• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.183-203
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• 2012

This paper investigates how small-medium firms deploy organizational culture, job stability and environmental uncertainty for technological innovation(product and process innovation). This paper suggests that organizational culture has significant effects on technological innovation, that job stability and environmental uncertainty moderate relationship between organizational culture and technological innovation. To test the hypotheses, data were collected from small-medium firms. The survey data of 258 firms were collected and integrated as the empirical base for testing the hypotheses. Major results are as follows: Firstly, when organizational culture as well as control variables are considered, organizational culture had significant and positive effects on product innovation. This result implies that organizational culture is an important means by which small-medium firms can promote innovation. Secondly, the interaction between organizational culture and job stability had a positive and significant effects on product innovation. Thirdly, the interaction between organizational culture and environmental uncertainty had a positive and significant effects on product innovation and process innovation. This paper suggests implications and several future researches need to overcome the limitations of this paper.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.468-479
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• 2014

This paper aims to examine structural relationship between the influence factors of company performance, hypothesizing that strategic orientations and entrepreneurship plays a crucial role in achieving organizational performance in small-medium sized and ventures manufacturing firms. For this research, data were collected from 205 firms. By using Structure Equation Modeling(SEM) method, it was found that competitor orientation, technology orientation directly affect company performance but, customer orientation were not affected company performance. Furthermore, it was also found that the relationship between strategy orientation and company performance is differentiated by entrepreneurship. Especially, this finding confirms that the entrepreneurship moderately affects the relationship between competitor orientation, technology orientation and company performance on the small-medium sized and ventures manufacturing firms.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.121-131
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• 2010

Technological innovation depends on the quality of workers, whose ability is the key component to raise business competitiveness. Our study evaluates how satisfactory is the training of workers at small and medium sized firms, and suggest how to improve upon it. We show the theoretical framework for the relation between customer satisfaction and their behavioral intent on the one side, and factors of training service quality. Our result show: (1) Factors affecting customer satisfaction are, in descending order of importance, expertise, policy, follow-up service, attitude and behavior, and convenience. (2) Contrary to established views on the service quality, satisfaction for training would not be the prerequisite variable for intent to act, in case of training service quality. (3) Satisfaction level for training depends on the type of organization in charge of training (government, university, or private sector.) It also varied among different types of business (L-type, A-type, and J-type.) Small and medium sized firms find it difficult to commit to training education due to lack of money and manpower. The recent expansion of free training service would address part of this problem. On the other hand, the outfit in charge of training could boost service quality by customizing their training program to the type of business they cater to.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.404-413
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• 2021

Small and medium sized firms(SMFs) would form the technology cooperation network with external firms and institutions of owning a variety of technology and knowledge, and according to resource based theory, forming cooperation network is another resource in uncertain business environment. Unlike the related studies, this study examined the effect of individual cooperation activity on innovation performance for SMFs located in Taegu region, and investigated the moderating effect of technology capability in the relationships between individual cooperation activity and innovation performance. In the empirical results, only cooperation research development positively affected innovation performance, and technology capability moderated the relationships between individual cooperation activity and innovation performance. The empirical findings imply that SMFs should do cooperation research development as an intangible asset to overcome the obstacle of development resulted from limited resources, and that SMFs should increase the impact of individual cooperation activity as promoting technology capability.

• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.25-47
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• 2010

Over the past 20 years new and small firms have been identified as significant components of economic strategies for job and wealth creation. Implicit in these strategies has been the search for policies which will increase the supply of new firms, and will encourage established firms' growth. Yet the majority firms spend the whole of their economic life within the small firm sector. The aim of this paper is to suggest a multidimensional approach to the understanding of the comparative characteristics of the small firm by providing evidence as to the factors which describe firms of different sizes, regions and industries. And I discuss in the context of policy options for regional economic development in Korea. The results from the analyses are summarized as follows. The size of the small firms in the sample measured in terms of both number of employees and sales revenue are characterized by regions, export performance and R&D. There is also some indication that growing firms may develop more complex environment. These results are based upon a multi-dimensional analysis of the strategic profile of a sample of small firms using KIS. From this observation of the firms during the data collection period, this is a conclusion that I find intuitively appealing.

• Journal of Information Technology Application
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.103-132
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• 2001

The internet-based business is considered as a new strategic alternative for small-medium size companies. However, very little research about them has been reported. The objectives of this study are to analyze factors influencing the operation for the sites(we call, 'internet shopping mall') which small-and-medium sized firms have built, and to provide the general directions of the successful internee-based business for the small-and-medium sized firms. This paper reports the case studies in which the internet-based electronic commerce practices of 6 small-and-medium sized firms were examined over a 3 month period. In the meantime, this paper reports their present business condition, system environment, positioning, marketing strategy, forward business expectation, and market barrier. This study also focuses on two environmental dimensions of system development; One dimension is on-line only or off-line widened, and the other is self-built or outsourcing. The results found in this study are as follows: 1. The internet shopping mall broadens the company's activity to new business areas. 2. The degree of system outsourcing of the small-medium size company depends on its IT ability and resource capability 3. The marketing strategies on their internet shopping mall differentiate with their business area and market environment. 4. Each interviewed company has its own success and failure factors, in addition to the general factors. 5. Each interviewed company has a positive response for their internet shopping mall for its future. 6. The lack of capital, technology, and government support is the barrier to the improvement of the internet shopping mall system.

• Journal of East Asia Management
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.29-49
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• 2020

In an intensively competitive global market, small-and medium-sized firms are puzzled about how to develop sustainable competitive advantages against global rivalries, thus leading satisfactory economic performance. However, despite the roles and contributions of such small-and medium-sized firms in the local community and national economies in Japan, little guidance has been offered to the practical issues related to their strategic behaviors toward global management. To fill this notable knowledge gap, this study aims to investigate the conditions in which how Japanese small-and medium-sized could dominates global market, which is one of key challenges in the literature of small business and entrepreneurship. To obtain better insights to this research area, this study undertakes an in-depth interview survey with I.S.T (Industrial Summit Technology) Corporation that shows off the highest global market share (40 per cent) with seamless polyimide tube product widely used in office automation equipment (e.g., copiers and printers). This method of survey is designed to deeply understand historical considerations about how I.S.T Corporation could dominate in the global market of such seamless polyimide tube product. Based on findings drawn from an interview, this study identifies five major factors enabling I.S.T Corporation to be a competitive global hidden company: vision sharing through founder's entrepreneurship, core competence, strategic network, risk management, and employee engagement. Specifically, to become a global hidden champion, sharing the vision motivating employees to partake in shaping company's future will be the first step on the road to global success through founder's entrepreneurship. However, in order to achieve such a vision, the importance of company's core competence cannot be overemphasized, which differentiates your customer solution with those of competitors. As such, a group of experts will be naturally formed and demonstrates your expertise in the global market, thereby building sustainable competitiveness. On the other hand, to maintain sustainable competitiveness, it is necessary to make up for the weaknesses small-and medium-sized firms suffer from competitive resources while strengthening their own strengths through strategic networks with external organizations. Here, every company has to understand the critical role of risk management, which is essential in this process of being global company so as not to lose your own strengths. Last but not least, do not forget the significant effects of employee engagement in firm performance. To enhance employees' engagement, a company has to create an ideal organization culture which fits into company's history and personality. In doing so, such organization culture can allow the vision and strategy to be implemented into detailed business tactics while facilitating employees to challenge the status quo by experimenting with creative ideas.

• Korean Business Review
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.53-80
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• 2006

This research has been accomplished to build up the growth strategies of Kangwon district's small & medium-sized construction firms. For this purpose, we made an investigation of the present situation and status for existing regional small & medium construction firms by analyzing data. Based on the results from this study, the following growth strategies are suggested to gain their competitive advantages. Firstly, most of all, the role of the top manager is the most important factor since most of the top manager for the small & medium-sized construction firms coincide with the owner the firms. Secondly, the specialization strategy is to establish. Above all they concentrate their business capacities on core business. Then, this growth strategy should be based on the selective escalation of functions in order to maintain an appropriate level of construction works. Thirdly, the specialized skills and skilled workers are ensured for competitive advantages. For human resource development, they should train workers to be multi-functioned on the assumption the they could stay at firm until they wish to retire. Finally, the government must also spare no effort to encourage the small & medium-sized construction firms to build up it's competitive power and cultivate it's spontaneous generation power though the reformation of system related whit the small and medium construction industry.

• Journal of the Korean Professional Engineers Association
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 1996

• World Technopolis Review
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.87-103
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• 2015

This paper aims to explore how firms develop and grow in regional clusters based in a developing country. The argument is that start-ups / small and large firms are able to grow by developing linkages or networks for resources within clusters - and this tenet is based on studies of firms that are based from such clusters as Silicon Valley in the US, Cambridge in UK and other clusters from which have evolved over long periods of time. Most of the time we hear narratives from the developed world where there are brownfield cluster development efforts. In developing countries governments are making efforts to develop clusters from scratch - which in this paper we term as greenfield cluster versus a brownfield development, which is where the cluster is developed based on existing and new organisations in a region. In this paper, we believe the context of clusters can be important in determining the way firms develop linkages for their growth - and we look at two contexts in Malaysia ie. A greenfield cluster and a brownfield cluster. The paper presents findings from case studies of firms in a greenfield cluster (Cyberjaya) and a brown field cluster (Penang) in Malaysia. The cases reveal fairly different approaches to development of linkages or networks, which we hope will provides insights to cluster development officials and policy makers and implications to researchers for developing studies of clusters and innovation systems.