• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.49-71
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• 2000

This paper looks at "network" aspects of research and development (R'||'&'||'D) with a special focus on small and medium (S'||'&'||'M) automotive part makers in Korea. It throws light on recent changes in the technological capability building mechanism of Korean automotive firms. The Korean automotive firms have mostly built up technological capability from scratch. It is widely acknowledged that they have benefited from two cooperative relations: namely (1) the close cooperative relationship with their own assemblers and (2) technical assistance from auto parts makers abroad. Too much emphasis on these two links can, however, keep us from understanding new developments. This paper argues that auto parts firms have diversified their networks for technological development. It is based on the analysis of the data drawn from the survey on technological development activities of small and medium sized firms, which was carried out by the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business. Many automotive firms have recently increased joint R'||'&'||'D links with university and/or research institution while their reliance on foreign sources have decreased.

• Proceedings of the Safety Management and Science Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.601-616
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• 2009

Small & Medium construction firms have been faced with demand of environmental changes. construction firms have been required to improve their structures to reinforce the competitiveness. so, these firms are making desperate efforts, which are reorganization, renovation, improvement. this study would be emphasized the Quality Management in construction work. For this, It must be supposed a plan to improve a construction organization. The Construction Firm would be executed Quality Management learning, leadership, understanding of Quality Management to construction workers.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.149-172
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• 2009

Service industries nowadays have become the subject of a scientific research. However, unlike research on manufacturing, there has not yet been a broader presentation of important aspects theoretically and methodologically. The importance of service sector in both national and global economies has grown significantly. An active participation of service industries in the internationalization process, notably by licensing and FDI, has occurred over time. But a few sub-sectors still dominate on this process, for example, financial institutions such as banks, securities, and insurance as well as producer services in advertising and accounting. On the other hand, personal services that are owned by small- and medium- sized firm have limited capabilities in their transnational transfer. This paper attempts to examine various factors influencing decisions for these small- and medium- sized Korean beauty firms in entering to the foreign markets. Determining factors for these firms in the engagement of internationalization depends largely on competitive advantages in both domestic and host countries, and they may be different from those in the sub-sectors mentioned above. Based on previous researches, i identified three categories of independent variables(characteristics of firms, managers, and competition) that can influence decisions to enter to the foreign markets. Seven hypotheses have been tested by using a sample of beauty firms in Daegu city and Kyungbuk province. The results show that the intention of these firms to enter to the foreign markets is significantly influenced by the factors of the innovative character of CEO's, the competitiveness of firms, and size of firms.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.163-172
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• 2005

Since the financial turmoil in 1997, both the national and local governments have initiated a variety of policy measures to support small and medium-size firms to strengthen the national and regional economies. It is no doubt that such policies contributed to establish better business environment for them. However, many analytical reports and academic studies in recent years diagnose that the economy conditions for the small and medium-size firms are in crisis because many policy measures are made based on the supply-side approach rather than demand-side consideration. In order for the governments' efforts to be more realistic and effective, it is necessary to see what the policy target groups(that is. the small and medium-size entrepreneurs) want. This study surveyed entrepreneurs in Hwaseung city, Kyonggi-do, which has more than three-thousands of small and medium-size firms. It finds that in spite of locational advantages and a variety of policy supports from the provincial and local governments, they need more financial supports, more effective mass transportation system for commuting workers. less bureaucratic barriers, and so on.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.431-457
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• 2007

The main purpose of this study is to analyze the determinants of innovation in the medium core firms that belong to components and materials industry. For this purpose, we introduce the Schumpeterian hypothesis as a theoretical background at first. According to the Schumpeterian hypothesis, large firms in concentrated markets are likely to have more innovative activities. That means, firm site and market structure are the main determinant of innovation. Then, we propose other economic factors that have been considered to have effects on firms' innovative activities in previous studies. Those factors are export, profit, growth rate, R&D expenditure and capital intensity. In order to analyze the determinants of innovation, we estimate whether firm size, market structure, export, profit, growth rate, R&D expenditure and capital intensity affect to the possibility of creating innovation in medium core firms. In order to do this, our study uses survey data from 'Korean Innovation Survey(2005)' conducted by STEPI as well as utilizes the probit model as an analytical method. According to the empirical results, firm size has a positive relationship with innovative activities of medium core firms but market concentration does not. We find the negative correlation between market concentration and innovative activities in this study. Thus, was have to say that we do not fully support the Schumpeterian hypothesis in this case. Among other variables, profit and R&D expenditure are estimated to have positive relationship with innovative activities, while export and capital intensity are estimated to have negative relationship with innovative activities. In case of growth rate, we do not find any significant relationship with innovative activities. In conclusion, larger firm size, higher market competition, more access to the financial market and additional R&D investment would facilitate innovative activities of medium core firms. However, we have to review the relationship between export and innovative activities that has been estimated in this study. While the estimated effect of export on innovative activities can be explained by the own characteristics of medium core firms that produce and supply capital goods to final manufacturer, we have address this issue in the future.

• Korean Business Review
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• v.13
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• pp.159-178
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• 2000

Tax assistance system in Korea is a one that is designed by the central government to achieve specific policy objectives through the tax relief for economic activities or specific industries, leading to the development of the industries, Thus, the purpose of this study is to see if the government's direct tax assistance system for small and medium manufacturing firms is effective and then to contribute to establishing necessary policies for an effective tax assistance system based on the identification of a direct assistance system that is substantially useful to those firms. T- test was performed to see if there was a difference in tax burden between small and medium manufacturing firms and small and medium non-manufacturing firms and also to see whether the direct assistance system was effective. The results obtained from the statistical analyses are as follows: (1) The tax reduction rule applied to small and medium firms was turned out to be effective based on the fact that the effective tax rates of the small and medium firms to which the rule was applied were, on the average, significantly lower than those of the Listing large corporation which did not receive the tax benefit and also on the fact that the tax savings rates of the small and medium firms which could apply the rule were, on the average, significantly higher than those of the Listing large corporation to which the rule was not applied. (2) The tax credit rule applied to small and medium manufacturing firms was also turned out effective based on the same fact as described in the case of the application of the tax reduction rule.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.186-218
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• 1995

The necessity of installing well adaptable Information Systems are required day by day in all the fields of business management. This paper provides an Information System development for enhancing competitive power of the small and medium-sized firms in Korea. Recent growing Information Technology leads to constructing invisibly some new adaptable Information Systems in accordance with the business size, level, capacity and requirements. Even though some advanced companies and big enterprises are already operating their own appropriate Information Systems so as to get their remarkable productivity at a moment. The rest of those small firms are still trying to find out some proper systems fitting their own business in very poor situations. The basic requirements of the points of views by mail questionaired and interviewed from 1292 small and medium-sized manufacturing firms reflected on this Information System development. As a result, the study introduces some economically efficient, convinient, flexible and useful applied Information Systems with simple methods.

• Proceedings of the Korean Operations and Management Science Society Conference
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.152-156
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• 2008

This study examines the relationships between R&D investment and Market value of Firms using data of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector of Korea. In particular, this paper investigates the role of technology innovation system in the impact of R&D investment on firm's Market value of Firms. Findings from the previous studies on the relationship between R&D investment and Market value of Firms are positive relationship. Main of the previous studies demonstrated a positive impact of R&D investment on Market value of Firms. On the other hand, some recent studies showed this is not the case. Those studies persisted that the technological innovation system for managing and efficiently utilizing R&D investment and capability has to be built in order for R&D investment to give rise to increases in Market value of Firms. According to the Oslo manual by OECD, it is assumed that a technology innovation system can becharacterized as three factors :capability for technological innovation, capability for technology commercialization, capability for technological innovation management. This study divides sample firms into two groups using the "Inno-Biz" certificate system of the Korean Small and Medium Business Administration (SMBA): Inno-Biz firms Vs. Not Inno-Biz firms. The system selects innovative SMEs denoted as "Inno-Biz" using the above factors as criteria. The results revealed that the technology innovation system has the moderating effect to R&D investment on Market value of Firms.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.99-107
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• 2008

Product liability(PL) is the producer's compensation to customers for damage incurred by product defects. This paper studies on the organizational culture, promotion process, system construction, system level, product safety review, product safety assurance, system operation, and its effectiveness and necessity of recognition for the PL system of small and medium-sized firms in Gangwon-Do province. The results show that the firms have product safety regulations, but the number of firms which its employees understand the regulations is less than the number of firms which do not understand. Also the number of firms which is preparing PL prevention and insurance, and counterplan for accidents seems to be not in large numbers.

• Proceedings of the Korean Operations and Management Science Society Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.173-176
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• 2004

Understanding the fact that more spending for R&D is merely a necessity, not a factor of success, managing technological development efforts effectively and efficiently for higher R&D productivity and sustainable growth has become an important issue for contemporary firms. Based on a survey on small- and medium-sized manufacturing firms, this paper explores the relationships of leadership positions, technological contents and acquisition methods of korean firms. This paper has identified several findings from Korean manufacturing firms: (1) five different patterns are identified in the technology strategy of medium-sized companies; (2) a significantly positive relationship exists between a firm's leadership position and the aggressiveness in technological contents of their acquisition methods; (3) a significantly positive relationship of some technology acquisition methods to the firms' leadership position exists,