• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.33-42
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• 2019

Purpose - We investigate whether a firm's engagement in socially responsible activity affects the quality of financial reporting within the retail industry of Korean market. Recent studies argue that more socially responsible firms tend to show a better quality of financial reporting. Research design, data, and methodology - We use a variety of proxy variables related to the use of discretionary accruals and real activity manipulation to measure the quality of financial reporting. The total of environmental, social and governance score is used to represent the degree of socially responsible activity in the retail industry. We use regression models to examine whether more socially responsible firms show a higher quality of financial reporting. The sample of publicly traded Korea retail firms is analyzed from 2011 to 2016. Results - Our analysis finds supporting evidence for limited earning management via the use of discretionary accruals. We find, however, no significant relationship between the degree of social responsibility and the quality of financial reporting within chaebol affiliates unlike non-chaebol affiliates. Conclusions - Our results weakly support a better quality of financial reporting for more socially responsible firms. The results highlight the importance of firm characteristics in deciding the effect of socially responsible activity on corporate policies.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.105-127
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• 2016

There is a growing awareness about the role of the board of directors in decision making, which is crucial to vitalize board activities in Korean firms. Given the academic and social needs, the current study is designed to identify the relationship between board independence and the board involvement of directors, highlighting the important aspects of information provision from diverse channels and information sharing among external directors. In this study, I include not only traditional variables to address the structural independence of the board but also the information provision and information sharing variables to explain how external directors, on average, are involved in board decisions. The research results from 136 Korean business samples show positive relationships between board independence and board involvement, but the influence of information provision and sharing proves to be significant in increasing the level of the board involvement of external directors. These findings suggest that active communication and information sharing among external directors, as well as an independent structural design for the board of directors, are important factors to improve the level of board involvement. Based on these results, the current paper provides theoretical and practical implications for corporate governance and knowledge management. Future research directions and limitations are also discussed.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.235-242
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• 2012

Mikania micrantha, a neo-tropical vine, is spreading rapidly in the tropical part of Nepal and is now threatening the rural ecosystem including biodiversity and rural livelihoods. However, no attempt has been made to control the spread of M. micrantha. As a result, the vines are spreading freely and rapidly. After a thorough literature review and assessment of forest management practices, we proposed a manual cutting method, as it suits the Nepalese situation for several reasons: required labor is readily available, as local communities are managing forest patches, and the method does not have any potential adverse effects on non-target native species. Experimental plots were laid out in August 2011 to examine the effectiveness of manual cutting. Two different site types based on canopy coverage were selected and divided into three blocks based on cutting strategy. Four treatments were assigned across the experimental plots following a complete block design. We harvested above-ground biomass according to the assigned treatment. The results suggested that there should be at least two consecutive cuttings within a 3-week interval before flowering, and that three consecutive cuttings resulted in 91% mortality of the vines. In addition, cutting promoted regeneration of native plant species. Employing regular cutting operations can modify understory shade enhancing regeneration of native species, which is a desirable condition to constrain proliferation of M. micrantha. Periodic cuttings reduced the competitiveness of M. micrantha regardless of canopy openness, but native ground cover should be retained.

• East Asian Journal of Business Economics (EAJBE)
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.41-49
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• 2019

Purpose - This paper empirically investigates what factors contribute to corporate investments under financial constraint condition in the Korean stock market. In the paper, tangible assets' growth rate and fixed assets' growth rate were employed as investment performance and total assets were also used for comparison purpose. Research design and methodology - Samples are constructed by manufacturing firms listed on the stock market of Korea as well as those who settle accounts in December from 2001 to 2018. Financial institutions are excluded from the sample as their accounting procedures, governance and regulations differ. This study adopted a fixed panel regression model to assess the sample construction including yearly and cross-sectional data. Results - This results support the literatures that major shareholders showed positive significance to investment in financially unconstrained firms and no significance to investment in financially constrained firms. ROA showed positive significance to investment in financially unconstrained and constrained firms, whereas firm size showed negative significance to investment in financially unconstrained and constrained firms. Debt showed no positive significance to investment in financially unconstrained firms and negative significance to investment in financially constrained firms. Conclusions - This paper documented evidence that ROA and firm size are important factors to investment irrespective of firms' financial constraints. And this paper also supports that major shareholders give positive impact to investments in financially unconstrained firms. This means that financial constraints itself rule corporate' investment decision in financially constrained firms.

• Asian Journal of Business Environment
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2018

Purpose - The purpose of this research is to make a comparative assessment of People Credit Funds (PCFs) ranking in Vietnam between the Circular No. 42/2016/TT-NHNN dated December 20, 2016 with the Decision No. 14/2007/QD-NHNN dated 09/4/2007 issued by the Governor of the State Bank. Research design, data, and methodology - This study is mainly based on the Circular No. 42/2016/TT-NHNN dated December 20, 2016 and the Decision No. 14/2007/QD-NHNN dated 09/4/2007 issued by the Governor of the State Bank on PCFs ranking. Results - The study paper has shown positive changes in PCFs ranking in Vietnam in accordance with the Circular No. 42/2016/TT-NHNN, such as increasing Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), maintaining CAR, improving assets quality, developing indicators of governance, management and control capability. These changes have implications for the development and efficient performance of PCFs in Vietnam. Conclusions - The classification and evaluation of PCFs will contribute to its healthy development. These finding support PCFs to understand more about rating methodology, significance of rating system and the importance of improving their rating. PCFs in Vietnam desire to develop their business effectively, they need to understand exactly and comply fully with regulations related to their field of operations.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.53-63
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• 2017

Purpose - The main feature of this study is understanding of the vendor's opportunism on the collaboration context between buyer and vendor from the buyer's viewpoint with resource dependence theory. A number of studies on opportunism have focused on opportunistic definitions and its theoretical studies. Other researches emphasize the importance of governance in ways that reduce opportunism. We think that this research could be filled with the lack of previous studies. Research design, data, and methodology - In order to accomplish research purpose, four hypotheses have been established based on the framework of resource dependence theory and previous studies. And we have used 599 survey data jointly collected by Korea Productivity Center and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. To verify these hypothesis, we have conducted multiple regression analysis with SPSS 23.0. Results - The vendor 's opportunism decreases as mutual trust with buyer becomes higher. However, as the degree of dependence of buyers on vendor resources increases, vendor's opportunism increases. And monitoring vendor's capacity has a moderating effect with buyer resource dependency to vendor's opportunism. Conclusions - This study suggest there are two options to decrease vendor's opportunism. Increasing mutual trust or decrease dependence on vendor's resources. Also, monitoring suppler's capacity could be effective when vendor's resource dependence is high.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.5-9
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• 2016

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to get a clear concept about intellectual capital and reports on intellectual capital in different entities based on the literature review. Research design, data, and methodology - This study was mainly written in a way of descriptive research. The current studies deal with the theoretical and reporting aspects on intellectual capital. Thus, this research is developed on the basis of previous descriptive and empirical research papers. Results - This study finds that intellectual capital is the combination of human capital, structural capital and relational capital but there is no unique measurement system or process to define intellectual capital. The findings also indicates that the measurement for intellectual capital varies based on the measurement process, time period, firms, industries and country to country perspectives. It can be also observed that firms have the tendency not to disclose the intellectual capital information. Conclusions - This study recommends that intellectual capital should be presented in a fixed format and human, relational and structural capital should be included as intellectual capital. Additionally, it suggests that mandatory requirement of legislation, effective corporate governance mechanism and stock exchange listing requirement might increase the quality of intellectual reporting.

• Asian Journal of Business Environment
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.31-38
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• 2017

Purpose - While microfinance institutions(MFIs) from Bangladesh, such as Grameen Bank, received worldwide recognition and the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, however, there is a paucity of research that provided a comprehensive discussion on the characteristics of the microfinance industry. Hence, the aim of this paper is to discuss some important aspects of the microfinance sector in Bangladesh. Research design, data, and methodology - This study used secondary sources of data, such as annual reports of the Microcredit Regulatory Authority (MRA) and the World Bank database in its descriptive analysis. Results - This study found that Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in her socio-economic and economic development in the last few decades. It is also generally perceived that microfinance has placed significant contribution on such socio-economic development. While microfinance observed unprecedented growth domestically, however, the regulatory framework is still rather weak, and a majority of the MFIs are found to be concentrated in the well-off areas (e.g., Dhaka, Chittagong etc.). Conclusions - The findings are significantly important for the parties who are interested to know the microfinance sector in Bangladesh. To some extent, the findings of this study will provide policy implications that may benefit the industry.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2015

This study has aimed to compare an emission trading system (ETS) in the EU and Japan that introduced the scheme prior to Korea and provided the latter with a benchmarking model. Especially, the EU has a reputation for its well-organized and evolving system, and Japan has also successfully established the system despite its similar condition with Korea, such as an industrial structure and the degree of energy dependence. However, there are noticeable differences between the EU and Japan in their ETS. Whereas Japan has focused on securing certifications in CDM as the implementation of Kyoto protocol, EU has shown a tendency to transform the trading market from a parallel structure of EUA and CER transaction to only the EUA transaction after ending of 1st commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. Since the differences were mainly caused by not only in a design of the system but also in internal governance and their national circumstance, it is meaningful to analyse the Korean case with a similar framework. This study may contribute to designing an appropriate system for emission trading in Korea through the comparison of the EU and Japanese case.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.12 no.8
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• pp.41-52
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• 2021

Purpose: The study aims to analyze effects of wage on FDI inflows based on the threshold of institutional quality in 14 developing economies of Southeast and South Asia over the period from 2000-2017. Research design, data, and methodology: The study applies a fixed effect panel threshold regression. As a proxy for the institutional quality, it uses the six components of Worldwide Governance Indicators or a compound index obtained by an average of the six components. The data were taken from World Bank, the Chinn & Ito Database, and UNCTAD. To the best of our knowledge, no researches so far have considered the threshold of institutional quality in estimating the effect of wage on FDI inflows. Results: The composite index and each component of the six indicators of institutional quality except for voice and accountability, and regulatory quality are found to have nonlinear effects on FDI inflows. When the institutional quality is below the threshold, wage affects FDI inflows negatively. When the institutional quality is above the threshold, however, wage does not significantly affect FDI inflows. Conclusions: The effect of wage on FDI inflows varies depending on whether the institutional quality of the target countries is above or below the threshold.