• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.61-67
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• 2015

Purpose - Exports have long been regarded as significant drivers of sustainable competitive advantage and growth among small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The export activities of SMEs are particularly important in the context of export-oriented economies such as Korea. Although many studies have examined the determinants of exports, it is difficult to find empirical studies about the determinants of the export performance of regional SMEs. This study investigates the determinants of export performance in the regional SME context based on an integrated approach that combines the environment factor of industrial organization theory, competitive strategy theory, and the competences of the resource-based view. Research design, data, and methodology - To empirically analyze the determinants of export performance in the regional SMEs, data were collected from firms in the Daegu metropolitan area. Data were collected directly through questionnaire surveys; in addition, secondary financial data were also taken from the KIS-VALUE database. Out of the 175 responses that were received, 143 were considered to be worth examining. After testing the reliability and validity of the variables through multiple items such as environmental turbulence and competitive strategy, hypotheses were verified by using five multi-regression models. These models were: a control model with organizational size and age, an environmental model with technology and market turbulence, a competency model with R&D and foreign distribution channels, a strategy model with product and market differentiation, and an integrated model including all of these variables. Results - First, as a control variable, the organization size has significant positive effects on export performance. Second, technology turbulence based on industrial organization theory has significant positive effects on export performance, but market turbulence does not affect export performance. Third, the foreign market distribution competency of the resource-based view has strong positive effects on export performance, but the R&D competency does not affect export performance. Fourth, the product differentiation strategy from competitive strategy theory positively impacts export performance, but market differentiation does not affect export performance. Finally, in the integrated model, only the foreign distribution competency of the resource-based view has a significant effect on export performance. Conclusions - The empirical results of this study verified the usefulness of the rationales behind the three theories to explain the export performance of the regional SMEs, especially the importance of the foreign market distribution competency from the resource-based view. With regard to practical considerations, this study's implications suggest that the use of technological environmental changes by industries is better than the use of market changes. Further, the use of the product differentiation strategy is more effective than the use of the market-driving strategy, and the distribution channel competency plays a stronger role than the technology-oriented competency with regard to the export performance position of regional SMEs. Future studies should examine relational perspectives, such as trust among channel partners. Therefore, the configuration approach is more useful in enhancing pragmatism by comparing high- and low-export companies.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 2018

Purpose - This present aims to analyze the effect of export modes on initial export amount and time to export by selecting export modes among various success strategies and factors. Research design, data, and methodology - It surveyed 980 small and mid-sized venture enterprises across Korea. The export modes and its impact on exports through frequency analysis and cross analysis, and validated through a PPML(regression analysis applied the enterprise growth model) analysis. Results - Five export modes were investigated : direct export, indirect export, transfer from direct export to indirect export, transfer from direct export to indirect export, and parallel export to indirect export. It was found that SMVEs that exported directly from establishment to initial export had the shortest period, and also had the highest export price Conclusions - From a marketing point of view, it took an average of 1.6 years to switch from export directly to indirect export or directly export, and the reason for the export modes conversion was to supplement export specialists and improve export competitiveness. And the export amount and time period that SMVEs establishes and export is a significant factor in export success strategy and there has been few prior study in export modes.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.65-80
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• 2017

Purpose - The purpose of the present study is to discover success factors for small and medium-sized exporting enterprises and to derive factors that can positively influence the export of small and medium-sized enterprises. The ultimate goal is to contribute to the problem solution mentioned above. Research design, data, and methodology - A total of 258 filled-in questionnaires were collected; afterwards, frequency and cross tabulation analyses were conducted. The PPML analytic technique was applied to the core factors analyzed in Stages 1 and 2 to conduct regression analysis (cause and effect analysis and estimation method), thereby deriving success factors. Result - Based on detailed factors, a total of 15 success factors directly/indirectly involved in the success of export in small and medium-sized enterprises comprising 9 success factors, three positive effect factors for export, and three governments support policy factors were identified. Conclusions - The present paper is a rare empirical study paper that found and presented three detailed factors that positively influence on export and three government support policy factors, in addition to the above factors. Therefore, the results can be used by small and medium-sized enterprises that require not only previous studies, but also actual export success factor.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.59-71
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• 2018

Purpose - Recognizing the importance of small and medium enterprises and venture enterprises for the domestic economy, the purpose of the present study is to select factor termed export modes from among various export success strategies and factors that can help those enterprises secure export competitiveness in the world market to analyze the effects of export modes on the amounts of exports and periods until export after the foundation of those enterprises. Research design, data, and methodology - A structured questionnaire was used as a tool to derive the purpose of the study, and a questionnaire survey was conducted using a mobile survey technique that facilitated the distribution of questionnaire sheets and the collection of results. The main methodology used is crossover analysis, and the regression analysis technique was applied to verify the study results derived, thereby securing the reliability and validity of the final results derived. Results - Small and medium venture enterprises with shorter periods of time until the first export success after establishment adopted direct export modes more frequently, and those enterprises with larger amounts of the first export after establishment adopted direct export modes more frequently. The results of quantitative analysis, indicating that 66.1% of those enterprises with an export amount exceeding one billion won adopted direct export modes, can be said to support the foregoing. The crossover analysis results derived as such were reanalyzed using the PPML regression analysis technique to quantitatively identify that the amounts of the first export of enterprises that adopted direct export modes were larger than those of enterprises that adopted indirect export modes by 120%. Conclusions - The present study implies differentiated values in three aspects. First, the present study investigated and presented the export success factors and strategies of small and medium venture enterprises in a total of 14 countries in the Asian region, European region, North American region, African region, and South American region. Second, it intensively investigated five export modes to identify and verify that they were affecting the export success of small and medium venture enterprises. Third, based on the results of the investigation, the present study presented two marketing implications in the pragmatic aspect.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.93-107
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• 2016

Purpose - This study aims to derive directions and implications for improving performance in operating agrifood export organizations by identifying significant performance impact factors. Research design, data, and methodology - A seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) model was estimated using data from a survey conducted among 120 exporters including 16 leading export organizations. In the SUR estimation, the export volume and price are used as dependent variables and securing the quantity of products ordered and exported, quality management, and marketing activities are considered as explanatory variables for the operation performance. Results - The amount of farmer education, the manpower in charge of marketing, and the interaction terms between whether or not they belong to a leading export organization and the item dummy for mushrooms have a significant impact on the export volume where the export volume is specified as a dependent variable. The export volume is greater with a greater amount of farmer education and greater manpower in charge of marketing from the perspective of quality management. When the export price is estimated as a dependent variable, the manpower in charge of marketing is shown to have a significant impact on the export price. Conclusions - The government needs to strengthen its support of the performance of agrifood export organizations. The analysis indicates that the education of and consulting with farmers, and the manpower number in charge of marketing are key factors in the operation performance of export organizations. Therefore, supporting the export organizations in expanding their human resources in charge of marketing can increase the export volumes for agrifoods. Given, however, that the export volume associated with joint payments, human resources specialized in quality management, and the amount of participation in export exhibitions are not significant factors, it is essential to improve the supporting policies for those areas. The manpower in charge of marketing from the perspective of marketing has a significant impact on both the export volume and export price. Thus, we identify this as the most important category that should be supported to enhance performance in export organizations.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2023

Purpose: The integrated export organization for agricultural products is an export marketing organization established by joint participation of famers, farmer organizations, and exporters. The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors affecting the intention of farmers to participate in integrated export organizations. Research design, data and methodology: The multiple regression analysis was used to identify factors affecting intention of pear and mushroom farms to participate in the integrated export organizations. Results: It is shown that the lower farm age, the higher the need for consolidation of export companies, and the lower the government support for the integrated export organizations, the higher the willingness to participate in integrated export organizations. However, export experience, export scale, awareness level of integrated export organizations, and check price level did not significantly affect the intention to participate in integrated export organizations. Conclusions: It is desirable to promote export organizations of agricultural products among relatively young farmers and to reform their consciousness through emphasizing education for them. In addition, integrated export organizations should avoid disorderly competition by consolidating export companies. Lastly, governmental policies should be pursued in a direction that enables farmers and export companies to strengthen their competitiveness on their own.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.91-102
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• 2016

Purpose - The objectives of this study are as follows. First, it aims to suggest an analysis model that has integrated the relationship between the two factors and export performance and conduct an empirical analysis of the factors. Second, the study seeks to analyze the mediating effect by setting direct channel governance as a specific activity to connect market orientation, a cultural asset, to export performance. Third, through these analyses, the study intends to apply the relationship between market orientation and direct channel governance that the existing studies have failed to observe comprehensively on SMEs in Korea. Based on these analyses, the study expects to expand the discussion of previous researches by analyzing the mediating effect of direct channel governance. Research design, data, and methodology - This study developed a model that has integrated market orientation, direct channel governance, and export performance. It established 7 hypotheses including the mediating effect of direct channel governance. Market orientation was consisted of customer orientation and competitor orientation, and 4 latent variables were measured by 18 questions. LISREL, an analysis tool of structural equation model, was used for hypothesis test and there were 183 sample for analysis. Results - The analysis results showed that customer orientation has a positive influence on direct channel governance, but competitor orientation did not have a statistically significant effect. On the contrary, export performance showed an opposite result. That is, customer orientation did not have any influence but competitor orientation had a significant influence on export performance. It was also confirmed that there was a significant influence in the relationship between channel governance and export performance. According to the analysis of mediating effect, direct channel governance had a full mediating effect between customer orientation and export performance. Conclusions - The study results demonstrated that it is important to build a direct channel governance on the export SMEs in Korea, especially since the direct channel governance complements the influence of customer orientation that does not directly influence export performance among market orientation activities. This implies that Korean export SMEs must strive to build an effective direct channel governance.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.66 no.8
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• pp.109-122
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• 2016

This study is to explore the ways to increase the export performance of start-up companies, as opportunities are rising along with more companies entering the global market. Thus the study analyzed the factors affecting export performance of the start-up company by mainly looking at the international marketing capabilities of enterprises type of marketing strategy and internal environmental capabilities. The following were derived as factors for marketing 4P strategy: innovation of product, flexibility of export price, differentiation of distribution channels, diversity of promotional activities, and positive-ness of promotion. For internal capabilities of enterprises, innovation of CEO, initiative of CEO, risk susceptibility of CEO, information power of export market, and information power of competitor were derived as factors. Two types of performances were considered for export performance, financial and non-financial. Among innovation of product and risk susceptibility of CEO the non-financial performance of export performance, and only differentiation of distribution channels of marketing 4p strategy the financial performance. It showed that since performance was different depending on the entrepreneurship of the CEO, only innovative products differentiated from small and medium enterprises. risk susceptibility of CEO increased export outlook by corporate acknowledgment and image, creation of potential customers, and financial performance affected only differentiation in distribution channel rather than entrepreneurial spirit, information power, or organizational flexibility because of short business career and insufficient period enough to gain trust. Therefore, start-up companies need to improve their non-financial export performance by increasing innovation of product and risk susceptibility of the CEO. The companies need to widen the differentiation of distribution channels in the financial export performance.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.1-19
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• 2003

This study intends to explore the relationship between export motivating factors and export channel-structure. Two proactive motivating factors (market-opportunity development and productivity improvement) and one reactive motivating factor (business-risk hedge) were extracted from the survey data collected from Korean exporting firms. The data show that the two proactive motives enhance the likelihood of using the export channels that allow strong controls over export-marketing activities. This study also finds that these proactive motives tend to increase the amount of relationship investment in an export distribution channel.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.5-10
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• 2017

Purpose - The purpose of this paper was to analyze the Chinese government's announcement of the RMB's appreciation on July 1, 2010, and its aim was to ascertain whether the appreciation has affected Chinese export prices by empirically measuring the degree of the exchange rate pass-tough on those prices. Research design, data, and methodology - Using 73 HS trade categories with cross-industry and time-series data, the panel estimation of a fixed-effects model has been applied to measure the degree and stability of any exchange rate pass-through effects. The estimation results show that the export prices of most trade categories were affected by the exchange rate changes. The pass-through effect was generally small, at about -0.485, and statistically significant in most export prices. Results - The empirical results indicate that China would lose its advantage and competitiveness in export if the RMB were appreciated continuously and rapidly because its export goods would no longer operate under strong monopolistic competition. Conclusions - The implications for China's exchange rate policy suggest that it would be better for the RMB to appreciate slowly and gradually rather than radically. It is clear that it would be allow the capital free flow in Chinese overall economic interest to reduce the continuous appreciation pressure on the currency and pave the way for improvements in export distribution competitiveness.