that SSM scores were high in SMEs, and the scores were different across industrial sectors and scales. SSM had a negative influence on safety communication, and safety communication positively influenced safety participation. Conclusion: The study of SSM, safety communication, and safety participation in different sectors and scales should be separated in SMEs.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.927-938
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• 2021

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is one of several activators that drives the economy of Indonesia because SMEs provide jobs, increase Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and assure the delivery of products and services. However, Indonesian SMEs are not very competitive in the industrial world, and one of the causes is the low quality of products that undermine customer satisfaction. There are several factors presumed as influencing customer satisfaction, which among others include product knowledge, service quality, and competitive advantage. The objective of this research is to reveal the contribution of product knowledge and service quality to customer satisfaction with competitive advantage as the mediation variable. This research used a quantitative approach. The causal relationship across variables was examined with Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The sample of this research involved 140 respondents. Data was collected through a questionnaire and the items in the questionnaire were processed with a software called SmartPLS version 3.3.2. Results of this research indicate (1) product knowledge and service quality can increase competitive advantage and customer satisfaction in East Java SMEs; (2) competitive advantage can act as a mediator in the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction (3) product knowledge can increase customer satisfaction but the increase is not significant statistically.

• East Asian Economic Review
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.227-253
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• 2022

Despite the proliferation of free trade agreements (FTAs), many exporting firms are still confronted with several challenges in utilizing the FTA preferential tariffs. Based on the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, this study empirically examines the factors affecting the utilization of FTA schemes by exporting firms. To clarify the key factors influencing FTA utilization, this study develops a conceptual model from the perspective of the adoption of information technology innovations. Eight factors derived from the TOE framework are proposed to explore the determinants of FTA utilization in export. Partial least squares structural equation modeling is employed to analyze the data collected from 162 exporting small- and medium-sized enterprises in the South Korean textile industry. The findings reveal that compatibility and trading partner influence are positively associated with FTA utilization, while complexity is negatively related. Factors of organizational context do not show any relationship with FTA utilization. This study is the first to theoretically analyze and empirically test the determinants of FTA utilization from the perspective of technological innovation adoptions. By examining the relative importance of TOE factors in the utilization of FTA schemes, this study expects to advance a holistic understanding on the perceived factors that could potentially affect the utilization of FTA schemes.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.79-94
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• 2022

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine firm-level attributes related to Korean manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs') decisions to implement smart factories. Design/methodology/approach - This study uses the provided by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups of Korea and the Korea Federation of SMEs. Manufacturing SMEs' decisions to implement smart factories in 2018-2019 were analyzed using multinomial logit and ordered logit models. Findings - The findings of this study suggest that firms' decisions to implement smart factories were positively related to firm size, R&D intensity, international market scope, and transactional relationships with customers. However, smart factory implementation decisions were not related to firm age and CEO gender. Research implications or Originality - This study illuminates firm-level attributes that may drive organizational innovation in the era of Industry 4.0 and thus contributes to the innovation adoption literature. This study also contributes to growing research on smart factories by analyzing the actual, progressive decisions to implement smart factories, as opposed to perceived intentions to implement them.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.89-100
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• 2023

Recently, as ESG management has become an important issue, major companies in the automotive parts manufacturing industry are conducting ESG evaluations of their suppliers for the purpose of supply chain management. The results of these evaluations are being incorporated into contractual agreements. However, many small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) are lacking in their capacity and resources to effectively respond to ESG evaluations. Furthermore, existing ESG management guidelines do not provide an industry-specific guidance, making it necessary to establish industry-specific guidelines that SMEs can refer to. Therefore, in this study, the evaluation Indicators of ESG supply chain assessments are surveyed, which is conducted by domestic major automotive parts companies and global automobile manufacturers. Then 56 supply chain ESG evaluation Indicators are derived. Also, ESG management indicators for SMEs is analyzed through the Importance-Performance Analysis(IPA), based on an interview of expert groups. Therefore, this study could propose industry-specific ESG guidelines, based on the results of the derived indicators, which reflects the need for SMEs to practice ESG management within certain boundaries.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.103-124
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• 2022

For venturing into international markets, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have not only emphasized internal resources but entrepreneurial orientation has also become the need of the day due to its significant role in increasing firm's competitive capabilities. Although research indicates that the competitive strategies can significantly impact export performance, minor attention is given to the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation, business competitive strategy and export performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This study scrutinizes the effect of each dimension of entrepreneurial orientation (i.e., innovativeness, risk-taking, and proactiveness) and each of generic competitive strategies (i.e., cost leadership and differentiation) on the export performance of Chinese SMEs. And we investigated the moderating effect of entrepreneurial orientation on the relationship between the competitive strategies and export performance. We surveyed 217 Chinese SMEs through a structured questionnaire. For the data analysis and hypotheses testing, we used AMOS. 27. The findings display that differentiation and cost leadership strategies significantly improve export performance. The innovativeness, risk-taking and proactiveness also spur Chinese SME's export performance. Further we find that adding entrepreneurial orientation significantly improves our model of the relationship between the competitive strategies and export performance. Thus, our study extends the entrepreneurial orientation literature and provides interesting new insights into how entrepreneurial orientation helps firms create more successful export operations.