• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.189-206
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• 2020

Purpose - This paper attempted to verify the process by which a multinational corporation (MNC)'s subsidiary practices entrepreneurship to create effective knowledge (KC) in the local market. We have looked at whether subsidiary entrepreneurship (SENT) has a moderation effect in creating knowledge for the local market when a subsidiary has been given autonomy (AUT) from the headquarters (HQ). We also argue that when a subsidiary creates meaningful knowledge, the effect of the increased status by the HQ within the MNC network position (NP) has an indirect effect on whether knowledge is transferred to other overseas subsidiaries (KTO). Design/methodology - This paper used a structural equation model (SEM) of 282 effective foreign companies invested in Korea. To test the hypothesis about the process of SENT on KTO, descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, reliability, convergent and discriminant validities, and common method bias were analyzed using STATA. In addition, the moderation effect was verified along with SEM. The moderation effect of AUT on SENT and KC was presented graphically by confirming \mathrm{\pm1} standard deviation of AUT for the main effect. Findings - Our findings are as follows. First, while the hypothesis about the direct effect of SENT and KC on KTO was not supported, all other hypotheses were supported. Second, both the AUT and moderating effect and the indirect effect of NP were significant. In the conclusion, these findings are discussed in relation to its various theoretical and practical implications. Originality/value - This study attempted to contribute to the knowledge creation theory of MNC by contemplating how subsidiaries can move away from HQ and grow in the local market. Although there is still a shortage of foreign investment in the Korean market, our practical implications offer guidance for how current subsidiaries can develop more than other overseas subsidiaries.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.15-25
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• 2015

Purpose - There is a lack of research on how much corporate control is sufficient for effective subsidiary business-related decision making. To address this research gap, this study analyzes the impact of the level of control of a Korean corporation's headquarters on its overseas subsidiary performance. Research design, data, methodology - The study's sample comes from the Overseas Korean Business Directory of KOTRA. A multiple regression analysis empirically confirmed the relationship between the headquarters level of control over the subsidiaries and their performance. Results - The results show that the greater an organization's headquarters control over strategic issues, the greater the subsidiary's non-financial performance. However, quick decision-making through decentralization promotes the rapid selection of successful new products that can provide a competitive advantage. Conclusion - This study shows that the impact of control levels on subsidiary performance depends on the type of control involved. Specifically, while low levels of control over operational issues had a positive (+) influence on subsidiary non-financial performance, high control levels led to improved non-financial performance with regard to strategic issues among the subsidiaries.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.129-145
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• 2022

Recently, Korean customs authorities have attempted to impose customs duties on the warranty charges paid by Korean subsidiaries ("the taxpayers") of multinational corporations to their overseas headquarters, or their affiliates, as indirect payment of the price actually paid or payable for imported goods and services, and the taxpayers' complaints have been steadily increasing. The key issue of Korean Supreme Court decision, 2018Du56619, revolves around opposing interpretations of the Korea Customs Act and the WTO's Customs Valuation Agreement in determining who is responsible for paying duties levied on warranty charges. The Supreme Court's ruling was consistent with its previous interpretations of the WTO agreement on customs valuations. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiff, a Korean subsidiary, stating that the overseas corporate headquarters' payments of warranty charges to Korean dealers are made on behalf of the Korean subsidiary, which is ultimately responsible for covering warranty charges. Thus, the Korean subsidiary's settlement of the warranty charges to their Korean dealers through the overseas headquarters is effectively the same as a direct payment to the dealers. Therefore, the Korean subsidiary performed warranty services on its liability and account. As such, the court ruled that warranty charges should not include tariffs on the indirect payment for warranty services in such cases. This paper presents the comparative legal implications for the warranty charge clauses in the WTO agreement and the Korean Customs Act and analyzes the Supreme Court's decisions.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.1-13
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• 2013

This study investigates how relational activities within MNC network affect knowledge transfer and performance of subsidiary. We separated the possible relationships between headquarter and overseas subsidiaries by support level, interaction level, and conflict level, and compared the impact on knowledge transfer, and performance. To understand the knowledge sharing, development and performance, we use structural equation modeling to analyze data from subsidiaries in China.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.134-151
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• 2021

Purpose - This study empirically analyzes the impact of the internal and external network embeddedness of foreign subsidiaries and local market characteristics of the host country on the CEO selection whether or not to appoint an expatriate as the CEO of a foreign subsidiary. Design/methodology - To conduct an empirical analysis, we obtained a list of the headquarters of Korean MNCs from the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Based on the list of HQs, we identified a final list of overseas subsidiaries of Korean MNCs that have entered the world from KOTRA (Trade-Investment Promotion Agency for Korea). Then we conducted an empirical analysis based on the results of 391 questionnaires by employing logistic regression analysis. Findings - The results of empirical analysis are as follows. First, the higher the subsidiary's internal network embeddedness, the higher the tendency appoint an expatriate as the CEO. Second, the higher the volatility of the local market, the higher the tendency to appoint an expatriate as the CEO. Third, the stronger the competition in the local market, the lower the tendency to appoint a PCN. Originality/value - This study has significant theoretical implications in that it examines the link between the internal and external embeddedness of overseas subsidiaries and the appointment of parent country nationals (PCNs) as the CEO that prior research has not examined.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.55-75
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• 2020

This study examines factors that influence organizational identification of employees who work for foreign multinational corporations in Korea. First, we test whether employee perceptions on leader-member exchange, trust in CEO, and career growth opportunity can influence their organizational identification. second, we also investigate moderation effects of employee perception on subsidiary level factors such as co-operation between the subsidiary and its HQ, firm reputation of the subsidiary, and opportunity to work overseas. 391 survey results from 350 subsidiaries of multinational corporations in Korea has been collected for this study. We found that leader-member exchange, trust in CEO and career growth opportunity had a positive effect on organizational identification of employees who work for foreign subsidiaries of multinational corporations in Korea. We also found partial support for the moderation effects of HQ-subsidiary interrelationship and opportunity to work overseas in the relationship between predictors and organizational identification. With this in mind, I hope this help to reconsider competitiveness of global companies in Korea by increasing organizational identification.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.117-134
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• 2013

This study examines the moderating effect of HQ-subsidiary cooperation on the relationships between standardization and on-time completion of new product development (NPD) and international new product rollout (INPR). It was empirically tested by a Korean sample to verify the validity of the research framework. The results show that the higher the HQ-subsidiary/agent cooperation, the stronger the effect of NPD timeliness on INPR timeliness. However, HQ-subsidiary cooperation does not moderate the relationship between standardization and INPR timeliness. Under conditions in which the subsidiary and headquarters have a positive relationship, open communications, and regular interactions, more successful new product development in terms of planned time schedule is strongly associated with a much faster introduction to overseas markets.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.117-132
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• 1999

Common system deployment is one of the global information systems strategies of a multinational corporation for large-scale development that can provide economies of scale and optimal use of scarce technical expertise. But while the same (headquarter) team implements the same system, the resulting efficiencies of those projects differ widely among the subsidiaries. This paper focuses on the differences between the efficiencies of these implementation projects. Eight prepropositions about the factors causing the differences have been developed from the previous research. These prepropositions are explored through a case study on the twelve overseas subsidiaries of a multinational electronic corporation headquartered in Korea. We found that three factors(autonomy of subsidiary, complexity of task, experience level of users) have strong relevant relationships and two factors(level of subsidiary country, level of process formality) have partial relevant relationships with the implementation outcome.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.77-95
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• 2023

Purpose - This study aims to identify the importance of subsidiary entrepreneurship as a key factor when MNE attempts to invest in challenging overseas markets. Through the simultaneous consideration of institutional theory and entrepreneurship theory, this study would like to examine how Korean subsidiaries in the Middle East improve their performance locally. Design/methodology - To reflect the characteristics of emerging markets, this study conducted a survey of Korean subsidiaries in the Middle East in cooperation with KOTRA and analyzed the hypotheses using a structural equation model based on 249 valid responses. Findings - The findings of this study are as follows. First, we found that institutional and business distance would positively affect subsidiaries' entrepreneurship. The result that subsidiaries' entrepreneurship is positively affected by institutional and business distance implies that attempts to close the difference between heterogeneous markets would increase subsidiaries' innovative proactiveness, such as R&D and creative marketing strategies. Second, we confirmed that the institutional and business distance positively mediate the subsidiaries' entrepreneurship growth, leading to high performance. Therefore, Korean subsidiaries are required and prepared to establish strategies to better understand institutional and business distances in advance and reduce the liability of foreignness by conducting customized research and training programs before sending Korean expatriates to local subsidiaries in the Middle East. Originality/value - This study contributed to institutional and entrepreneurship theory by proving the traditional relationship between institutional and business distance to subsidiaries' performance and the mediation of subsidiary entrepreneurship.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.1-19
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• 2019

Purpose - This research examines the effect of a foreign subsidiary on the productivity growth of a Two-way trading manufacturing firm in Korea. We explore firms engaged in both trade and FDI simultaneously to verify whether participation in GVC as a broad concept is an efficient internationalization strategy to increase the productivity of a Korean manufacturing firm. Design/methodology - Based on the firm-level data by utilizing the Survey of Business Activities from Statistics Korea, we examine the impact of vertically integrated foreign subsidiaries on the productivity of a manufacturing firm that exports and imports simultaneously. Findings - The results show that if a Two-way trading firm establishes one or more overseas subsidiaries, the total factor productivity growth increases. Moreover, the FDI effect is statistically significant when the destination country has an economically close relationship with Korea. However, these effects are disparate depending on the industrial competitiveness or market situation where the subsidiary is located. Nonetheless, the synergy effect resulting from industrial combination is represented in China and the USA only. Originality/value - As the importance of GVC has become more emphasized around the world. In spite of the scarcity of related domestic studies, we explored the effect of multinational manufacturing firms participating in GVC using firm-level data.