• Journal of Venture Innovation
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.109-115
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• 2022

As the 4th industrial revolution progresses, foreign countries are promoting smart manufacturing innovation through digital transformation as a priority task early on to secure a competitive edge in the manufacturing industry. In response, the Korean government is also promoting a policy to enhance the competitiveness of small and medium-sized manufacturing companies by promoting digital transformation in the corporate sector to meet the global trend of the 4th industrial revolution era. Manufacturing powerhouses such as Germany and Japan see manufacturing as a key sector in digital transformation and are leading related policies, while emerging countries such as China are also promoting manufacturing innovation strategies such as building digital infrastructure and creating a digital innovation ecosystem. Korea is promoting the 'Korean-style smart factory dissemination and expansion strategy' by transforming Germany's manufacturing innovation strategy for smart factory supply to suit the domestic situation. However, the policy to supply smart factories so far has been conducted with support from individual companies under the leadership of the government, and most of the smart factories are at the basic level, and it is evaluated that there are limitations such as the lack of manpower to operate smart factories. In addition, while the current policy focuses on expanding the supply of smart factories in SMEs, it is necessary to establish a smart manufacturing system through linkages between large and small businesses in order to achieve the original goal of establishing a smart manufacturing system. Therefore, it can be said that from the standpoint of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), who are consumers of smart factories, it can be said that the digital transformation policy can achieve the expected results only when appropriate incentives are provided for the introduction of smart factories in a situation where management resources such as funds, technology, and human resources are lacking. In addition, it is judged that the uncertainty of the performance of digital investment always exists, and as long as large and small companies are maintained as an ecosystem of delivery and subcontracting, there is very little incentive for small and medium-sized manufacturing companies to voluntarily invest in or advance digital transformation. Therefore, the digital transformation policy of small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in the future has practical significance in that it suggests that there is a need to seek ways to attract SMEs' digital-related voluntary investment.

• The Journal of Society for e-Business Studies
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.265-284
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• 2010

B2B e-commerce guarantee service is a guarantee service combining the electronic systems among Korea Credit Guarantee Fund(KCGF), banks and e-marketplaces to process all procedures on internet ranging from application for credit guarantee, issue of written guarantee and contracting for a commerce to payment. B2B e-commerce guarantee service plays as an intermediary role in financial support for small and mediumsized enterprise(SME), which are small size, low credit level, and unfavorable status in many aspects compared to major companies. Despite the B2B e-commerce guarantee service has various advantages conducive to promotion of e-commerce among small and medium businesses as well as development of e-commerce itself, it has yet to be diffused due to lack of acknowledgement, misunderstanding of its functions and vague psychological fear of the on-line settlement. Thus, this study identifies the values and effects of the B2B e-commerce guarantee service using financial data and cases. The process of this study is 4 phase. first phase is analysis of B2B e-commerce guarantee service and e-Marketplace. second phase is analysis of performance from the Perspective of Diverse Participants. third phase is analysis of economic performance and support for SME. last phase is policy suggestions and conclusion.

• 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.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.10 no.10
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• pp.45-51
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• 2019

Purpose - The purpose of this study was to propose a win-win development plan for not only suppliers of delivery applications but also traditional market vendor companies and delivery riders by analyzing existing delivery models and presenting a new delivery model to enhance competitiveness of the traditional market using delivery apps. Research desgin, data, and methodology - Specifically, small retailers, such as traditional markets and supermarkets, presented a compromised delivery model that utilizes the platform of specialized delivery app service providers for order reception, and that the delivery is delivered by delivery systems jointly hired by Vendor companies, such as franchising companies. To validate the significance of the trade-off delivery model, a cost-benefit analysis was conducted by those involved in the delivery application. Results - From the perspective of suppliers of specialized delivery applications, it is analyzed that the use of specialized delivery applications in traditional markets will be a new market opportunity for service providers to achieve increased sales. It is expected that consumer choice and satisfaction will be increased as convenience and accessibility of traditional market businesses that were available only through direct visit from the user side of the delivery application will be expanded. From the standpoint of delivery application franchises, it is analyzed that they can seek to increase sales and increase customer service as well as ease labor cost burden due to joint employment of delivery riders. The delivery rider will be able to seek to improve customer service due to job security, wage stability, risk reduction and overheated competition due to direct employment. Conclusion - In conclusion, the compromised delivery model solved the problems raised in the preceding study conducted on delivery application suppliers, users, franchises, and riders to establish that it could be a strategic alternative to increasing sales and expanding detailed rights for the self-employed in the traditional market, which are experiencing difficulties in management. However, the adoption of a compromise delivery model requires social consensus from those involved in the delivery application and requires legal, institutional and policy support, which will require continued follow-up research on the delivery model in the future.

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

The first generation of the business that had been founded in 1960~1970s faces the situation to consider the succession of the family business developed by devotion of their whole lives in the critical timing to the next generation. In the process of selecting the party of family business succession, it is required to consider a variety of succession types including smooth transfer to the other family member or the employee of the company, selling the company, or hiring external specialist. Foreign countries acknowledge the importance of the succession in the family owned company to perform multiple studies on the influential factors to the succession, distinction, and types of family business succession; and they utilize the results for the related policy development and the support of family owned business succession. However, few studies have been conducted on the succession of the domestic family owned business and majority of them are related to the types of succession. Considering its share and influential power in the domestic economy, it is necessary to develop the guideline and the policies to solve many issues on the succession of the family owned business by systemic studies. Hence, the impact of the main characteristics in the family owned business on the types of its succession was analyzed in this study focusing on five domains of Socioemtional Wealth (SEW) in view of Behavioral Agency Theory by Gomez-Mejia et al. (2007) using the data from 540 family owned small-to-medium sized businesses so as to analyze the issues on their business succession. Upon the empirical analysis results, it was confirmed that they were influenced to the selection of succession type by family succession > internal employee succession > external succession, for the variables of social contribution which were non-financial characteristics, internal employee succession > family succession > external succession for the intellectual properties, and family succession > external succession for the management participation of the family. The distinction of social contribution were influenced the most to the selection of the succession types. Financial factors, business performance, and R&D investment variables were not significantly influenced to their selection of the succession types. In case of simultaneous management, the family succession rate was high and it showed the control effect to strengthen selecting family owned business with R&D investment, social contribution, and company history variables. The behavioral agency theory used in this study was confirmed with high explanation power on the family owned business succession. The family owned business showed the tendency to maintain SEW, and non-financial factors such as accumulated know-how and social contribution based on the long term history were significantly affected to the succession in the small-to-medium sized family owned businesses, unlike general large sized listed companies. The results of this study are expected to be helpful practically for the succession of the family owned business and to suggest the guideline for the development of governmental policy.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.129-137
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• 2018

With the advent of the 4th Industrial Revolution, destructive technologies have become more frequent and companies are facing difficulties in survival with existing technologies, and companies are pursuing the survival or growth of businesses through business diversification as a countermeasure. There is a lack of research on the effects of perceived possibility of policy finance and management support, which act as a driving force of corporate growth, on firm performance. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the effect of business diversification on the performance of SMEs. For this study, data were collected from 525 employees of 20 SMEs. Statistical analysis was performed using regression analysis. First, the product diversification and market diversification, which are independent variables of business diversification of SMEs, have a positive (+) influence on firm performance. Second, it is shown that product diversification, which is an independent variable, is controlled by the possibility of perceiving as a controlling variable in the effect of product diversification, which is a dependent variable, while market diversification during business diversification is not controlled by perception appear. This analysis suggests that SMEs need product diversification to create corporate performance. After discussing the above conclusions and implications, the direction of the research for the follow - up study was suggested.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.203-212
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• 2017

This research analyzed the factors that have the influences on the intentions to use the consumer dispute settlement system for the small- and medium-sized corporations. The consumer dispute settlement system is a general Internet information portal service which enables the small- and medium-sized corporations and the small businesses receive the support for the accurate damage handling method and the legal service through the Internet in their disputes with the black consumers or the consumers. With the small- and medium-sized corporation users who use the consumer dispute settlement system as the subjects, the research took a lot at what influences the consumer dispute settlement system has on the quality of the information, the quality of the system, the ease-of-use regarding which the environmental factors are perceived, and the ease that was perceived and, finally, what influences it has on the intention of the use. The accuracy, the convenience, and the costs of the consumer dispute settlement system had the positive influences on the ease-of-use that was perceived and the accuracy and the convenience, also had the positive influences on the usefulness that was perceived. Also, it was verified that the ease-of-use of the consumer dispute settlement system that was perceived and the usefulness of use of the consumer dispute settlement system that was perceived finally had the positive influence relationships with the intention of the use. It is highly expected that if, based on the results of this research, the quality of the consumer dispute settlement system is maintained and supplemented to fit the priority order, there will be the maintenance of, and the development toward, a system that is even more improved than the previously existent system.

• Korean small business review
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.209-223
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• 2010

Korea's business is composed of a few large-sized enterprises (which can be abbreviated as LSE) and a majority of small-sized enterprises (SSE). Although there has been a growing recognition of the need for the development of medium-sized enterprises (MSE) which can serve as a link between SSE and LSE, as yet there has not yet been a consensus on the definition, characteristics and the function of the MSE in Korea. Nowadays, the world is being globalized, and Japan and China are in competition to ne a great economic power. While East Asia is experiencing rapid changes, promoting MSE which can secure flexibility and efficiency through covering up the limitation of LSE and SSE is needed in order to respond the global market which is being specialized. The features of MSE in Japan can be listed as follows. First, the MSE in Japan is developing the company through getting into niche markets which are hard for major companies to enter rather than developing markets in order to compete against major companies directly. While MSEs are endeavoring to build the business firmly in the domestic market, they can possess special and competitive technical skills through trials and errors; so that they can get a chance develop their business through independent business system rather than putting their effort to compete against major companies. Second, from the MSEs with competitive edge in the market, there are many contributions to the national exportation. Those MSEs produce in domestic and maintain the quality of high price products which need cutting-edge technology, while they relocate the low and middle priced goods to the country where manufacturing costs are low, so that they can maintain the price competitiveness. Third, the industrial structure in Japan is formed from dual structure between major companies and small sized companies. In other words, in Japan's industrial structure which are composed of subcontract structure, this dual structure has taken a major role of small sized companies' growth and manufacturing businesses' international competitive power. Forth, MSE in Japan adopt a strategy of putting their value on qualitative scale growth rather than quantitative scale growth. In this paper, the case of Japanese MSE is analyzed. Along with its long history of Industrialization, Japan has a corporate environment where the SSEs can develop as a MSE and later a LSE through a full-support system. Among its SSEs, there are a number of world class corporations equipped with a large domestic market, win-win cooperation with the LSEs and an independent technology development. It can also be observed that these SSEs develop into MSEs with sustainable growth potentials. This study will focus on the condition under which the MSEs of Japan have been developed, and how they have survived the competition between SSEs and LSEs. Through this study, this paper attempts to offer solutions to Korea's polarization between the SSE and LSE, while providing the basis for SSEs revitalization. In general, if both extremities phenomenon deepen between LSE and SSE, there are possible fears of occurring disutility in national economy by the monopolization of LSE. For that reason, enterprise group, which can make SSE or MSE compete LSE in some area and ease the monopoly and oligopoly problem, is needed. This awareness has been shared for ages long. Nevertheless, there is no legal definition for MSE in Japan, and there is no definition about the enterprise size or unified view of MSE between scholars, but it is defined differently by each of academical person or research institution and study meeting. For that reason, this paper will organize the definition of MSE in Japan, and then will propose the characteristics of the background which has made MSE secure competitiveness and sustainable growth in global market. This study focus on that because through this process, the positive change to the awareness of MSE can be proposed in Korea and to seek the policy direction for building institutional framework which can make SSE become MES. Through this way, the fundamentals for SSE to become MSE can be managed and some appropriate suggestions which will be able to make MSE enter the global market in the future can also be proposed. Due to these facts, this study is very important and well timed task. In a sense of this way, this study will examine the definition and role of MSE in Japan. after this examination, this study will deal with the status, special feature, and promotion policy for MSE. Through this analysis of MSE in Japan, the foundation which be able to set the desirable role model for MSE in Korea can be proposed. Also, the political implication which is needed to push ahead to contribute to creating employment and economic growth through sustainable growth of MSEs in economic system of Korea can be offered through this study. It has been found that Japan's MSE functions as an indispensable link among various industrial structures by holding a significant position in employment rate, production and value added. Although the MSEs took up less than 1% of the entire number of businesses with 2700 manufacturing firms and 7000 non-manufacturing firms, its employment ratios are about 15%, while taking about 25% of the manufacturing industry's exports. In industries such as machinery and electronics which is considered Japan's major industry, the MSEs showed a higher than average ratio of manufacturing exports and employment rate. It can be analyzed that behind Japan's advantageous industries, close and deeply knit MSEs exist. Although there are no clearly stated policies geared towards the MSEs by the Japanese government, various political measures exist such as the R&D Project and the inducement of cooperation between enterprises which gives room for MSEs to participate in the SSE policies. In relation to these findings, the following practical measures can be considered in order to revitalize Korea's MSEs: First, there is a need for a legal definition of MSE and the incentives to provide legal support for its growth. Second, if a law to support the MSEs is established, it could provide a powerful inducement for the SSE to grow as a MSE, rather than stay as a SSE. Third, there is a need for a strategy of MSEs to establish a stable base in the domestic market and then advance to the global market with the accumulated trial and error and competitiveness. Fourth, the SSE themselves need the spirit of entrepreneurship in order to make the leap to a MSE. Because if nothing is to be changed about the system on the firms that grew, and the parts of the past custom was left to be managed alone, confusion and absence of management can take place. No matter how much tax favors the government will give and no matter how much incentive there could be through the policies, there are limits for industries to higher the ability to propagate. And because of that it is a period where industries need their own innovative skills to reform their firms.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.245-270
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• 2011

It is known that weak competitiveness of micro enterprises can be overcome when they are organized with enterprise associations, franchise systems, and joint affiliation. In this paper, we empirically analyze the determinants of organization of micro enterprises, and propose the policy implementations to enhance the competitiveness of micro enterprises as a measure to reduce trade conflict due to SSM entry restrictions. Logit estimation results based on survey data consisted of 467 samples, show that insufficient labor force and high material costs had negative effects on organization. The unexpected findings generally support the rationale that organization is not helpful to solve insufficient labor force and high material costs. However, the decrease in sales due to the economic recession and the decreasing number of customers due to customer transition to large enterprises had a more positive effect on organization than usually expected. There are differences in estimation results between two types of business(restaurants and retail). In case of the restaurant business, insufficient labor force, high material costs and a decreasing of number of customers are important factors for organization, while the sales decrease is a relatively important factor in the case of retail businesses.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.29-58
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• 2022

Startups lack resources and manpower to build internal capabilities to strengthen market competitiveness; external cooperation such as joint research and networking plays is important. In this study, we analyzed the effect of startups' industry-university cooperation on organizational learning capability and innovation performance. Empirical results demonstrate the mechanism by which government R&D investment strengthens organizational learning capability and creates innovative results by promoting cooperation between startups and universities. First, industry-university cooperation strengthened organizational learning capability. An empirical analysis shows that startups increase internal capabilities through external cooperation. Second, startups' organizational learning capability had a significant effect on innovation performance. We analyze how organizations with high learning capabilities positively develop corporate innovation performance by having a culture of discovery and sharing new ideas. Finally, industry-university cooperation had different effects on organizational learning capability and innovation performance according to the previous experiences of startup founders. In particular, small- and medium-sized (startup) businesses and individual-based experience groups positively affected the creation of organizational learning capabilities and innovation performance through industry-university cooperation. Small- and medium-sized businesses and individual founders have a relatively small cooperative network with the outside world compared to founders of large companies, universities, and research institutes; therefore, they strengthen organizational learning capabilities through cooperation with universities. This study demonstrates that government should create policy inducements for cooperation with universities to maximize the R&D performance of startups. Criticism exists that lending support to startups and universities will hinder innovation performance; nevertheless, government investment plays a role in expanding intangible resources such as accumulating technologies, fostering high-quality human resources, and strengthening innovation networks. Therefore, the government should appropriately utilize the its authority to strengthen investment strategies for startup growth.