• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.3-21
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• 2008

This study analyzed the effect of degree of using online trade process services provided by e-Trade companies on the degree of user satisfaction and the online export performance in Korean small and medium-sized exporting firms(SMEs). According to the empirical survey results based on 130 sample firms, there were positive relationship among the frequency of using e-Trade companies' services, the degree of user satisfaction and the online export performance. Furthermore, the results of the moderated regression analysis showed that there were significant moderation effect of the organizational characteristics on the relationships between the degree of user satisfaction and the SMEs' online export performances. This study provides several useful implications to Korean SMEs, e-Trade companies and government policy makers.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.135-144
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• 2016

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the moderating effects of social capital on antecedents factors path of export performance in the materials and components SMEs(Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) of Busan and Kyungnam region. In case of materials and components SMEs, they are always trying to achieve business performance including export sales and market share, but it is difficult for them to increase performance due to the limitation of inner & tangible resources. Therefore intangible asset such as technology capability and its antecedents factors which are technology innovation and learning orientation are getting more important to SMEs. In addition, it is supposed that social capital such as local network including distribution channel in overseas market plays an essential role to enhance export performance. Accordingly, the main goal of this study is to find out the relationship between export performance and antecedents factors and the validity of social capital as a moderating valuable. Research design, data, and methodology - Technology innovation, learning orientation and technology capability have been used as antecedents factors for export performance and social capital such as network diversity and intensity has been used for moderating effects analysis. In order to select these valuables mentioned above, this study examined the existing researches on a basis of Resources Based View, Organizational Learning Theory and Social Capital theory. To achieve the objective of this paper, 7 hypotheses including the moderating effects have been proposed with 6 potential variables measured by 24 questions. The survey was carried out from December 2014 to March 2015 and 137 samples out of total 175 were selected for the analysis. PLS(Partial Least Squares) has been used for the methodology of empirical analysis for both antecedents factors path and moderating effects. Results - Research findings are as follows. First, technology innovation has a significant impact on learning orientation, learning orientation has a positive effect on the technology capability and technology capability also has a significant impact on export performance. Therefore 3 valuables are proved as antecedents factors of export performance. Second, the social capital(both network diversity and intensity) plays a moderating role with learning orientation to technology capability. However, there is no moderating effects between both of social capital and technology capability regarding export performance. Conclusions - According to path analysis results, it is suggested that the materials and components SMEs should raise technology innovation and learning orientation in order to improve technology capability and export performance. Meantime, the moderating effect analysis shows that SMEs should consider local network diversity and intensity along with learning orientation to add up technology capability. But local network diversity and intensity does not work systematically with technology capability for export performance and it means that SMEs should find the appropriate local partners for the purpose of establishing concrete distribution channels based on marketing perspective, not for improving technology capability.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.181-204
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• 2007

Trade Portal Site(TPS) is one of the innovative skills which makes it possible for small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) to manage international trade activities more efficiently by using the newest information and telecommunication technology. Based on performance and an existing research related to using information technology, this research analyzed the user's degree of utilization of TPSs which moderates effects between SMEs characteristics and export performance of SMEs. According to the results of the empirical study on actual data of 194 sample firms by using moderated regression analysis, there are significant only organizational characteristics among determinants(such as organizational characteristics, export characteristics) as the degree of utilization of TPSs. These research results provide many useful insights to the CEOs of SMEs using the services of TPSs, e-Trade system developers, and government policy makers. First, CEOs and managers of SMEs should have thorough understanding of the importance of the new information technology and e-Trade and positively adopt new e-Trade solutions and systems to their export processes to enhance global competitiveness. Second, TPS managers and e-Trade systems developers must concentrate on improving the user's degree of utilization of TPSs. Finally, the government agency should develop the various e-Trade promotion policies to support the efforts of SMEs organizational characteristics and TPS to increase the degree of utilization of TPS, which have positive effects on the export performance of SMEs.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.95-107
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of export promotion programs (EPPs) on the export performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with a specific focus on the influence of EPPs for promising SMEs in the export market. Using data on SMEs provided by the Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK), we conducted a fixed-effects model analysis from 2016 to 2019. Our study shows that EPPs have a positive and significant relationship with export intensity. Further analysis reveals that SMEs utilizing the financing support system provided by EPPs tend to improve their export growth and financial performance relative to their counterparts. While EPPs can assist SMEs with their internationalization efforts, their similarity and redundancy are recognized as potential limitations. This study complements the existing literature that has mainly focused on surveys and cross-sectional analysis by specifying the research subject to promising SMEs in export, and analyzing the effects of the export promotion program supported by IBK Industrial Bank. The results of this study are expected to provide implications for improving SMEs' export capabilities.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.107-125
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of FTA information learning in export SMEs. Therefore, this study has constructed an integrated model including the moderating effects of FTA information learning on the of export performance in SME. The relationship between SMEs' localization strategy, product innovation capacity, and FTA information learning was linked to export performance, and an empirical analysis was conducted on 195 export SMEs. The path analysis was performed using the structural equation model(SEM), and six hypotheses including the control effect were tested. As a result, the localization strategy of SMEs positively influenced product innovation capacity. On the other hand, FTA information learning did not show significant results. Product innovation capacity and FTA information learning as an antecedents showed significant results in terms of export performance. In the moderated effects analysis, the moderated effect between the localization strategy and FTA information learning did not show significant effect on the product innovation capacity. Whereas the moderated effect between the product innovation capacity and the FTA information learning significant influence on the export performance of SMEs.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.91-102
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• 2016

Purpose - The objectives of this study are as follows. First, it aims to suggest an analysis model that has integrated the relationship between the two factors and export performance and conduct an empirical analysis of the factors. Second, the study seeks to analyze the mediating effect by setting direct channel governance as a specific activity to connect market orientation, a cultural asset, to export performance. Third, through these analyses, the study intends to apply the relationship between market orientation and direct channel governance that the existing studies have failed to observe comprehensively on SMEs in Korea. Based on these analyses, the study expects to expand the discussion of previous researches by analyzing the mediating effect of direct channel governance. Research design, data, and methodology - This study developed a model that has integrated market orientation, direct channel governance, and export performance. It established 7 hypotheses including the mediating effect of direct channel governance. Market orientation was consisted of customer orientation and competitor orientation, and 4 latent variables were measured by 18 questions. LISREL, an analysis tool of structural equation model, was used for hypothesis test and there were 183 sample for analysis. Results - The analysis results showed that customer orientation has a positive influence on direct channel governance, but competitor orientation did not have a statistically significant effect. On the contrary, export performance showed an opposite result. That is, customer orientation did not have any influence but competitor orientation had a significant influence on export performance. It was also confirmed that there was a significant influence in the relationship between channel governance and export performance. According to the analysis of mediating effect, direct channel governance had a full mediating effect between customer orientation and export performance. Conclusions - The study results demonstrated that it is important to build a direct channel governance on the export SMEs in Korea, especially since the direct channel governance complements the influence of customer orientation that does not directly influence export performance among market orientation activities. This implies that Korean export SMEs must strive to build an effective direct channel governance.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.93-112
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of FTA information learning in export SMEs. Therefore, this study has constructed an integrated model including the moderating effects of FTA information learning on the of export performance in SME. The relationship between SMEs' localization strategy, product innovation capacity, and FTA information learning was linked to export performance, and an empirical analysis was conducted on 195 export SMEs. The path analysis was performed using the structural equation model(SEM), and six hypotheses including the control effect were tested. As a result, the localization strategy of SMEs positively influenced product innovation capacity. On the other hand, FTA information learning did not show significant results. Product innovation capacity and FTA information learning as an antecedents showed significant results in terms of export performance. In the moderated effects analysis, the moderated effect between the localization strategy and FTA information learning did not show significant effect on the product innovation capacity. Whereas the moderated effect between the product innovation capacity and the FTA information learning significant influence on the export performance of SMEs.

• Journal of Venture Innovation
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.131-148
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• 2023

This study analyzed the effect of marketing ability of SMEs using online export marketing on market performance. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are making efforts to expand their markets from the domestic market to the overseas market and increase sales. We studied the factors that can produce results in the fiercely competitive overseas market. A total of 400 export SMEs were surveyed, and 159 companies directly participating in online export marketing were selected as final targets. The survey was analyzed using SMART PLS 4.0 and SPSS 26.0 statistical programs, and research hypotheses were verified. The results of the study are as follows. First, it was found that the marketing ability of SMEs had a positive (+) effect on online export marketing. Second, it was confirmed that online export marketing had a significant positive (+) effect on market performance through its mediating role. In addition, the intensity of competition in the export market was found to have a moderating effect in online export marketing. The implications of this study are as follows. The theoretical basis was established that the marketing capabilities (product development capability, distribution capability, pricing capability, public relations capability) of exporting SMEs have a positive effect on overseas market performance through online export marketing. In the market, the use of online export marketing by SMEs can provide implications in that it can be an important means for overseas market development and performance. As a result, it is necessary to actively utilize online export marketing for SMEs to enter overseas markets and achieve results.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.31-49
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of knowledge-based resource and ambidextrous capability on their export performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Drawing on an extensive review of the literature on Knowledge-based resource and ambidextrous capability, hypotheses are developed and tested using a sample of 284 SMEs in South Korea. Structural equation modeling was applied. As a result of analysis, first, international entrepreneurship has a significant effect on ambidextrous capability. Second, human capital has significant influence on ambidextrous capability. Third, ambidextrous capability has a significant effect on export performance. The results indicate that their knowledge-based resources ware significant driver of their ambidextrous capability. and that their ambidextrous capability was significant driver of their export performance. In the final conclusion section, implications and limitations of research results and suggestions for future research are discussed.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.123-150
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• 2015

The present study examined the moderating influences of firm type(B2B, B2C) on the relationships between SMEs' utilization of government export assistance programs, firm capabilities(marketing & technology capabilities) and export performances(financial and strategic performances). The results of regression analyses on 247 B2B and 137 B2C cases showed that the positive influence of utilization of export assistance programs on financial performance was greater for B2B than for B2C SMEs. This construct, however, had no influence on strategic performance for neither B2B nor B2C cases. Further, both marketing and technology capabilities have positive influences on each of financial and strategic performances. Marketing capability, however, had a greater influence on financial performance for B2C than for B2B SMEs. Technology capability had a greater influence on financial performance for B2B than for B2C SMEs. Implications, limitations, and future studies were also discussed.