• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.205-215
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• 2020

The purpose of this paper is to empirically analyze the determinants of foreign subsidiary's local embeddedness because it is critically important for the subsidiary to build a variegated local network. This paper suggests that a MNC's global capability, the degree of autonomy granted by the headquarters of the multinational corporation to its foreign subsidiary, the foreign subsidiary's absorptive capacity based on local environment, and its level of localization will affect the subsidiary's local network embeddedness. The empirical analysis confirmed that when the headquarters gives the foreign subsidiary more autonomy, this has a positive effect on the local embeddedness of the foreign subsidiary and when the foreign subsidiary has a strong absorptive capacity, this has a positive correlation with the local embeddedness of the foreign subsidiary. And this paper found that when the foreign subsidiary has achieved a high level of staff localization, this foreign subsidiary will have a higher level of local embeddedness. This study identified the preceding conditions necessary for a foreign subsidiary of a multinational corporation to effectively embed itself in the local network by analyzing factors related to the multinational corporation's headquarters and subsidiaries, and thus contributes significantly to continued research on the local embeddedness of subsidiaries.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.189-206
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• 2020

Purpose - This paper attempted to verify the process by which a multinational corporation (MNC)'s subsidiary practices entrepreneurship to create effective knowledge (KC) in the local market. We have looked at whether subsidiary entrepreneurship (SENT) has a moderation effect in creating knowledge for the local market when a subsidiary has been given autonomy (AUT) from the headquarters (HQ). We also argue that when a subsidiary creates meaningful knowledge, the effect of the increased status by the HQ within the MNC network position (NP) has an indirect effect on whether knowledge is transferred to other overseas subsidiaries (KTO). Design/methodology - This paper used a structural equation model (SEM) of 282 effective foreign companies invested in Korea. To test the hypothesis about the process of SENT on KTO, descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, reliability, convergent and discriminant validities, and common method bias were analyzed using STATA. In addition, the moderation effect was verified along with SEM. The moderation effect of AUT on SENT and KC was presented graphically by confirming \mathrm{\pm1} standard deviation of AUT for the main effect. Findings - Our findings are as follows. First, while the hypothesis about the direct effect of SENT and KC on KTO was not supported, all other hypotheses were supported. Second, both the AUT and moderating effect and the indirect effect of NP were significant. In the conclusion, these findings are discussed in relation to its various theoretical and practical implications. Originality/value - This study attempted to contribute to the knowledge creation theory of MNC by contemplating how subsidiaries can move away from HQ and grow in the local market. Although there is still a shortage of foreign investment in the Korean market, our practical implications offer guidance for how current subsidiaries can develop more than other overseas subsidiaries.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.38
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• pp.377-408
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• 2008

Globalization of R&D activities of multinational firms is becoming important in compared with the past, because of increasing globalization of world economy. So, every country tries to attract foreign investment including R&D activities. In this paper, effects of several factors, which determine the scale of foreign subsidiary's R&D activities in local market, are analyzed. Through the review of previous literature, I found that three groups of determinant factors. The first one is the factor which is related to characteristics of local market, such as competitive situation of local market, accessability to research institutions, etc. The second group is the factor which is related to relationship between foreign subsidiary and its mother company. The dominant factors of this group are operation strategy of foreign subsidiary, competitiveness of mother firm, and equity structure of foreign subsidiary. Finally the characteristics of industry affect to the scale of foreign subsidiary's R&D activities. Among these factors, 6 factors are chosen to investigate empirically. For the empirical investigation, 107 foreign subsidiaries among KOITA(Korea Industrial Technology Association)'s list are chosen. Each subsidiary has more than 50% of foreign equity and implement R&D activities in Korea. The results show that sales volume of foreign subsidiary is dominant influencing factor in determining scale of R&D activities in Korean market. And also I found that currently established firms are implementing more R&D activities than old established firms. This is quite interesting finding. However, R&D activities of foreign subsidiary are not vitalized in Korean market. It probably means that Korean government and Korean business partners have to make effort to enhance foreign firms/ R&D activities, because it could contribute technological and economic development of Korean market.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.184-202
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• 2021

Purpose - This study empirically investigates the relationship between expatriate CEOs of multinational corporation (MNC) foreign subsidiaries and local philanthropy. Since corporate social responsibility (CSR) enables MNCs to achieve local legitimacy, this research argues that local philanthropy is a valuable strategic means for expatriate CEOs of foreign subsidiaries to secure local legitimacy. Design/methodology - To investigate our argument, we use a sample of 5,459 observations from 576 foreign subsidiaries of MNCs in Korea between 2002 and 2016. We conduct a random-effects panel Tobit regression with subsidiary CEO having foreign nationality as the independent variable and local philanthropy as the dependent variable. Findings - Our main findings are that expatriate CEOs of foreign subsidiaries are more actively engaged in local philanthropy. In addition, the positive relationship between expatriate CEOs and local philanthropy is weaker as their tenure increases. Originality/value - How expatriate CEOs overcome their weak local legitimacy as foreigners in a host country has remained unclear because existing studies mainly focused on the control and coordination aspects of staffing expatriates in CEO positions of foreign subsidiaries. This study broadens the literature on subsidiary CEO staffing and CSR activities of MNCs by identifying complementary relationships between expatriate CEOs and corporate philanthropy in the host country.

• Journal of East Asia Management
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.1-19
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• 2022

This study suggests an integrated theoretical framework for the relationship between political risk and multinational corporation (MNC) subsidiary's performance in the emerging market. The political risk would have a negative impact on MNC subsidiary's performance in the emerging countries that are developing in Asia, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Africa, and South America. The major reason is that political risks could generate a loss of benefit or a loss of control for MNC's subsidiary. In this study, I suggest that corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy would be a solution to overcome various political risks. Specifically, the affiliated firms with diversified industries or greater financial resources could mitigate the negative impact of political risk than unaffiliated firms. Because they can use their tangible or nontangible asset such as information, technology, and construction in order to gain legitimacy and trust from local government, local community, and local firms in the emerging market. Finally, I claimed the costs of the affiliated firms would exceed the benefits at the initial stages, while the benefits of affiliated firms would exceed the costs over time when political risks become higher. The reason is that the trust gained from local stakeholders accumulates over time and the impact of CSR strategy would become an important solution to overcome the risks in and unstable context.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.134-151
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• 2021

Purpose - This study empirically analyzes the impact of the internal and external network embeddedness of foreign subsidiaries and local market characteristics of the host country on the CEO selection whether or not to appoint an expatriate as the CEO of a foreign subsidiary. Design/methodology - To conduct an empirical analysis, we obtained a list of the headquarters of Korean MNCs from the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Based on the list of HQs, we identified a final list of overseas subsidiaries of Korean MNCs that have entered the world from KOTRA (Trade-Investment Promotion Agency for Korea). Then we conducted an empirical analysis based on the results of 391 questionnaires by employing logistic regression analysis. Findings - The results of empirical analysis are as follows. First, the higher the subsidiary's internal network embeddedness, the higher the tendency appoint an expatriate as the CEO. Second, the higher the volatility of the local market, the higher the tendency to appoint an expatriate as the CEO. Third, the stronger the competition in the local market, the lower the tendency to appoint a PCN. Originality/value - This study has significant theoretical implications in that it examines the link between the internal and external embeddedness of overseas subsidiaries and the appointment of parent country nationals (PCNs) as the CEO that prior research has not examined.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.148-157
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• 2017

This study has studied the phenomenon exclusive to the activity of skin scuba among marine sports in Busan region, and such empirical studies are for the development of skin scuba, and even of the entire marine sports, and in order to achieve such objective, the study method centered around qualitative study method of in-depth interview, participatory observation, and documentation study, the results of which are as follows. First is the advantage of the local environment as an open-water location. This study area has beaches of pebbles, and the underwater is also comprised of pebbles up to a certain distance, securing a superior underwater visibility compared to the sand of other Busan regions, and such local environment is thought to be an advantage of skin scuba activity. Second is the satisfaction of accessibility. This study area had an advantage in participant accessibility, which is thought to act as a good strength for the marine sports development of this area in the future. Third is the satisfaction of education. The club instructors of this study area had various marine sports-related licenses such as skin scuba, along with marine lifeguard trainer qualifications to prepare against safety accidents, which are also thought to have positive influences on the education satisfaction for beginners. Fourth is the inconvenient subsidiary facility. This study area has great natural environment for open waters, but the subsidiary facilities of the club for skin scuba activity was found to be very inconvenient by this study, and for the future development of skin scuba, the improvement of subsidiary facilities should be considered. Fifth is the inconvenient parking facilities. The participants in this study area agreed upon the inconvenience of the parking issue alongside the subsidiary facilities. There are always parking issues near the coasts of Busan region, and in order to resolve such issues, active assistance from the City of Busan and each local government, and if such methods are well proposed, the conflict between the marine sports participants and local residents shall be resolved, it would play a great role in the development of marine sports.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.231-249
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• 2019

Technology transfer from a multinational company to a local subsidiary is essential for successful local market operations. This study aims to analyze the impact of market, cultural and institutional environmental factors on international technology transfer and innovation performance based on the S-C-P paradigm. We collected data from one hundred ninety-five subsidiaries of Korean parent firms located in seventeen countries and used structural equation modeling to test hypotheses. The analysis findings are as follow; First, both market and cultural environment directly affect international technology transfer. However, institutional environment such as protection of intellectual property does not affect international technology transfer. Due to the less risk of technology disclosure involved in technology transfer within the MNE organization can be not relationship between protection of intellectual property in the host country and the foreign subsidiary's transfer of technology. The risk of infringement of intellectual property is relatively low in intra-firm transfer of technology. Second, the technology introduced from the parent company has a positive effect on the innovation performance of local subsidiaries. This implies that multinational companies that have entered unfamiliar overseas markets should be able to effectively transfer the inherent advantages of the parent company to their overseas subsidiaries, and that their ability to adapt to the local environment is important.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.277-306
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• 2008

Knowledge1 is considered to be a key element of understanding how organizations gain and sustain competitive advantages. But very few firms are capable of creating the requisite knowledge and thus, firms should acquire and exploit new knowledge through knowledge transfer processes. The empirical part of this study involves examining relationships among adaptability of knowledge and knowledge transfer and marketing performance and testing the moderating roles of absorptive capacity, socialization and local marketing knowledge. This study is organized as follows: (1) Previous literature on knowledge, knowledge transfer and absorptive capacity is summarized, followed by the development of hypotheses derived from the knowledge-based view and absorptive capacity. (2) The hypotheses are tested with data collected from MNCs' subsidiaries performing marketing activities in Korea.Thestudyisclosedwithfindings,implications,andconclusions. Following six research hypotheses are drawn from literature review in related areas: H1: Adaptability of knowledge transferred from the MNCs' headquarters and other subsidiaries is positively associated with knowledge inflows into the receiving subsidiary. H2: The level of marketing knowledge transferred from the MNCs' headquarters and other subsidiaries is positively associated with marketing performance of the receiving subsidiary. H3: Increases in potential absorptive capacity will enhance the relationship between adaptability of knowledge and the level of marketing knowledge transfer. H4: Increases in realized absorptive capacity will enhance the relationship between the level of knowledge transfer and marketing performance of the receiving subsidiary. H5: Increases in socialization activity among the headquarters and subsidiaries will enhance the relationship between adaptability of knowledge and the level of marketing knowledge transfer. H6: Increases in the level of locally developed marketing knowledge will enhance the relationship between the level of knowledge transfer and marketing performance of the receiving subsidiary. The research framework that illustrates the proposed hypotheses is presented in figure 1. The unit of analysis for this study is knowledge transfer from the MNCs' headquarters and other subsidiaries to their subsidiaries operating in South Korea. The population for this study consists of subsidiaries established either as joint ventures or as wholly-owned subsidiaries. A group of 603 foreign firms were drawn from diverse industry organizations and business societies. After personal contact, telephone, fax, and e-mail to request that the respondents complete the questionnaire, 282 valid questionnaires from 133 initial sample companies were collected. The results of the empirical analyses significantly support all of the proposed hypotheses except hypothesis 3. Adaptability of external knowledge promotes knowledge transfer and the relationship is moderated by a firm's potential knowledge absorptive capacity. On the other hand, knowledge transfer improves a firm's marketing performance and a firm's realized knowledge absorptive capacity and local marketing knowledge moderate the relationship. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings in this study are as follows: (1) firms must take seeking, transferring, sharing and exploiting of external knowledge into serious consideration, while simultaneously creating knowledge to support the necessary business operations, remain competitive, and achieve superior performance. (2) Firms should continuously seek to develop their knowledge absorptive capacity (both potential and realized capacity) to absorb, learn and utilize valuable external knowledge. (3) Firms should emphasize not only absorptive capacity, but also development of local knowledge. Firms with strong absorptive capability and local knowledge can learn and transfer more external knowledge, which can be translated into greater levels of competence and performance.

• Journal of Applied Tourism Food and Beverage Management and Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.43-58
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• 2001

This study focuses on analyzing the present conditions of homestay in Donghae, which helps to increase the fishing and agrarian villages' income and offer a low-priced lodging facility to tourists. Furthmore it tries to find the related problems and to suggest the solutions. For this purpose, homestsy businesses in Donghae city was surveyed by the questionnaire. Frequency analysis and Cross table analysis of the collected 97 questionnaries were conducted by the SPSS, and the related problems were found as follows. After homestay business turned to the liberal business, professional homestay businessmen appeared and conflicts between farmer and professional businessman came out. And there's a limitation on providing subsidiary facilities and services for the local businesses because of their financial difficulty and on-off season. Therefore to develop “fishing and agrarian villages' homestay businesses” well-defined standards of homestay is required. Then to provide subsidiary facility, services and special programs activation of homestay association is necessary. Finally, to attract tourists, local government's tourist attraction policy is needed.