• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.39-55
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• 2022

Purpose - This study empirically examines the effect of the Korean government export promotion program (EPP) on small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) export performance using firm-level data. Unlike most previous studies that investigated some specific samples of firms, this study analyzes a vast amount of SME data of the Korean Small and Medium Business Administration over the period 2005 to 2008. Design/methodology - An endogeneity problem arises when a firm's probability of being selected is correlated with the likelihood of successfully implementing EPPs. To control for the endogeneity of the EPPs in a relatively short-period sample, we employ 2-Stage Residual Inclusion (2SRI) RE-Tobit and bivariate Tobit procedure. Findings - Analyses show that Korean government EPPs have positive significant effects on SME exports. Empirical results also show that SME export activities are significantly encouraged by R&D investment and capital intensity, but not obviously by labor productivity. Originality/value - This study provides evidence that SME capital intensity, R&D investment, and the number of workers are significant determinants to SME exporting activities, whereas per worker labor cost and employee education are not. These results imply that even for SMEs, firm size is a major factor in promoting exporting activities.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.118-127
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• 2017

The aim of the present study is to research how the main factors for the export of SMEs affect SME's Export possibility in structural method. 62 SMEs in Busan Region were participated in this study. For the empirical analysis, a multiple regression analysis and a path analysis were used with Spss18 and Amos 5v to figure out the relationship between the main factors and SME's Export possibility(SEP). The main factors as variances are "Manpower Needs(MN)", "Technology Innovation Needs(TIN)", "Education Needs for Export(ENE)" and "Intention of Decision-Maker(IDM)". The result indicated that ENE and TIN with IDM could structurally affect SEP through path analysis and implies that the main factors have to be considered with the intention of decision-maker as CEO for the successful export of SMEs.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.66
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• pp.285-312
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• 2015

Export and import of food, agriculture, forestry, fishery products are suffering from low growth rate due to the European financial crisis, global recession, and Japan's 2012 export expansion following the aftermath of 2011 earthquake. Upon the signing and enactment of Free Trade Agreement with the U.S. and the EU, agriculture and fishery product have become the center of attention. Agriculture and fishery was reported to be 80million dollars, 1.46% of total national export, in 2012. Starting from2000, South Korea's government began its effort to expand agriculture and fishery export and as a result, export has steadily increased despite decreased consumption led by global recession. K-Sure has started an insurance program with the purpose of promoting SME business's export. It protects SME business against risk arising from credit, emergency, bad debt, and domestic price increase. This study aims to evaluate the service quality of K-Sure's insurance program via surveying SME businesses in the agriculture and fishery industry. Also this study will identify key service factors for SME businesses and explore ways to expand SME exports of agriculture and fishery by analyzing consumer satisfaction index. Results indicated service product quality factor, service communication quality factor, and social quality factor was key to improving consumer satisfaction for SME businesses in agriculture and fishery industry. Service product quality factor had a negative effect on consumer satisfaction in term of variety and results indicated that service communication quality factor's responsiveness element had minimal impact on consumer satisfaction. Conversely, all elements for social quality factor had positive effects on consumer satisfaction. Thus, leading to the conclusion that improvements in service product quality factor and service communication quality factor will indeed increase consumer satisfaction.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.93-110
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• 2022

Korea, a resource-scarce country, has been undergoing export-led economic growth in the form of processing and intermediary trade for the past several decades. In Korea, which has an export-led economic structure centered on processing trade, the export economy precedes the domestic economy, so Korea's monthly export performance has been used as an important indicator of economic indicators in itself. In recent decades, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which account for 99% of the total number of domestic enterprises, account for about 35% of exports as of 2021. In this study, from the viewpoint of emphasizing the export contribution of SMEs, the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Export Business Index is developed based on the actual export performance of SMEs, through which this paper could present alternative index differentiated from the existing Business Survey Indexes.

• East Asian Economic Review
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.179-204
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• 2022

This study examines the extent to which policy-based loans to SME exporters affect their export performance (the intensive margin of exports). We also investigate the heterogeneous export effects of policy-based loans that may depend on firm- and industry-specific characteristics, such as credit ratings, debt-to-assets ratios, firm size and age. To do so, we conduct a survey, of 1,000 Korean SMEs, that collect information on firm-level exports and policy-based loans. The main empirical findings strongly support that SMEs that receive policy-based loans tend to increase their export volumes. However, these loans' positive impact on exports are only valid for SME exporters with credit scores of 12 or greater (that is, SMEs that have difficulty accessing the external financial market). The estimation results with respect to SMEs' dependence on external financing imply that policy-based loans for SMEs in sectors that are heavily dependent on external finance are effective in that they are instrumental in increasing these firms' exports. These empirical findings emphasize the importance of the external financial market to SME exporters who face various up-front investments that are related to their exporting activities.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 2015

This study examines the relationships between export intensity and knowledge search activities of Korea SME manufacturers. Using 2,145 firm data from the 2011 SME Technology Statistics Survey, we focused on the nonlinear relationships of export intensity and internal and external knowledge search activities. The results show that there are U-shaped relationships between export intensity and both of internal and external knowledge search activities. Local market-oriented or global market-oriented SMEs than the middle-level of exporters have more search activities both internally and externally. This study extends our understandings on the relationships between export intensity and knowledge search activities. There are some policy implications to develop supporting programs differing in knowledge search activities according to the acceleration of export or globalization of Korean SME manufacturers.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.179-198
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• 2023

Purpose - There is a paucity of literature dealing with exporters' compliance issues in e-commerce exports. This study aims to fill this gap in the literature by exploring customs initiatives to facilitate the e-commerce exports of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the changed compliance environment. The central question of this study was divided into five subquestions: first regarding the pros and cons of trade facilitation measures for Korean e-commerce export clearance; second and third questions about risk and compliance management for facilitation fourth about instruments, the changes in Korean SME compliance burden in e-commerce exports, and ways to improve trade facilitation for e-commerce exports. Design/methodology - This study adopts a qualitative approach using a case study method to understand the SME experience in Korean e-commerce export compliance procedures. A qualitative method was selected to answer research questions requiring an in-depth understanding of the regulatory procedures of customs administration and exporters' compliance burden. Because this study addresses the changing compliance environment for which statistical data is insufficient, a quantitative method is considered inappropriate. Based on the approach, data were collected using multiple sources, including an extensive literature review, interviews, and field observations. Thematic pattern matching was applied to interpret the data. Findings - This study examined ways to support SMEs in the changed e-commerce export compliance environment. Facilitation measures for e-commerce exports have contributed to SME access to global markets, simplifying export clearance procedures, and saving exporters' compliance costs. However, such instruments are limited in promoting SME compliance capabilities to cope with intensified competition and strengthened controls over foreign exporters in cross-border e-commerce. Therefore, this study highlights the importance of reshaping facilitation measures for e-commerce exports based on risk and compliance management theories to a system encouraging exporters' voluntary compliance. Originality/value - This study's academic significance derives from verifying the relationship between trade facilitation instruments and risk and compliance management procedures using an actual case in Korea. It is also of practical importance in navigating the directions for improving facilitation measures for e-commerce exports in a changed compliance environment.

• Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.81-95
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• 2016

Software export is very important for developing the domain software industry. Up to now, the study related in this issue is not enough even if exports are not activated. In our study, we treated and analyzed the three SME cases that have each successful record in recent years focusing to sales channels establishment and product localization. This study was done by interviewing the marketing directors mainly, and applied email exchanges, phones, and document analyses. Some implications can be addressed for the potential SME software exports. In the perspectives of sales channels building, the trust for product and firm itself is needed to have a good offshore partners. These are required to make the good relationship with partners, brand value's diffusion, and technical competency. As for product localization, the customization is important to meet the needs for local users effectively. So it is desirable to accept the advisory suggestions from the local consulting experts or representative customers. And the joint export strategy using the platform by linking some related products is effective for SME's software product's export.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.127-152
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• 2017

One of the biggest challenges in export activities of SME is the increasingly cultural diversity that requires especially export managers to adapt their doing business in many different kinds of cross-cultural situations effectively. A relative newly developed concept 'Cultural Intelligence' has been evaluated as a key element for the success in international business activities. This study aims to investigate empirically the role of Cultural Intelligence(CQ), one component of cultural competence, on export marketing adaptation. The statistical method used to test the hypotheses was Structural Equation Modeling using PLS. The results of this study are follows. The moderating role of Cultural Intelligence between information seeking and information using abilities is more stronger in marketing rather than relationship adaptation. Cultural Intelligence moderates between them. Critical factors affecting Cultural Intelligence are also discussed; foreign language fluency, business travels in abroad, characteristics of the business travels, multi-lingual ability, pre-education related cultural subjects, and visit experience in foreign countries. Especially, export managers' foreign language ability leads to much stronger influence on cultural intelligence. The result of the empirical study provides important implications for export SME and export supporting organizations. Export firms and supporting organizations must expand programs widely in multi cultural training and education to help managers gain a better understanding in a various export environment.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.87-101
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• 2019

Purpose - This paper examines the effectiveness of the foreign exchange risk insurance system in the promotion of SME exports in Korea. The purpose of this study is to analyze the short-term and long-term responses of SME exports to foreign exchange risk insurance support policies. Based on these empirical studies, we would like to present some operational improvements to the operation of the foreign exchange risk insurance system. Design/methodology - In order to analyze the effect of exchange risk insurance on the exports of SMEs, a VAR model consisting of foreign exchange risk insurance underwriting values, export relative price, and domestic demand pressure, including export volume, was established. The study began with tests of the stationarity of time series data. The unit root tests showed that all concerned variables were non-stationary. Accordingly, the results of the cointegration test showed that the tested variables are not cointegrated. Finally, an impulse response function and variance decomposition analysis were conducted to analyze the impulse of foreign exchange risk insurance on exports of SMEs. Findings - As a result of estimating the VAR (1) model, foreign exchange risk insurance was found to be significant at a 1% significance level for SME' export promotion. In the impulse response analysis, SMEs' export response to the impulse of foreign exchange risk insurance showed that exports gradually increased until the third quarter, and then slowed down. However, the impulse did not disappear, and appeared continuously. Originality/value - This study analyzed the effect of foreign exchange insurance on exports of SMEs by applying the VAR model. In particular, this study is the first to analyze the short-term and long-term effects of foreign exchange risk insurance on exports of SMEs. The empirical evidence in the current study have a policy implication for the policy authority to support and promote the foreign exchange risk insurance in the effect of exchange rate volatility on Korea' export SMEs.