• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.15-29
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• 2020

Purpose: Due to an ever more interconnected global commercial environment, the role of SMEs from emerging markets has attracted considerable attention in business literature of late. Reinforced by strategic management theory, this study builds on aspects such as entrepreneurial orientation and dynamic capabilities to construct and test a framework that focuses on exploring their associations with export performance. Research design, data and methodology: To contribute further towards a deeper understanding of these markets, the current study empirically tests a model using data collected from 225 exporting firms located throughout South Africa. Results: The results from the data analysis show that entrepreneurial orientation contributes significantly towards improving the performance of South African SMEs. Additionally, this study integrates three dynamic capabilities in the strategy-performance relationship to test their interacting effects on the correlation between entrepreneurial orientation and export performance. Further findings advocate support for relationship-based capabilities playing a moderating role between entrepreneurial orientation and the exporting performance of small and medium firms emanating from emerging markets. Conclusions: Findings provide substance to the argument that entrepreneurship, as a strategy-making process, leads to export performance in emerging nations. Especially, this study provides several suggestions as to how small and medium-sized organizations can develop their exporting performance based on the research findings.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.47-59
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• 2017

Korean Economy has been developed by the Korean Government's Support for the Large-sized Firms. This Government Policy causes the Polarization between Large-sized and Micro-sized Firms Aggravated. Micro-sized Firms are distributed over the Whole Industry Area, and can also cause the Economic Crisis If They are crashed down. Therefore Government Policy for the Micro-sized Manufacturing Industry is very Important Issue. This Paper Focused on the Analysis of Current Status for the Shoes Micro Manufacturing Industry. For the Effective Analysis, This Paper uses the Statistical Data Open to the Public and also conducts the Survey for the Micro-sized Firms in Busan. Statistical Program is used for Analyzing the Collected Data and the Major Findings are as Follows. First, Shoes Industry is led by the Micro and Small & Medium sized Firms rather than the Large-sized. And the Micro-sized Firms are getting the High Rate among the Whole Shoes Industry. Busan is heavily populated Area as the Origin of Shoes Industry. Second, even though Most of the Owner of the Micro-sized Firms have the High Technology Skill Level, Worker's Aging Phenomenon gets Worse and causes the Technology Handing down to the Next Generation Difficult. Third, Because the Factory Facility of the Micro-sized Firms is Dirt and Unstable, the Modernized Manufacturing Infrastructure such as the Apartment Factory Facility is Necessary. Forth, as the Micro-sized Firms which have the Intangible Asset such as Patent is Few, the Government Policy for Encouraging the Patent Application is strongly Needed. Fifth, Entrepreneurship and Collaboration Mind between Micro-sized Firms are Lacked, so Establishment of the Cooperative Union is required. Finally, the Effort for the Systemic Planning for the Management is lacked, and the Introduction of the Management Innovation is strongly needed. The Limitation and Future Research Direction is also discussed.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.10
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• pp.77-85
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• 2021

This study aims to investigate the status quo and identify the challenges and benefits of the digital transformation in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam. The six participating SMEs were purposely contacted, and they were either nominated for, or received the Vietnam Digital Awards in 2018, 2019 and 2020, which were held by the Vietnam Digital Communication Association (http://en.vdca.org.vn/). A qualitative research method is adopted, using a semi-structured interview method and a theoretical triangulation of legitimacy, stakeholder and stewardship theories to facilitate the investigation. This research tries to identify the current challenges and benefits for digital transformation of SMEs in Vietnam, based on perception and experience from business leaders and managers from six SMEs in Vietnam. The findings of this study reveal that besides the recent challenges for digital transformation, participants also experienced and shared their perspectives regarding the benefits received from the digital transformation journey of their organization, which varied from (i) improve operational as well as business functions; (ii) liberate staffs and managers from daily work and allows them to focus on decision-making tasks; (iii) enable solutions to deal with consequences from the COVID-19 pandemic; (iv) enhance value creation process; and (v) help firms to align with the global business standards.

• International Journal of Quality Innovation
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.89-105
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• 2004

Many researchers and practitioners have acknowledged the need to investigate the relationships amongst various criteria of implementing total quality management (TQM) in small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMMEs). There is a need to have practical research methodologies that take cognisance of the peculiarities of SMMEs and impact on their quality management practices in developing countries. This paper presents the theoretical foundation of a proposed Generative Research Methodology and configures the specification of a TQM implementation framework in SMMEs. The methodology combines rigorous research approaches, builds theory based on the dynamics of the environment and the firms' characteristics and incorporates various TQM criteria into the design of the framework. It synchronises inductive and deductive research methods in three phases and uses various means to acquire empirical evidence and examine the dependent and independent variables of TQM implementation. It is anticipated that the methodology could help SMMEs to develop, analyse and evaluate the framework for attaining quality performance goals.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.77-104
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• 2016

The effective management of R&D employees is critical for a small or medium sized firm's sustainable growth. R&D employees have professional skills and choose expertise-oriented or management-oriented careers in the process of organizational socialization. This study synthetically verifies the direct and indirect effects of R&D employees' social network and self-esteem on their career orientation by organizational commitment based on social network theory and social recognition theory. The research model has been analyzed through structural equation modeling using survey responses from 220 R&D employees at small- and medium-sized firms in Korea. The analysis results show that internal network activities have direct and indirect impacts on organizational commitment and career orientation, but external network activities do not have significant effects on self-esteem, organizational commitment, or career orientation. There is no consensus in prior studies on whether expert orientation and management orientation are distinct concepts. In this study, these two types of orientation are verified as distinct concepts. It is also found that R&D employees' internal network activities are significant factors for a company's growth. A company should implement an educational system of roles and duties using which individuals can pursue career progression. In addition, it is necessary to provide career development programs such as job rotation, mentoring, and career counseling.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.335-343
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• 2021

Profit generation is one of the main goals of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). SMEs have deployed a number of solutions to increase profits, including solutions to improve their financial advantage. The question is how to help SMEs make better and more effective decisions to improve their competitive advantage in order to improve their financial performance. The aim of this research is to examine the impact of competitive advantage on financial performance in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Hanoi. A survey of 120 accountants, sales staff and boards of directors of SMEs was conducted to collect data. Through quantity methodology, we used Cronbach's Alpha, EFA and correlation analysis to determine the relationship between competitive advantage and dependent variable - financial performance. The results showed that the competitive advantage had a positive relationship with financial performance. There is not, statistically, significant difference in the level of financial performance in SMEs in Hanoi in terms of genders and between the mentioned three groups of job descriptions. From the findings, this study suggests several recommendations to improve financial performance such as increase sales and increase profits. The results are considered as a useful reference for establishing policies to attract customers toward sustainable development of firms.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.35-54
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• 2020

Purpose - It seems common sense that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a key driver of business sustainability. Nevertheless, there has been little research on the performance of socially responsible activities, including economic and environmentally responsibility activities, in internationally diversified firms. Design/methodology - The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of CSR activities on management performance. For this evaluation, an empirical analysis was conducted with total of 2,520 cases, selected from companies listed on the Korea Composite Stock Price Index market for six years from 2013 to 2018. As proxies for management performance, financial data such as a total asset net profit ratio and a total asset operating ratio were used. A multivariate regression analysis was conducted to test hypotheses. Findings - The results of this analysis indicated that firms in the CSR outstanding group were ranked significantly higher than other groups in management performance. In addition, CSR activities of internationally diversified firms positively influenced the total asset net profit ratio and total asset operating ratio. Originality/value - The results suggest that the CSR activities of these firms can play a significant role in enhancing management performance in the economic status of Korea, where the degree of export dependency is high.

• 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.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.

• East Asian Journal of Business Economics (EAJBE)
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.41-55
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• 2020

Purpose - This paper tries to analyze the factors affecting the utilization of electronic trade of small and medium enterprises and examine how these factors affect the performance of small and medium enterprises. In addition, the leading factors affecting the level of e-trade utilization of small businesses were analyzed by dividing them into external environmental factors affecting the external business and internal resources of the companies themselves Research design, data, and methodology - With a sample of 223 small and medium-sized export firms from South Korea, this study investigates the antecedents of the utilization level of e-Trade such as information exchange, innovation orientation, absorptive capacity and trust by hierarchical regression analysis. Results - The results show that innovation orientation was shown to have a positive effect on e-trade utilization and absorptive capacity has a positive effect on e-trade utilization. Also, information exchange with stakeholders has a positive impact on e-trade utilization. Conclusions - Internal and external factors of companies have a positive effect on the utilization of e-trade. It also showed that the increased utilization of electronic trade had a positive effect on trade performance. Thus, the findings provide policy-makers with implications of the importance of activating e-trade, and furthermore, significant implications for exporter performance.