• Journal of Korea Society of Digital Industry and Information Management
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.73-86
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to examine a security investment for firms experienced in confidential information leak. Information security is an apparatus for protection of secret information. The competence of information security is a competitiveness to avoid information leakage in changing business environment. The type of information security is divided into administrative security, technical security and physical security. It is necessary to improve the incident correspondence competence through information security investment of the three types. Therefore, the investment of information security is to enhance information-asset protection of firms. To reinforce accident response competence, an organization discussed an establishment, security technology development, expand investment and legal system of the security system. I have studied empirically targeting the only information leak of firms. This data is a technical security competence and technology leakage situation of firms happened in 2010. During recovery of the DDos virus damage on countries, company and individual, the collected data signify a reality of information security. The data also identify a security competence of firms worrying information security management. According to the study, the continuous investment of information security has a high competence of accident correspondence. In addition, the most of security accidents showed a copy and stealing of paper and computer files. Firm on appropriate security investment is an accident correspondence competence higher than no security investment regardless of a large, small and medium-sized, and venture firm. Furthermore, the rational security investment should choose the three security type consideration for firm size.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.60-78
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• 2023

Purpose - The study analyzed 90 online firms worldwise and observed them for ten years to investigate their investments and firm performance variabilities. This study attemped to verify the existence of agency problems in online firms. Through this, the paper intends to expand the scope of research in the fields of investment and firm value both empirically and in theory. This study also attempted to supplement the insufficient logic of previous studies by analyzing the relationship between investment and profitability. Design/methodology - In this study, the investment is subdivided into over-, under-, and neutral investments, and an empirical analysis of the firm performance was conducted. As investment generally has long-term effects, the impact of a firm's investment on future firm performance and variabilities in firm performance was considered over the short-and medium-term period. Findings - It was found that there was a negative relationship between firms with an overinvestment and future firm performance. Underinvestment has no clear statistically significant results on firm performance. This implies that overinvestment causes more reduction in future firm performance than underinvestment. It was also found that underinvestment and overinvestment significantly increased the variability of firm performance. A positive significance was found between under- and over- investment with a variability of 3 years and overinvestment with a variability of 4 years in the future. A negative relationship was found between neutral investment propensity and future performance variabilities. Neutral investment has less effect on the future performance variability of a firm than a firm's overinvestment and underinvestment. For online firms, underinvestment and overinvestment have a greater effect on the firm's future performance variability than neutral investment. Originality/value - The agency theory predicts that information asymmetry and adverse selection problems exacerbate conflicts of interest among stakeholders, thus firm performance. The study contributed to accumulating research on online firms that are currently underexplored by analyzing the investment behavior of major firms in the online industry.

• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.123-147
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• 1990

This paper examines the changing geography of producer service industries in the 1980s. The foci of this study are to analyze the regional distribution of each producer services, and to reveal the spatial linkage of producer services. Further this paper asserts the potential role of producer services for reducing the potential endogenous development in the periphery. During the 1981-86 period, producer service industries grew more rapidly than other service sectors and manufacturing sector. The main reason of the raid growth of producer services is attributable to an increase in demand for intermediate services from manufacturing firms. In order to compete an increasingly complex business environment, firms have expanded the amount of effort devoted to activities such as planning, coordination and control, and consequently have increased their use of producer services. The most distinctive feature of the location of producer services is spatial concentration into Seoul and surrounding region. Especially the degree of the concentration o business services into the Capital Region has been accelerating during the 1990s. The pattern of employment growth and regional distribution of producer services show a clear core / periphery disparity. Much of the regional inequality in producer services is largely due to variation in demand associated with the pattern of corporation headquarters with the pattern of corporation headquarters and branch plants location with large manufacturing firms. The analysis of spatial division of labor reflects that producer services are related to the location of headquarters in manufacturing industry. Headquarters in manufacturing firms and business service firms tend to cluster each other. Most of the headquarters spatially separated from branch offices are clustered heavily in Seoul. Especially headquarters of business services and insurance services are overwhelmingly concentrated into Seoul. The firms whose headquarters are located in Seoul have a linkage pattern on a nationwide scale. It is viewed have little potential for generating local multiplier effects and regional development. In the light of the result of this study, producer services are not likely to disperse soon to peripheral regions. Consequently the absence of policies directed at enhancing producer sevice in the periphery, concentration tendency would continue to reinforce the core's dominance at the expense of peripheral regions. From a regional perspective, the quality of a region's producer service sector is a key determinant of economic growth, since manu industrial location decisions are influenced by the differential availability of producer services among regions. Poor performance of producer services in peripheral regions seemed to be linked to the region's manufacturing base. Low-wage, standardized branch plants are not likely to induce the growth in knowledge intensive services associated with high-technology corporate headquarters. Producer services may help to create and attract new business including manufacturing firms, and also to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of local firms. Therefore the provision of service producing activities would be lead not only to generate and retain endogenous development but also to attract external firms, especially small and medium sized firms which have a lower propensity of internalized services. Hence, it may be more efficient to create and expanse new locally owned producer services rather than to attract branch plants of mult-locational firms in order to make indigenous economic development.

• Korean small business review
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.1-33
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• 2021

This study explores differential value implications of R&D expenditure across firms, especially in terms of growth potential of small businesses. Analyzing Korean listed firms for the period from 1982 to 2014, we document the followings. First, large firms, defined as the top quintile group based on market capitalization, have spent higher R&D expenditure compared to small (bottom quintile group) and medium (middle quintile groups) firms and the difference between groups has enlarged over time. Relatedly, the persistence of R&D spending, measured by the association between current R&D expenditure and cumulative future R&D expenditure over the next five years, is lowest in small firms. Second, R&D of large (small) firms are more (less) likely to generate operating profits over the next five years. Additional analyses suggest that the relation between R&D and gross margin is strongest in large firms, suggesting that R&D underlies their competitiveness in the product market. Third, small firms have borne the highest uncertainty related to R&D investment proxied by the association between current R&D and volatility of future earnings. As a result, the likelihood of R&D leading to future patents is also lowest in small firms. Fourth, the probability of moving up to the next size group within the next five years is significantly lower in small firms than others. Finally, we find that the divergence in R&D expenditure between large and small firms is positively associated with product market concentration. Overall, our findings confirm the small business growth trap in relation to R&D investment.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.81-89
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• 2013

Purpose - The market orientation of a manufacturer is a very critical competitive advantage factor in the development of new markets and the sustainability and maintenance of existing ones, achieved through the design of customer-oriented products. This is recognized as a virtuous circle, in which firms grow by means of promoting quality management. However, though market-oriented activities are important in management and operations, they seem to be promoted mainly by large-scale enterprises rather than by small- and medium-scale firms, the latter having invested relatively few company resources. Furthermore, few studies and analyses have examined how market orientation relates to the expansion of quality programs within organizations or with business performance; the market orientation and customer-orientation concepts are mixed together when both are used in research. Given the current market situation in which the servitization of manufacturing firms is rapidly expanding, this study's analysis of the effect on market orientation of manufacturers is a significant contribution. From this perspective, this study has several objectives. First, is to analyze and suggest the relationship between market orientation and quality management activity for manufacturers, focusing on three sub-activities: products, process, and quality management activities. Second, it is intended to identify correlation between manufacturers' market oriented activity and their management performance and then to analyze how market orientation affects business performance. The results of a number of prior studies on the correlation between market orientation and management performance have indicated that market orientation does affect management performance. Third, this study also investigates whether any differences in the relationship among market orientation, quality management activity and business performance occur according to company size. The results are used to present operational suggestions for large- and small- and medium-size firms. Research design, data, methodology - This study seeks to analyze and identify the causal features of the organic relationship among market orientation, quality management, and management performance for Korean manufacturing companies using three years (2005-2007) of market orientation, quality management, and business performance data. Subsequently, structural equation modeling was used to analyze the causal features of related factors and it aims to identify the features of market orientation, quality management, and business performance. Results - The analysis examined how market orientation affected the quality management and management performance of 159 smalland medium-size companies. In particular, enterprise quality management was analyzed in relation to management performance with a focus on activities such as leadership, measurement and improvement, quality control, cost management, and process management. Conclusions - The result of the analysis show that market orientation significantly affected all of the quality management activities and that market orientation in turn significantly affected organizational performance. The result of analysis indicate that quality management activities have a significant effect on quality control and cost management.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.159-168
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship of MOT and NPD performance in medium-sized manufacturing firms. To accomplish the purpose of the study, working hypotheses were established based on the literatures about the impacts of MOT factors on the NPD performance. The sample of this study is as follows : 12 electrical and electronics companies, 18 machine and engineering companies, 16 parts and materials companies. In order to verify hypotheses, the data were collected from team leader and manager of research center, R&D, and production department of these companies and the leader of R&D project team who all had experience in project or were participating in it in latest 3 years. The results of study were summarized as follows : First, in analysis on the reality of MOT factors in sample firms, will of top management level on the MOT was comparatively high but relatedness of business strategy and technology strategy, open R&D system, systematic time scheduling, management of R&D manpower, and developing and adapting PLM system were common level. Second, to improve NPD performance in medium-sized manufacturing firms, will of top management level on the MOT, relatedness of business strategy and technology strategy, open R&D system, systematic time scheduling, management of R&D manpower, and developing and adapting PLM system were intensively required.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.28-36
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• 2009

While existing literature has focused extensively on the strengths and weaknesses of the Chaebol and their ownership and governance, there have been few studies of Korean non-Chaebol firms. However, Lee, Lee and Pennings (2001) did not specifically investigate the competitive strategies that non-Chaebol firms use to survive against the Chaebol in the domestic Korean market. The motivation of this paper is to document, through four exploratory case studies, the successful competitive strategies of non-Chaebol Korean companies against the Chaebol and then offer some propositions that may be useful to other entrepreneurial firms as well as public policy makers. Competition and cooperation as conceptualized by product similarity and cooperative inter.firm relationship respectively, are major dimensions of firm.level marketing strategy. From these two dimensions, we develop the following $2{\times}2$ matrix, with 4 types of competitive strategies for non-Chaebol companies against the Chaebol (Fig. 1.). The non-Chaebol firm in Cell 1 has a "me-too" product for the low-end market while conceding the high-end market to a Chaebol. In Cell 2, the non-Chaebol firm partners with a Chaebol company, either as a supplier or complementor. In Cell 3, the non-Chaebol firm engages in direct competition with a Chaebol. In Cell 4, the non-Chaebol firm targets an unserved part of the market with an innovative product or service. The four selected cases such as E.Rae Electronics Industry Company (Co-exister), Intops (Supplier), Pantech (Competitor) and Humax (Niche Player) are analyzed to provide each strategy with richer insights. Following propositions are generated based upon our conceptual framework: Proposition 1: Non-Chaebol firms that have a cooperative relationship with a Chaebol will perform better than firms that do not. Proposition 1a; Co-existers will perform better than Competitors. Proposition 1b: Partners (suppliers or complementors) will perform better than Niche players. Proposition 2: Firms that have no product similarity with a Chaebol will perform better than firms that have product similarity. Proposition 2a: Partners (suppliers or complementors) will perform better than Co.existers. Proposition 2b: Niche players will perform better than Competitors. Proposition 3: Niche players should perform better than Co-existers. Proposition 4: Performance can be rank.ordered in descending order as Partners, Niche Players, Co.existers, Competitors. A team of experts was constituted to categorize each of these 216 non-Chaebol companies into one of the 4 cells in our typology. Simple Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in SPSS statistical software was used to test our propositions. Overall findings are that it is better to have a cooperative relationship with a Chaebol and to offer products or services differentiated from a Chaebol. It is clear that the only profitable strategy, on average, to compete against the Chaebol is to be a partner (supplier or complementor). Competing head on with a Chaebol company is a costly strategy not likely to pay off for a non-Chaebol firm. Strategies to avoid head on competition with the Chaebol by serving niche markets with differentiated products or by serving the low-end of the market ignored by the Chaebol are better survival strategies. This paper illustrates that there are ways in which small and medium Korean non-Chaebol firms can thrive in a Chaebol environment, though not without risks. Using different combinations of competition and cooperation firms may choose particular positions along the product similarity and cooperative relationship dimensions to develop their competitive strategies-co-exister, competitor, partner, niche player. Based on our exploratory case-study analysis, partner seems to be the best strategy for non-Chaebol firms while competitor appears to be the most risky one. Niche players and co-existers have intermediate performance, though the former do better than the latter. It is often the case with managers of small and medium size companies that they tend to view market leaders, typically the Chaebol, with rather simplistic assumptions of either competition or collaboration. Consequently, many non-Chaebol firms turn out to be either passive collaborators or overwhelmed competitors of the Chaebol. In fact, competition and collaboration are not mutually exclusive, and can be pursued at the same time. As suggested in this paper, non-Chaebol firms can actively choose to compete and collaborate, depending on their environment, internal resources and capabilities.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.373-390
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• 2006

In knowledge-based economies, the facilitation of knowledge diffusion among R&D performing actors has become the most important factor for the growth of national science and technology. Korea has strived for revitalizing R&D partnerships between public and private sectors since 1970, but results of KIS (Korean innovation survey) data analysis show that R&D cooperation with public institute or academic sector are not a great help to Korean firm's innovation on the whole. Especially, in small and medium sized firm, R&D partnerships with public sector do not have positive influence on their innovation. This implies policies of activating R&D partnership should be formulated based on firm's cooperation demand. In addition to this, discriminatory cooperation plans between large firms and small and medium sized firms are needed to raise the effectiveness of R&D partnership.

• Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.107-136
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• 2014

This study aims to suggest research implications that may contribute to preventing turnover of personnel in small and medium sized software companies. A research model is developed based on the Bergiel, et al. (2009) and Woo and Hwang (2010). This model describes how human resource management (HRM) practices (compensation, recognition, job autonomy, technical capability development, work-life conflict) affect turnover intention, through the mediating effects of job satisfaction and job embeddedness. 177 questionnaires are collected and analyzed. Validity and reliability of measures, and appropriateness of the structural model are verified. Results of the hypotheses testing are somewhat different from the expected ones: Only compensation and technical capability development are significant, but the remaining variables are not significant in affecting job satisfaction and job embeddedness. As for turnover intention, job embeddedness and job satisfaction are proved to be significant predictors. From the analyses of data, subsequent interview with several respondents and additional data analyses, more research implications are derived. The study has a limitation of not including more diverse variables that might affect job embeddedness and job satisfaction of so called road warriors.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.309-316
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• 2020

This research aims to revisit the hypothesis that bribery hurts firm performance in the context of a perceptibly corrupt country. Specifically, we use micro-data from Vietnamese small and medium firm surveys in 2013 and 2015 to examine whether bribery impedes firm revenue growth and labor productivity growth. An issue arising in this type of research is the potential endogeneity between firm bribing behaviors and firm performance. To go around the issue, we follow the literature to instrument bribery variable with the average probability of bribery in other provinces. We further employ the Analysis of Variance technique (ANOVA) to unveil if the effect of bribery is dependent on bribing purposes. The regression results show that firm performance is significantly influenced by firm size, firm age and firm bribing behavior. Larger firms are more likely to grow faster while firm performance tends to be negatively related to firm age. Particularly, we find that bribery significantly impedes firm revenue growth and labor productivity growth. The analysis of variance shows that the effect of bribery on firm performance may vary across bribing purposes. Our findings, therefore, support the sand-the-wheels hypothesis that bribery hurts firm performance even in a highly corrupt business environment.