• Korea Trade Review
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.231-248
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• 2021

This study aims to examine an effective path that links the use of export promotion programs(EPPs) to the export performance of SMEs. In particular, the study focuses on what role the export innovativeness of SMEs plays between EPPs and export performance. In order to verify the conceptual model, the structural equation modeling is applied, using the data collected from a sample of 152 Korean SME exporters. The study highlights the notion that the relationship between the use of EPPs and export performance is not direct and that higher performance can be achieved through export innovativeness, the ability to reconstruct internal resources and to respond quickly to changes in the export market. The results of the empirical analysis show that EPPs partially mediate the relationship between export market-orientation and export innovativeness, and that such mediated export innovativeness continues to fully mediate the relationship between EPPs and export performance. That is, if SMEs make good use of EPPs that meet their needs, they can be encouraged to re-bundle or strengthen their existing resources and capabilities, which in turn lead to higher export performance. The study thus helps extend understanding of EPPs and export performance literature.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.95-107
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of export promotion programs (EPPs) on the export performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with a specific focus on the influence of EPPs for promising SMEs in the export market. Using data on SMEs provided by the Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK), we conducted a fixed-effects model analysis from 2016 to 2019. Our study shows that EPPs have a positive and significant relationship with export intensity. Further analysis reveals that SMEs utilizing the financing support system provided by EPPs tend to improve their export growth and financial performance relative to their counterparts. While EPPs can assist SMEs with their internationalization efforts, their similarity and redundancy are recognized as potential limitations. This study complements the existing literature that has mainly focused on surveys and cross-sectional analysis by specifying the research subject to promising SMEs in export, and analyzing the effects of the export promotion program supported by IBK Industrial Bank. The results of this study are expected to provide implications for improving SMEs' export capabilities.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.39-55
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• 2022

Purpose - This study empirically examines the effect of the Korean government export promotion program (EPP) on small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) export performance using firm-level data. Unlike most previous studies that investigated some specific samples of firms, this study analyzes a vast amount of SME data of the Korean Small and Medium Business Administration over the period 2005 to 2008. Design/methodology - An endogeneity problem arises when a firm's probability of being selected is correlated with the likelihood of successfully implementing EPPs. To control for the endogeneity of the EPPs in a relatively short-period sample, we employ 2-Stage Residual Inclusion (2SRI) RE-Tobit and bivariate Tobit procedure. Findings - Analyses show that Korean government EPPs have positive significant effects on SME exports. Empirical results also show that SME export activities are significantly encouraged by R&D investment and capital intensity, but not obviously by labor productivity. Originality/value - This study provides evidence that SME capital intensity, R&D investment, and the number of workers are significant determinants to SME exporting activities, whereas per worker labor cost and employee education are not. These results imply that even for SMEs, firm size is a major factor in promoting exporting activities.