• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.91-116
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• 1991

Market liberalization progressing simultaneously with high and rapidly rising domestic wages has created an adverse business environment for domestic firms. Korean firms are losing their international competitiveness in comparison to firms from LDC(Less Developed Countries) in low-tech industries. In high-tech industries, domestic firms without government protection (which is impossible due to the liberalization policy and the current international status of the Korean economy) are in a disadvantaged position relative to firms from advanced countries. This paper examines the division of roles between the private sector and the government in order to achieve a successful structural adjustment, which has become the impending industrial policy issue caused by high domestic wages, on the one hand, and the opening of domestic markets, on the other. The micro foundation of the economy-wide structural adjustment is actually the restructuring of business portfolios at the firm level. The firm-level business restructuring means that firms in low-value-added businesses or with declining market niches establish new major businesses in higher value-added segments or growing market niches. The adjustment of the business structure at the firm level can only be accomplished by accumulating firm-specific managerial assets necessary to establish a new business structure. This can be done through learning-by-doing in the whole system of management, including research and development, manufacturing, and marketing. Therefore, the voluntary cooperation among the people in the company is essential for making the cost of the learning process lower than that at the competing companies. Hence, firms that attempt to restructure their major businesses need to induce corporate-wide participation through innovations in organization and management, encourage innovative corporate culture, and maintain cooperative labor unions. Policy discussions on structural adjustments usually regard firms as a black box behind a few macro variables. But in reality, firm activities are not flows of materials but relationships among human resources. The growth potential of companies are embodied in the human resources of the firm; the balance of interest among stockholders, managers, and workers of the company' brings the accumulation of the company's core competencies. Therefore, policymakers and economists shoud change their old concept of the firm as a technological black box which produces a marketable commodities. Firms should be regarded as coalitions of interest groups such as stockholders, managers, and workers. Consequently the discussion on the structural adjustment both at the macroeconomic level and the firm level should be based on this new paradigm of understanding firms. The government's role in reducing the cost of structural adjustment and supporting should the creation of new industries emphasize the following: First, government must promote the competition in domestic markets by revising laws related to antitrust policy, bankruptcy, and the promotion of small and medium-sized companies. General consensus on the limitations of government intervention and the merit of deregulation should be sought among policymakers and people in the business world. In the age of internationalization, nation-specific competitive advantages cannot be exclusively in favor of domestic firms. The international competitiveness of a domestic firm derives from the firm-specific core competencies which can be accumulated by internal investment and organization of the firm. Second, government must build up a solid infrastructure of production factors including capital, technology, manpower, and information. Structural adjustment often entails bankruptcies and partial waste of resources. However, it is desirable for the government not to try to sustain marginal businesses, but to support the diversification or restructuring of businesses by assisting in factor creation. Institutional support for venture businesses needs to be improved, especially in the financing system since many investment projects in venture businesses are highly risky, even though they are very promising. The proportion of low-value added production processes and declining industries should be reduced by promoting foreign direct investment and factory automation. Moreover, one cannot over-emphasize the importance of future-oriented labor policies to be based on the new paradigm of understanding firm activities. The old laws and instititutions related to labor unions need to be reformed. Third, government must improve the regimes related to money, banking, and the tax system to change business practices dependent on government protection or undesirable in view of the evolution of the Korean economy as a whole. To prevent rational business decisions from contradicting to the interest of the economy as a whole, government should influence the business environment, not the business itself.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.1-12
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• 2014

It is essential factor for business operation to raise funds effectively. However, in Korea, many start-ups and small businesses have difficulties in fund-raising. In recent years, crowdfunding, a new method for funding a project of individuals or organizations by raising monetary contributions from a large number of people, has been growing up simultaneously with diffusion of social media. Crowdfunding is on early stage in Korea, and the majority of projects are focused on cultural or art categories. There is high proportion of projects that have social value in start-up sector. Crowdfunding in Korea has great potential because success rate of it is much higher than its of advanced countries, although market size is much smaller than them. The purpose of this paper is to propose success strategies of crowdfunding for start-up through case study. 5 crowdfunding platforms of Korea and Kickstarter, the platform of United States were investigated. Then we checked the figures related to the operation of the whole Korean projects on start-up. Finally, we made comparison between the cases of success and failure by analyzing 8 project characteristics. The study shows that it were the differences in trustworthiness and activeness of project creator, value of reward and efforts for interactivity that have great effects on success of the project. Whereas there was no significant influence of societal contribution and sponsor engagement. The thesis provides success strategies of crowdfunding for start-up as follows. Firstly, creator of the project should make support base by enthusiastic activites before launching funding project. Secondly, there should be contents that can easily show the process of business development in the project information. Thirdly, there must be appropriate design of rewards for each amounts of support money. Finally, efforts for interactivity, such as frequent updates, response for comments and SNS posting, should be followed after the launch of the project.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.119-132
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• 2014

This study analyzed the failure prediction model of the firms listed on the KOSDAQ by considering whether there are embezzlement, malpractice and the largest shareholder changes or not. This study composed a total of 166 firms by using two-paired sampling method. For sample of failed firm, 83 manufacturing firms which delisted on KOSDAQ market for 4 years from 2009 to 2012 are selected. For sample of normal firm, 83 firms (with same item or same business as failed firm) that are listed on KOSDAQ market and perform normal business activities during the same period (from 2009 to 2012) are selected. This study selected 80 financial ratios for 5 years immediately preceding from delisting of sample firm above and conducted T-test to derive 19 of them which emerged for five consecutive years among significant variables and used forward selection to estimate logistic regression model. While the precedent studies only analyzed the data of three years immediately preceding the delisting, this study analyzes data of five years immediately preceding the delisting. This study is distinct from existing previous studies that it researches which significant financial characteristic influences the insolvency from the initial phase of insolvent firm with time lag and it also empirically analyzes the usefulness of data by building a firm's fail prediction model which considered embezzlement/malpractice and the largest shareholder changes as dummy variable(non-financial characteristics). The accuracy of classification of the prediction model with dummy variable appeared 95.2% in year T-1, 88.0% in year T-2, 81.3% in year T-3, 79.5% in year T-4, and 74.7% in year T-5. It increased as year of delisting approaches and showed generally higher the accuracy of classification than the results of existing previous studies. This study expects to reduce the damage of not only the firm but also investors, financial institutions and other stakeholders by finding the firm with high potential to fail in advance.

• Korean Business Review
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• v.17
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• pp.153-183
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• 2004

The Gaisong Merchants can be regarded to playa pioneering role to activate the Korea's trade with foreign countries. In the early period of Yi-Dynasty, the Gaisong Merchants focused on personal trade, but in the middle period of Yi-Dynasty, they entered to the realm of governmental trade. Furthermore, their business activities widened to various forms of trades, for example, smuggling. Utilizing accumulated capital, Gaisong merchants expanded their trading activities to their neighboring countries such as Japan and China. In recent times, it is necessary for modem Korean companies to diversify risks through the establishment of corporations for production, marketing and R&D abroad or through joint venture, M&A and strategic alliance with foreign companies in order to reduce the risks originated from volatile economic and political situations. In this study, we utilize tools of comparative study to compare Gaisong Merchants' foreign trade strategies with those of modem companies such as AMOREPACIFIC, HANILCEMENT and SHINDORICO. The purpose of the paper is to test the hypothesis that modem Korean companies grew up by following the cases of Gaisong Merchants' business activities. We summarize our main findings as follows. First, both Gaisong Merchants and modem Korean companies have common functional core capability in the field of marketing, manufacturing technology, R&D, and human resources development. Second, both Gaisong Merchants and modem Korean companies have common organizational core capability. Third, both Gaisong Merchants and modem Korean companies have common infrastructures such as planning, finance, accounting and MIS. It constitutes the infrastructure of Korea's foreign trade sector. Fourth, both Gaisong Merchants and modem companies have common organizational culture in the field of management policy and philosophy. Actually, those factors are evaluated to be driving forces of Koera's success in foreign trade. In conclusion, the business activities of Gaisong Merchants who represented the peculiarity of Korean business spirit are partially inherited to current Korean business management. The value system and behavior pattern of modern Korean companies is succeeded from the spirit of Gaisong Merchants and it playa major role to specify the identity of Korean business administration.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.1-41
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• 2008

The Korean semiconductor industry has made a great contribution to growth of Korean economy for the last decades by maintaining a top position in terms of Korean total annual export volume. However, the advanced semiconductor equipment and materials that are used for the production of semiconductor devices still depend on the suppliers from Europe, Japan, and America who have an influential position in the Korean semiconductor industry. The objective of this study is to empirically investigate the attributes determining the extent of autonomy in decision making for the Korean subsidiaries of multinational corporations in the semiconductor industry. This study found there were differences in the extent of autonomy in decision making in terms of the global strategies the multinational corporations pursue. This study surveyed employees at the Korean subsidiaries and joint venture companies of semiconductor multinational corporations and collected 726 survey questionnaires. Several statistical analyses including frequency analysis, reliability analysis, factor analysis, multiple regression analysis and ANOVA were performed using the collected sample data. Based on the analyses, this study found as follows: Firstly, from the factor analysis, this study found Korean subsidiaries faced three sources of uncertainties stemmed from political conditions, competent conditions, demand and supply conditions. The internal resources were characterized by the independencies of production capability, financial capability, marketing capability and human resource management capability. The operational performance was determined by total revenue, net profit and market share growth. Secondly, it was found the uncertainties from political condition and competent condition and the independencies of financial capability and marketing capability partially influenced the extent of autonomy in decision making. The independencies of production capability and human resource management capability significantly influenced the autonomy of decision making in the most areas. It was also found an increase of total revenue, net profit and market share growth partially affected the extent of autonomy in decision making of the Korean subsidiaries. Finally, it was found that the polycentrism of global management by multinational corporations seemed to bring a higher extent of autonomy in decision making than ethnocentrism or geocentrism of global management. Based on the results, this study provided managerial implications regarding the extent of autonomy in decision making for Korean subsidiaries of multinational corporations in order to help management to enhance their business capabilities.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.103-117
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• 2019

Under the uncertainties and the consequent turmoils of the IMF financial crisis in Korea, Hyunsung Techno was founded in 1997 on the basis of automobile press molding which is critical for the quality of automobile. Ever since, Hyunsung Techno has grown rapidly based on the domestic market; however, gradually, it had faced a stalemate in terms of the saturation, on the supply side and the growth limit, on the demand side, of the domestic molding market. Accordingly, Hyunsung pushed for a strategy to localize overseas markets and a new acquisition strategy instead of resting on the domestic mold industry's growth, and the success of these strategies enabled it to leap forward into a global company with five companies including affiliates and 70 billion won in sales. The main reason why Hyunsung Techno evolved from a small and medium-sized manufacturing company into a global businesses is due to the success of Boa Constrictor M&A strategy. Its acquisition strategy is not just a successful case of any acquisition, but a rare, maybe the first domestic case of a successful acquisition of a primary supplier by a secondary supplier. Through the success of this strategy, Hyunsung Techno has achieved a continuous growth of businesses, an increase in sales volume, and expansion into new businesses. And on top of that, this achievements is leading it to be a global conglomerate In this study, Hyunsung Techno's success strategy, which is transformed from a small domestic manufacturing company into a global enterprise, was analyzed in detail with its development stages divided into start-up, overseas expansion, acquisitions, and business diversification. Eventually, this case study is meant to offer strategic implications for other small and medium-sized businesses under the current, gloomy economy of low or zero growth of today.

• 한국벤처창업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.45-75
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• 2006

How much influence does a business plan have on a corporate performance? Whilst previous studies and literatures all assert a strong correlation between the two, very few have actually conducted practical analyses to support that. This study takes an empirical approach in its analysis of Korea' s small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) with the view to finding an answer to the question. A business plan' s components, which have to date been suggested only in theory and in concept, have been selected through the study of literatures and preliminary examination. The selected components were then narrowed down into five factors of productivity, implementation, operational direction, product/service and customer accessibility by applying factor analysis. With which items to measure corporate performance is also an important question as results differ depending on which measurement items were used. For the purpose of this study, corporate performance was classified into effectiveness, adaptability and efficiency to measure how greatly each is influenced by the components of a business plan. Results show that effectiveness and adaptability have a positive (+) influence on corporate performance. The regression model seems to explain effectiveness particularly well. However, different directions of influences were showed in explain power of the research model were not high. And it can be interpreted that implementation of the plan is as important as the establishment of it. Thus a good corporate performance is to be had only under an excellent plan and following an excellent implementation. In most of the companies surveyed, business plans were established regularly led by the intense involvement of the CEO. Such plans were then used in internal operations, such as guiding operational direction and measuring corporate performance. Unlike general expectations, relatively few companies used them in financing from external sources such as banks or venture capitals. These findings are different from previous studies conducted in this field. Also, as market uncertainty was pointed out as the biggest obstacle to business planning. a manager must pay more attention to acquiring external information and knowledge so as to minimize it.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.209-224
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• 2020

This study started from the question of whether the preference of corporate recruitment can be achieved without any difference between the start-up experiencer and the general job seekers. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to identify the factors related to start-ups that affect the preference of job seekers for companies, and to analyze the differences in the factors related to start-ups between general job seekers and job seekers with start-up experience. Third, it is to see the difference in the preference for employment between job seekers with start-up experiences and general job seekers. The independent variables of the research model were entrepreneurship, motivation for start-up (job search), and characteristics of the job seekers (founder). The dependent variables were job preference, and the moderating variables were presented as job seekers' classification (job seekers with start-up experience vs. general job seekers). The subjects of the study were personnel managers of 100 companies with more than 5 years of establishment and 100 new companies with less than 5 years of establishment. The questionnaire was distributed in two types, and 189 respondents, including 101 job seekers with start-up experiences and 88 general job seekers, were finally used for analysis. The results of the study were as follows. First, as a result of multiple regression analysis on both experienced start-up experiencers and general job seekers, only entrepreneurship had an effect on preference for recruitment. Second, the moderating effect of job seekers' classification was found only in the relationship between motivation for start-up and preference for employment. Third, the result of multiple regression analysis based on the start-up experiencers showed that the relationship between the motivation for start-up, the preference for recruitment, the characteristics of founders and the preference for recruitment was statistically significant. On the other hand, the characteristics of the founder and the preference for employment were rejected. Fourth, the results of the study based on general job seekers showed that the motivation for job search decreased the preference for employment. The study did not provide the results of differences in recognition between different industries, traditional enterprises and venture businesses due to the limitation of small examples. There is no clear definition of start-up experiencers either. However, it is meaningful to suggest the implications of what preparations should be made when the start-up experiencers close their start-ups and turn their career into employment and to help them to accurately recognize the importance of entrepreneurship. It also provides the preference of the general job seekers for the company, the preparation for successful employment, and the implications for the direction of the future start-up revitalization.

• Proceedings of The Korean Society of Health Promotion Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.59-88
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• 2004

' Healthy Japan 21 ' is a new health policy that has been proposed for the 21st century: it embodies a totally new concept for its viewpoints and methods. To start with, for its goal, the focus is placed on the ' quality of life ' or a life that is tree of diseases, rather than mere prolongation of life. For its doctrine, the emphasis has shifted dramatically from improving the health of the entire population (the traditional approach for health improvement) to ' achieving an ideal health status for each individual. The ultimate aged society that arrives first in Japan is a society in its ultimate form for human being. Why did Japan become westernized, giving up her traditional culture? Why did she go through industrialization, sacrificing her nature? And why does she try so hard to industrialize the developing countries? These efforts are all preparation for the arrival of a ultimate aged society. During the 20th century, we believed in unlimited possibilities and expanded our social frontier. 1n the 21st century, on the other hand, a super-aged society (the ultimate society), a glimpse of which we have witnessed from time to time, will descend on us sooner or later. It is expected to arrive first in Japan. ' Healthy Japan 21 ' is intended to prepare for the arrival of the hitherto unheard of super-aged society by building the physiological basis of people. This policy is social experimentation on an immense social scale, in which questions are posed on the understanding of health, the relationship between individuals and society, the relationship between administration and citizens, the manner by which central and local governments operate, and the new relationship between prevention and therapy. ' Healthy Japan 21 ' may be summarized as an experiment on a huge scale directed to the ultimate form of human society, in which Japan and each of her citizens playa role and set an example for the rest of the world. Even just by considering various approaches newly suggested for this venture, one may be convinced that it is a policy with features suitable for a country that has already achieved the world's highest longevity.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.235-247
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• 2019

In order to achieve the results that are appropriate for the purpose of the enterprise, it is important to comprehensively understand the behaviors within the roles of the members of the organization and actions outside the roles. However, there have been relatively few studies on corporate social responsibility (CSR) among the existing studies that have been conducted to date. In particular, organizational citizenship behavior, a voluntary commitment by organizational members, is perceived as a very effective way of enhancing corporate performance, but studies on organizational citizenship behavior based on corporate social responsibility have rarely been conducted. In recent years, domestic companies have recognized social responsibility as an activity rather than an additional activity. Therefore, it is very meaningful to look at the organizational performance by examining the factors that make up this social responsibility from the perspective of the company. It is considered a task. In order to demonstrate this, this study collected 303 data from a business incubator center operated by universities and public institutions nationwide and used a total of 303 samples. As a result of the verification, the wages received by the members of the organization did not affect the organizational commitment, and the working hours and the working environment affected the organizational commitment. In addition, corporate social responsibility has an effect on organizational trust in the marketing side. Organizational commitment and organizational trust were studied to positively affect organizational citizenship behavior. In addition, this study divides the degree of perception of social responsibility of the organizational members into the high recognition group and the low recognition group and analyzed whether there is a difference in the level of organizational citizenship behavior according to the employment type (regular and irregular workers) The results of this study are as follows.