• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.605-615
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• 2017

Recently, financial supervisory authority of Korea and international credit rating agencies have been concerned about a stand-alone rating that is calculated without incorporating guaranteed support of parent companies. Guaranteed by parent companies, most foreign subsidiaries keeps good credit rate in spite of weak financial status. However, what if the parent companies stop supporting the foreign subsidiaries, they could have a probability to go bankrupt. In this paper, we have validated a credit rating model through statistical measurers such as performance, calibration, and stability for Korean companies owning foreign subsidiaries.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.1-19
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• 2019

Purpose - This research examines the effect of a foreign subsidiary on the productivity growth of a Two-way trading manufacturing firm in Korea. We explore firms engaged in both trade and FDI simultaneously to verify whether participation in GVC as a broad concept is an efficient internationalization strategy to increase the productivity of a Korean manufacturing firm. Design/methodology - Based on the firm-level data by utilizing the Survey of Business Activities from Statistics Korea, we examine the impact of vertically integrated foreign subsidiaries on the productivity of a manufacturing firm that exports and imports simultaneously. Findings - The results show that if a Two-way trading firm establishes one or more overseas subsidiaries, the total factor productivity growth increases. Moreover, the FDI effect is statistically significant when the destination country has an economically close relationship with Korea. However, these effects are disparate depending on the industrial competitiveness or market situation where the subsidiary is located. Nonetheless, the synergy effect resulting from industrial combination is represented in China and the USA only. Originality/value - As the importance of GVC has become more emphasized around the world. In spite of the scarcity of related domestic studies, we explored the effect of multinational manufacturing firms participating in GVC using firm-level data.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.39-54
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is as follows. First we investigate the relationship between contact with foreign managers (CFM) of host country nationals (HCNs) working at MNC subsidiaries and their organizational identification with MNC (OIM). Second we examine the moderating effect of MNC subsidiary localization (MSL) on the relationship between CFM and OIM. For this purpose, we set hypotheses on the relationship among CFM, OIM, and MSL. To verify theses hypotheses, we conducted hierarchical regression analysis on the data from 374 HCNs in 56 MNC subsidiaries. The results of this study are as follows: Frist, CFM positively affects OIM. Second, there is a significant moderating effect of MSL on the relationship between CFM and OIM. Our findings have critical implications in that a subsidiary-level variable that has a significant impact on organizational identification with MNC is presented and in that specific managerial guidelines for subsidiaries can be drawn.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.61-78
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• 2018

Foreign subsidiary operation modes can be broadly divided into horizontal subsidiaries and vertical subsidiaries. According to institutional theory, foreign subsidiary operation mode differs depending on the host country institution. This study examines the effects of formal and informal institution on the foreign subsidiary operational mode of Korean firms. As a result of the empirical analysis, the higher the cultural distance and the lower political risks, the more favored the vertical foreign operation mode than the horizontal foreign operation mode. On the other hand, the higher the economic freedom and the lower corruption, the more favored the horizontal foreign operation mode than the vertical foreign operation mode.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.108-127
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• 2021

Purpose - On the basis of knowledge transfer theory, we empirically explored how three types of human resource (HR) innovation knowledge exchange within a Chaebol drive the global subsidiary performance of the headquarters (HQ) of a Chaebol's globally affiliated companies. Design/methodology - Using a sample of 176 Korean HQ firms of the top 53 Chaebols and 1,061 of their foreign manufacturing subsidiaries (n = 1,061), we tested the relationship between the exchange of explorative and exploitative sustainable HR innovation knowledge among HQ firms of Chaebols, their subsequent transfer of technical HR knowledge via technical schemas, and the subsequent impact on the global subsidiary performance. Findings - The Chaebols' decisions about the three strategic knowledge management options (i.e., the degree of exchange of explorative and exploitative technological HR innovation knowledge and the extent of HQ-subsidiary HR knowledge transfer) have highly significant relationships with the global subsidiary performance. The results help explains the conditions under which the explorative versus exchange of exploitative sustainable HR innovation knowledge pays off by showing the moderating role of the degree of HQ-to-subsidiary technical HR knowledge transfer, at least in the case of the Chaebol as one representative type of the emerging-market business groups. Originality/value - As the first of its kind in the field of sustainable HR innovation knowledge management at the business group level, the present study makes a clear contribution in demonstrating how the performance of Chaebols' manufacturing subsidiaries depends greatly on their strategy for management of knowledge, as reflected in the choices they make about sharing both explorative and exploitative sustainable HR innovation knowledge among HQ firms and the subsequent transfer of HQ's sustainable HR innovation knowledge to the foreign subsidiaries.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.197-220
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• 2012

This study is to understand those determinants of performance differences of Korean small and medium firm's subsidiaries in Vietnam based on the resource based view. We have visited 21 Korean SME's subsidiaries in Hochiminh city area in Vietnam and interviewed CEO of those subsidiaries for 1-2 hours to make each case. Based on case content analysis, we can get those results that eight management capabilities such as securing competent local managers, clear and smooth communication with local employees, establishing good labor-management relations, raising the rate of factory operation and subcontracting, firm specific quality control system, timely financing, establishing good relationships with local communities, and fostering friendly relations with local public officers are major determinants of performance differences. Also we can know that various factors including local experiences in Vietnam have influenced those management capabilities. To be a high performer in Vietnam, foreign subsidiaries of Korean SMEs have to build and develop major management capabilities continuously.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.15-25
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• 2015

Purpose - There is a lack of research on how much corporate control is sufficient for effective subsidiary business-related decision making. To address this research gap, this study analyzes the impact of the level of control of a Korean corporation's headquarters on its overseas subsidiary performance. Research design, data, methodology - The study's sample comes from the Overseas Korean Business Directory of KOTRA. A multiple regression analysis empirically confirmed the relationship between the headquarters level of control over the subsidiaries and their performance. Results - The results show that the greater an organization's headquarters control over strategic issues, the greater the subsidiary's non-financial performance. However, quick decision-making through decentralization promotes the rapid selection of successful new products that can provide a competitive advantage. Conclusion - This study shows that the impact of control levels on subsidiary performance depends on the type of control involved. Specifically, while low levels of control over operational issues had a positive (+) influence on subsidiary non-financial performance, high control levels led to improved non-financial performance with regard to strategic issues among the subsidiaries.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.55-75
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• 2020

This study examines factors that influence organizational identification of employees who work for foreign multinational corporations in Korea. First, we test whether employee perceptions on leader-member exchange, trust in CEO, and career growth opportunity can influence their organizational identification. second, we also investigate moderation effects of employee perception on subsidiary level factors such as co-operation between the subsidiary and its HQ, firm reputation of the subsidiary, and opportunity to work overseas. 391 survey results from 350 subsidiaries of multinational corporations in Korea has been collected for this study. We found that leader-member exchange, trust in CEO and career growth opportunity had a positive effect on organizational identification of employees who work for foreign subsidiaries of multinational corporations in Korea. We also found partial support for the moderation effects of HQ-subsidiary interrelationship and opportunity to work overseas in the relationship between predictors and organizational identification. With this in mind, I hope this help to reconsider competitiveness of global companies in Korea by increasing organizational identification.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.29-40
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• 2020

Korean firms have been vigorously searching and exploring overseas market opportunities through export and overseas investment. As of end of 2019, there were more than 80,000 Korean overseas subsidiaries all over the world. With Korean overseas direct investment increasing recently, it became one of the important issues for overseas investors to be successful in the global market. There are a lot of studies on factors influencing the performance of overseas subsidiaries such as 'firm' and 'country' factors. This study empirically examines subsidiary performance determinants with 'industry architectures' by using a sample of 292 overseas Korean firm subsidiaries. Industry architectures are the stable but evolving sets of rules and roles through which labor is divided within a sector. This article considers how industry architectures shape success in international expansion. Industry architectures differ between countries, are not necessarily technologically determined, shape firms' capabilities and their competitive environment, and constitute a distinct level of analysis. We extract antecedents of related theory and empirically test its impact with a survey of Korean firms expanding in emerging economies. We would say this is the first study which tries to focus on industry architectures with the performance of Korean overseas subsidiaries. We find that separability and similarity of industry architectures across countries and localization of subsidiaries are robust and important predictors of success in international expansion. Our results suggest that industry architectures should be added to firm and country as an intermediate level of analysis that helps explain success in international expansion. While we established a pattern, much more remains to be done. We focus on the success of foreign operations, but we do not consider the broader benefits of going abroad, such as the learning or network effects that accrue at the level of the entire firm. The next obvious question is whether the results would differ in the developed market context. These we leave for future research to consider.

• 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.