• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.69-96
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to find success factors of knowledge management in Korean firms, confirm them empirically, and verify their relative importance in terms of company size and industry type. The major studies on the knowledge management were deliberately selected and interpretively analyzed to find the success factors of Korean firms. As a result of the analysis, five success factors(top management's will, evaluation reward, organizational culture, knowledge management system, organizational structure) have been found. The empirical researches to make certain whether the above five factors derived are actually true or not have been separately performed by using questionnaire method. Based on the data collected, it is found that all five factors are significant. The degree of relative importance among the success factors of knowledge management in Korean firms has been found as: (i)top management's will, (ii)organizational culture, (iii)evaluation-reward, (iv)knowledge management system, (v)organizational structure. In company size, large firm's degree of relative importance among the success factors are: (i)top management's will, (ii)organizational culture, (iii)evaluation-reward, (iv)knowledge management system, (v) organizational structure. And medium-small firm's degree of relative importance among the success factors of knowledge management in Korean firms has been found as: (i)top management's will, (ii)organizational culture, (iii) evaluation-reward, (iv)knowledge management system, (v)organizational structure. Finally, in type of industry, manufactural firm's degree of relative importance among the success factors of knowledge management in Korean firms has been found as: (i)top management's will, (ii)organizational culture, (iii)evaluation-reward, (iv)knowledge management system, (v)organizational structure. And non-manufactural firm's degree of relative importance among the success factors of knowledge management in Korean firms are: (i)top management's will, (ii)organizational culture, (iii)evaluation-reward, (iv)knowledge management system, (v)organizational structure.

• Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.111-125
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• 2008

The management of organizational Human Resource is steadily shifting away from pure hierarchical to market mechanisms that involve external vendors. HR Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) has recently emerged as a significant administrative innovation in an organization's strategy. Our paper attempts to understand firm-specific factors influencing the scope of HR BPO needs. Study results show that IT maturity and firm size are influential factors on the scope of HR BPO needs. We hope that our attempt at empirically examining and predicting this emergent phenomenon will stimulate others to look at this important strategic challenge facing firms from a theoretical perspective. Such research initiatives will allow us not only to better understand this complex phenomenon, but also to drive useful management prescriptions grounded on theory-based research.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.67-90
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• 2016

This study examines whether there is any significant relation between executive compensation and future firm performance for the Korean export manufacturing small and medium-sized firms. We sorted the whole sample firms into the sub-groups of 10 deciles by firm size and the KSIC standard. We found the following empirical results. First, Korean export manufacturing small and medium-sized firms typically showed lower or even negative profitability in terms of return on equity and operating profit ratio to sales. Foreign equity ownership is very low with an average of 3.77%. Second, for the firms with higher ratio of excess executive compensation to asset had lower future firm performance. It implies that the typical owner-manager in Korean export manufacturing SMEs earns excess pay, but do not contribute much to firm performance. Third, as for future cumulative abnormal returns for future one- and three-year periods, firms with higher owner-executive pay had lower returns compared with firms with lower pay. So the stock market investors set a lower value on them. Fourth, there is a positive relation between excess executive pay and executive overconfidence, and it implies that owner-CEOs with higher pay may become overconfident, thereby lowering future firm performance somehow.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.2376-2381
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• 2014

The necessity for co-prosperity between large and small businesses has emerged as a top policy priority as economic polarization has been exacerbated since the 2008 global financial crisis. Against this background this paper makes a detailed analysis of differences between SMEs (Small and Medium sized businesses) and large enterprises located in Gyeong-do, in respect of growth. The data set used in the analysis is the 15 year(1996-2010) panel data of IT companies (large enterprises: 80 data and SMEs: 437 data) collected from the KISVALUE database. The estimation results of Pooled OLS indicate that the coefficients representing corporate size are less than 1, which implies that the Gibrat's law, no correlation between the size of a firm and its growth rate, is not supported by the data. In the meantime, the estimated coefficients representing corporate age are negative, which implies that Jovanovic hypothesis, inverse correlation between the age and the growth rate of a firm, is consistent with the data. In short, SMEs, which are generally younger than big enterprises can achieve higher growth rate than the latter ones which are usually believed to be older. In addition, the more export- and innovation-oriented the firm, the higher its growth rates.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.149-163
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• 2002

In order to manage technology transfer properly, it is important to judge whether the technology transfer is successful or not, and to find out the reason of the conclusion. The study aims to find out the relationship between successfulness of technology transfer and reasons or basis of the conclusion. Empirical investigation was carried out for Korean small and medium size firm in machinery and material field with statistical analysis on questionnaire and intensive interview. Result of the analysis is identified and compared with the other. It is shown that Korean firms feel their technology transfer is successful when it meet functional objectives and to get enough knowledge to further utilization from external source. Realization of benefit do not affect much the successfulness of technology transfer even though it is final objectives of technology transfer.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.299-325
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• 2010

The purpose of this empirical study is an index to usage of export assistance programs for korean small-medium exporters. Build around the index make an analysis of SMEs internal or exterior factors have an effect on export at present or in future export performance and the relative importance. Based on 128 surveys form korean SMEs experienced export assistance programs, 8 hypotheses, which are set up each factor, were verified through the practical analysis. The main result of hypothesis drawn by empirical study are as follows : The more SMEs use the programs, the more high export performance at present and in future. Export competitive factor reject at present export performance, but it will affect future export performance. A size of the firm in the characteristics of SEMs will affect export performance. Export rate of own brand will not affect performance. Another factors show adoption partly concerned hypothesis. Classified exterior factors of SMEs, a intensity of market competition shows adoption partly concerned hypothesis. Market growth rate will affect export performance at present and future strongly. Finally the usage of assistance programs will affect between a consumption goods and an industrial goods differently. From this study we found if we want to develop the export assistance programs that can actually in phases help the SEMs.

• Korean small business review
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.1-36
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to identify the relationships among purposes and contents of smart factory building and continuous utilization of smart factory. Specifically, this study identifies two types of purposes of smart factory building as follows: (1) improving productivity, (2) increasing flexibility. In this study, three aspects of smart factory building contents were suggested like this: (1) automation area (facility automation vs. work automation), (2) big data system focus (radical transformation vs. incremental improvement), and (3) value chain integration area (internal value chain integration vs. external value chain integration). In addition, we looked at how firm size moderates the purposes - contents - continuous utilization of smart factory relationship. A questionnaire survey was conducted on 151 manufacturing companies. More specifically, out of 151 companies, 100 are small-and-medium-sized enterprises and 51 large-sized enterprises. All questionnaires were targeted at companies with Smart Factory level above level 2. The analysis results of this study using Smart PLS statistical programs are as follows. First, the purposes of smart factory building including increasing productivity and flexibility had positive impacts on all of the contents of smart factory building. Second, all of smart factory building contents had positive impacts on the continuous use of smart factory except big data system for incremental improvement of manufacturing process. Third, the impacts of smart factory building purposes implementation on smart factory building contents varied depending on whether the purpose is productivity improvement or flexibility. Fourth, it was founded that firm size moderated the relationships of purposes - contents - continuous utilization of smart factory in such a way that large-sized firms tend to empathize the link between flexibility and smart factory building contents for continuous use of smart factory, while small-and-medium-sized-firms emphasizing the link between productivity and smart factory building contents. Most of the previous studies have focused on presenting current smart factory deployment cases. However, it is believed that this research has made a theoretical contribution in this field in that it established and verified a research model for the smart factory building strategy. Based on the findings from a working-level perspective, corporate practitioners also need to have a different approach to smart factory building, which should be emphasized depending on whether their purpose of building smart factory is to increase productivity or flexibility. In particular, since the results of this study identify the moderating effect of firm size, it is deemed necessary for firms to implement a smart factory building strategy suitable for their firm size.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.248-262
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• 2016

Most Korean companies in the fashion industry are SMEs, and the role of the CEO and management ownership is important for enhancing the firm's competence and developing strategies. The study aims to examine the effect of management ownership on company financial growth. In particular, the study focuses on the moderating effect of company age and size on Korean fashion SMEs' financial outcomes. Financial data based on company financial statements from 2012 to 2014 was collected by the Data Analysis, Retrieval and Transfer System of Korea's Financial Supervisory Service. A total of 295 companies' (domestic fashion businesses) data was analyzed by the bootstrap method. The median sales value in the financial year 2014 was 47,492,403,958 KRW, and the company size was divided by it. The companies were in business for an average of 20 years. According to the results, the management ownership had a negative effect on Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for the three-years, and the relationship between the two variables was moderated by company age. Additionally, the interaction effect of management ownership and company age on 3-CAGR was also moderated by company size. When the companies had spent only a few years in business, a negative effect of management ownership for small firms and a positive effect of management ownership on financial growth for medium firms were found. These results suggest that small companies starting business need to manage their company governance structure to make flexible decisions, and after retaining financial growth, the companies can expand their businesses based on strong ownership.

• Journal of Korea Society of Digital Industry and Information Management
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.73-86
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to examine a security investment for firms experienced in confidential information leak. Information security is an apparatus for protection of secret information. The competence of information security is a competitiveness to avoid information leakage in changing business environment. The type of information security is divided into administrative security, technical security and physical security. It is necessary to improve the incident correspondence competence through information security investment of the three types. Therefore, the investment of information security is to enhance information-asset protection of firms. To reinforce accident response competence, an organization discussed an establishment, security technology development, expand investment and legal system of the security system. I have studied empirically targeting the only information leak of firms. This data is a technical security competence and technology leakage situation of firms happened in 2010. During recovery of the DDos virus damage on countries, company and individual, the collected data signify a reality of information security. The data also identify a security competence of firms worrying information security management. According to the study, the continuous investment of information security has a high competence of accident correspondence. In addition, the most of security accidents showed a copy and stealing of paper and computer files. Firm on appropriate security investment is an accident correspondence competence higher than no security investment regardless of a large, small and medium-sized, and venture firm. Furthermore, the rational security investment should choose the three security type consideration for firm size.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.28-36
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• 2009

While existing literature has focused extensively on the strengths and weaknesses of the Chaebol and their ownership and governance, there have been few studies of Korean non-Chaebol firms. However, Lee, Lee and Pennings (2001) did not specifically investigate the competitive strategies that non-Chaebol firms use to survive against the Chaebol in the domestic Korean market. The motivation of this paper is to document, through four exploratory case studies, the successful competitive strategies of non-Chaebol Korean companies against the Chaebol and then offer some propositions that may be useful to other entrepreneurial firms as well as public policy makers. Competition and cooperation as conceptualized by product similarity and cooperative inter.firm relationship respectively, are major dimensions of firm.level marketing strategy. From these two dimensions, we develop the following $2{\times}2$ matrix, with 4 types of competitive strategies for non-Chaebol companies against the Chaebol (Fig. 1.). The non-Chaebol firm in Cell 1 has a "me-too" product for the low-end market while conceding the high-end market to a Chaebol. In Cell 2, the non-Chaebol firm partners with a Chaebol company, either as a supplier or complementor. In Cell 3, the non-Chaebol firm engages in direct competition with a Chaebol. In Cell 4, the non-Chaebol firm targets an unserved part of the market with an innovative product or service. The four selected cases such as E.Rae Electronics Industry Company (Co-exister), Intops (Supplier), Pantech (Competitor) and Humax (Niche Player) are analyzed to provide each strategy with richer insights. Following propositions are generated based upon our conceptual framework: Proposition 1: Non-Chaebol firms that have a cooperative relationship with a Chaebol will perform better than firms that do not. Proposition 1a; Co-existers will perform better than Competitors. Proposition 1b: Partners (suppliers or complementors) will perform better than Niche players. Proposition 2: Firms that have no product similarity with a Chaebol will perform better than firms that have product similarity. Proposition 2a: Partners (suppliers or complementors) will perform better than Co.existers. Proposition 2b: Niche players will perform better than Competitors. Proposition 3: Niche players should perform better than Co-existers. Proposition 4: Performance can be rank.ordered in descending order as Partners, Niche Players, Co.existers, Competitors. A team of experts was constituted to categorize each of these 216 non-Chaebol companies into one of the 4 cells in our typology. Simple Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in SPSS statistical software was used to test our propositions. Overall findings are that it is better to have a cooperative relationship with a Chaebol and to offer products or services differentiated from a Chaebol. It is clear that the only profitable strategy, on average, to compete against the Chaebol is to be a partner (supplier or complementor). Competing head on with a Chaebol company is a costly strategy not likely to pay off for a non-Chaebol firm. Strategies to avoid head on competition with the Chaebol by serving niche markets with differentiated products or by serving the low-end of the market ignored by the Chaebol are better survival strategies. This paper illustrates that there are ways in which small and medium Korean non-Chaebol firms can thrive in a Chaebol environment, though not without risks. Using different combinations of competition and cooperation firms may choose particular positions along the product similarity and cooperative relationship dimensions to develop their competitive strategies-co-exister, competitor, partner, niche player. Based on our exploratory case-study analysis, partner seems to be the best strategy for non-Chaebol firms while competitor appears to be the most risky one. Niche players and co-existers have intermediate performance, though the former do better than the latter. It is often the case with managers of small and medium size companies that they tend to view market leaders, typically the Chaebol, with rather simplistic assumptions of either competition or collaboration. Consequently, many non-Chaebol firms turn out to be either passive collaborators or overwhelmed competitors of the Chaebol. In fact, competition and collaboration are not mutually exclusive, and can be pursued at the same time. As suggested in this paper, non-Chaebol firms can actively choose to compete and collaborate, depending on their environment, internal resources and capabilities.