• 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.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.137-154
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• 2008

The increase of the supply of medical service and the increase of hospitals have intensified the competition of hospitals, and the advancement towards internationalization in the opening of medical industry has triggered the infinite competition of medical profession. In addition, the high expectation of customers and quality improvement in the medical care in accordance with the improvement of overall income, and the change of active role of medical consumers according to the popularization and the improvement of rights awareness reflect the customer needs and choice in the medical service. Customers wanted to receive the kind and pleasant service under the up-to-date medical service. Therefore, as a solution, hospital coordinators were emerged for the purpose of smooth treatment and customer satisfaction by generalizing all service of hospital. Accordingly, this thesis attempted to investigate the effect of hospital coordinator education curriculum on the education satisfaction and the quality of medical service. In order to solve the purpose of this study, I, author reviewed the existing literatures, established hypothesis, and verified hypothesis by using the variety of statistics techniques such as reliability, validity, frequency analysis, and regression analysis. The verification of hypothesis is as followings: First, among education training factors of hospital coordinators, the quality of instructor significantly affects the satisfaction of hospital coordinator education training. Second, among training factors of hospital coordinator, the attitude of trainee significantly affects the training satisfaction of hospital coordinator. Third, among education training factors of hospital coordinator, education course significantly affects the training satisfaction of hospital coordinator education. As the qualities of instructor are better equipped, the satisfaction of education becomes higher. It indicates that the education method of instructors is important as an index to represent the qualities of instructor such as the appropriateness of education method, preparation, passion, visual materials, the adequacy of education procession, and specialized knowledge, and it has important effect on the satisfaction of education. In order to enhance the satisfaction of hospital coordinator education, the creation of education environment, making trainee concentrate on the education, is required by appropriately allocating programs, arousing interest in education, based on the attitude of trainee, discussion, and preliminary programs, preparation, ahead of enforcement of education. Fourth, the satisfaction of hospital coordinator education training significantly affects the reliability among the qualities of medical service. Fifth, satisfaction of hospital coordinator education training significantly affects hospitality I kindness among the qualities of medical service. If the education satisfaction of trainee is high, it is effective in the practical application such as dealing with complaints, the duty performance for the patients, and so on in offering the medical service, related to reliability and furthermore, we can find the positive change in the attitude change of medical professions related to the reliability of hospital coordinator. In addition, in the process of offering medical services such as the kind explanation on the duty, rapid response to the customers inquiry, and tidy uniform, practical effect was verified. Sixth, the education training factor of hospital coordinator significantly affects the reliability among the quality of medical service. Seventh, the education training factors of hospital coordinator significantly affect hospitality/kindness. In the education of hospital coordinator, the methods to attract the interest of trainee by emphasizing reliability should be sought and for gaining the practical effect of hospital coordinator education, the sufficient preparation and investigation on the education curriculum should be prerequisite and under this condition, intensified discussion on the instructor and education course is needed. In the design of education course, more education hours and subjects should be allocated in the part of hospitality in order to improve the practical application of hospitality. Therefore, it is meaningful in a sense that this study newly approached the components of hospital coordinator education and the need to modify the quality components of medical service in accordance with the study subjects was raised. This study also finds its meaning in that it provides basic materials for the study of future hospital coordinator education by suggesting the system development model of hospital coordinator education through preliminary study of education training. In addition, this study is meaningful in the aspect that it suggested the direction of education training by showing how the hospital coordinator education training would applied to the hospital coordinator course of the Continuing Education Center at Pusan and Kyungnam National University to some extent. Since all investigation of this study was approached from the side of hospital coordinator, the thoughts of patients who are beneficiaries of medical service, and care givers cannot be identified. Therefore, the satisfaction of patients and care givers through the experience of medical service, which is the essential prerequisite of medical service, should be importantly considered and investigated. Accordingly, The study of comparing and analyzing the views of both patients and care givers should be carried out in the future.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.61-118
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• 2008

The purpose of this research is to construct research framework for international franchising based on existing literature and to identify research components in the framework. Franchise can be defined as management styles that allow franchisee use various management assets of franchisor in order to make or sell product or service. It can be divided into product distribution franchise that is designed to sell products and business format franchise that is designed for running it as business whatever its form is. International franchising can be defined as a way of internationalization of franchisor to foreign country by providing its business format or package to franchisee of host country. International franchising is growing fast for last four decades but academic research on this is quite limited. Especially in Korea, research about international franchising is carried out on by case study format with single case or empirical study format with survey based on domestic franchise theory. Therefore, this paper tries to review existing literature on international franchising research, providing research framework, and then stimulating new research on this field. International franchising research components include motives and environmental factors for decision of expanding to international franchising, entrance modes and development plan for international franchising, contracts and management strategy of international franchising, and various performance measures from different perspectives. First, motives of international franchising are fee collection from franchisee. Also it provides easier way to expanding to foreign country. The other motives including increase total sales volume, occupying better strategic position, getting quality resources, and improving efficiency. Environmental factors that facilitating international franchising encompasses economic condition, trend, and legal or political factors in host and/or home countries. In addition, control power and risk management capability of franchisor plays critical role in successful franchising contract. Final decision to enter foreign country via franchising is determined by numerous factors like history, size, growth, competitiveness, management system, bonding capability, industry characteristics of franchisor. After deciding to enter into foreign country, franchisor needs to set entrance modes of international franchising. Within contractual mode, there are master franchising and area developing franchising, licensing, direct franchising, and joint venture. Theories about entrance mode selection contain concepts of efficiency, knowledge-based approach, competence-based approach, agent theory, and governance cost. The next step after entrance decision is operation strategy. Operation strategy starts with selecting a target city and a target country for franchising. In order to finding, screening targets, franchisor needs to collect information about candidates. Critical information includes brand patent, commercial laws, regulations, market conditions, country risk, and industry analysis. After selecting a target city in target country, franchisor needs to select franchisee, in other word, partner. The first important criteria for selecting partners are financial credibility and capability, possession of real estate. And cultural similarity and knowledge about franchisor and/or home country are also recognized as critical criteria. The most important element in operating strategy is legal document between franchisor and franchisee with home and host countries. Terms and conditions in legal documents give objective information about characteristics of franchising agreement for academic research. Legal documents have definitions of terminology, territory and exclusivity, agreement of term, initial fee, continuing fees, clearing currency, and rights about sub-franchising. Also, legal documents could have terms about softer elements like training program and operation manual. And harder elements like law competent court and terms of expiration. Next element in operating strategy is about product and service. Especially for business format franchising, product/service deliverable, benefit communicators, system identifiers (architectural features), and format facilitators are listed for product/service strategic elements. Another important decision on product/service is standardization vs. customization. The rationale behind standardization is cost reduction, efficiency, consistency, image congruence, brand awareness, and competitiveness on price. Also standardization enables large scale R&D and innovative change in management style. Another element in operating strategy is control management. The simple way to control franchise contract is relying on legal terms, contractual control system. There are other control systems, administrative control system and ethical control system. Contractual control system is a coercive source of power, but franchisor usually doesn't want to use legal power since it doesn't help to build up positive relationship. Instead, self-regulation is widely used. Administrative control system uses control mechanism from ordinary work relationship. Its main component is supporting activities to franchisee and communication method. For example, franchisor provides advertising, training, manual, and delivery, then franchisee follows franchisor's direction. Another component is building franchisor's brand power. The last research element is performance factor of international franchising. Performance elements can be divided into franchisor's performance and franchisee's performance. The conceptual performance measures of franchisor are simple but not easy to obtain objectively. They are profit, sale, cost, experience, and brand power. The performance measures of franchisee are mostly about benefits of host country. They contain small business development, promotion of employment, introduction of new business model, and level up technology status. There are indirect benefits, like increase of tax, refinement of corporate citizenship, regional economic clustering, and improvement of international balance. In addition to those, host country gets socio-cultural change other than economic effects. It includes demographic change, social trend, customer value change, social communication, and social globalization. Sometimes it is called as westernization or McDonaldization of society. In addition, the paper reviews on theories that have been frequently applied to international franchising research, such as agent theory, resource-based view, transaction cost theory, organizational learning theory, and international expansion theories. Resource based theory is used in strategic decision based on resources, like decision about entrance and cooperation depending on resources of franchisee and franchisor. Transaction cost theory can be applied in determination of mutual trust or satisfaction of franchising players. Agent theory tries to explain strategic decision for reducing problem caused by utilizing agent, for example research on control system in franchising agreements. Organizational Learning theory is relatively new in franchising research. It assumes organization tries to maximize performance and learning of organization. In addition, Internalization theory advocates strategic decision of direct investment for removing inefficiency of market transaction and is applied in research on terms of contract. And oligopolistic competition theory is used to explain various entry modes for international expansion. Competency theory support strategic decision of utilizing key competitive advantage. Furthermore, research methodologies including qualitative and quantitative methodologies are suggested for more rigorous international franchising research. Quantitative research needs more real data other than survey data which is usually respondent's judgment. In order to verify theory more rigorously, research based on real data is essential. However, real quantitative data is quite hard to get. The qualitative research other than single case study is also highly recommended. Since international franchising has limited number of applications, scientific research based on grounded theory and ethnography study can be used. Scientific case study is differentiated with single case study on its data collection method and analysis method. The key concept is triangulation in measurement, logical coding and comparison. Finally, it provides overall research direction for international franchising after summarizing research trend in Korea. International franchising research in Korea has two different types, one is for studying Korean franchisor going overseas and the other is for Korean franchisee of foreign franchisor. Among research on Korean franchisor, two common patterns are observed. First of all, they usually deal with success story of one franchisor. The other common pattern is that they focus on same industry and country. Therefore, international franchise research needs to extend their focus to broader subjects with scientific research methodology as well as development of new theory.