• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.30-57
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• 2019

Purpose - This study analyzes the effect of internationalization represented as exporting on firm performance on the subject of SMEs operating in Masan Free Trade Zone which has shown poor performance recently despite its status as the oldest and largest free trade zone in Korea. We also analyze the effect of firm size on firm performance, and the moderating role of firm size in relation to internationalization and firm performance. Design/methodology - This study uses multiple regression models for unbalanced panel data as the empirical tools for the estimation of the effect that internationalization has on firm performance (ROA or ROS). Our sample consists of 91 manufacturing SMEs among all 110 companies located in Masan Free Trade Zone as of 2017. Findings - The degree of internationalization has a negative impact on firm performance. However, firm size turns out to have a positive effect and play a positive moderating role in the relation to internationalization and firm performance. This seems to be because most tenant companies operating in Masan Free Trade Zone are small firms whose costs of internationalization may exceed the benefits. Empirical results also show that longer CEO tenure has a greater negative effect on firm performance. Originality/value - The originality/value of this paper can be found in 3 aspects. First, we conducted an empirical analysis on the relationship between the internationalization and firm performance of SMEs in a specific region, namely, Masan Free Trade Zone. Second, while most previous studies focused on listed medium companies, most of the sample of this study are small and medium non-listed enterprises. Third, it is witnessed that firm size has a positive moderating effect on the relation between internationalization and firm performance.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.105-125
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• 2021

Purpose - This study analyzes the effects that the response to the technical barriers to trade (TBT), which are used by various countries as means to restrict imports, exerts on exports at a time when protectionism is emerging in the face of a global economic downturn. TBT has been widely used in developed countries for the safety and protection of their people. Recently, the use of TBT as a tool of protectionism has increased considerably in developing countries as well. Therefore, this study analyzes the South Korean SMEs' response and export performance. Design/methodology - To analyze SMEs' response to TBT and their export performance, this study conducted empirical analysis through statistical analysis. To this end, the research established a theory based on previous research and designed its hypothesis and research model. To verify the hypothesis and research model, factor analysis addressing validity and reliability was performed using SPSS 25 and AMOS 26, and the structural equation model was analyzed. Findings - This study found the causal relationship between the independent variable, the mediating variable, and the dependent variable adopted against the theoretical background to have little or no effect, in contrast with previous studies. In a break from previous studies, all hypotheses were rejected for innovation strategic competencies, one of the sub-factors of the independent variable, which is believed to be a result of the lack of practical research related to TBT. Originality/value - Previous studies performed analysis using trade statistics or macro data. A number of such studies analyzed the relationship between technical regulation and trade volume. This study differs from previous studies in some respects, because it analyzed the export performance of companies by establishing a hypothesis and implementing a research model with the factors analyzed in previous studies. In addition, a new attempt has been made by classifying the TBT response factors into technology competencies, human resource competencies, and innovation strategic competencies, and utilizing technology innovation and the export support system as mediating effects.

• Proceedings of the Korea Contents Association Conference
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.409-418
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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 companys' service, 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 and e-Trade companies and government policy makers.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.179-192
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• 2021

Purpose - This study is aim to stimulate ESG management of SMEs in Korea with SWOT analysis. Presently, ESG is also affecting a company's supply chain and sales. We tried to make the complementary point of Korea SMEs through domestic and foreign cases. Design/methodology/approach - We divide foreign cases into three countries, and in Korea, also divide into three groups of government, major companies, SMEs to conduct SWOT analysis. Findings - We confirmed that ESG activities were delayed in Korea compared to overseas, but the government and major companies were responding quickly. However, SMEs are complaining of difficulties in ESG activities due to cost issues and limited information. Nevertheless, some SMEs companies show the possibility by carrying out ESG activities based on their own strengths. Research implications or Originality - We suggested the need for SMEs' ESG management. The SMEs are inevitably vulnerable to ESG management compared to other groups. Therefore, We suggested the direction of SMEs ESG management expansion, that are R&D and distribution of eco-friendly activities through collaboration with universities(E), social program to improve working places(S), and expansion of governance that guarantees autonomy(G).

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.73-92
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• 2021

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for a large proportion of the total number of enterprises in many countries. The development of SMEs has contributed to job creation and economic benefits. Every government has formulated active diversification strategies to promote the export market of SMEs, but the performance of export capabilities remains insufficient. The primary purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of export credit insurance in promoting SME export performance in Canada. Using data from 2008-2017, the augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) model to test the stationarity of the concerned variables and the error correction model (ECM) and autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) cointegration test to empirically investigate the cointegration relationship between the research targets. The results represent the positive and critical impact of export relative price and domestic demand pressure on Canada's export performance, and the negative impact of the export volume index at a significant level. Regrettably, the impact of export credit insurance on the export performance of Canadian SMEs is considered exaggerated overall. In view of this result, it is necessary for the Canadian government to enact policies based on the current market status. And enhance confidence among SMEs to begin exports and diversify their markets rather than focusing only on the domestic or US market, especially given the impact of COVID-19. From the case of Canada, Korean government can attempt to learn from them to conduct more efficient strategies for SMEs.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.1217-1230
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• 2021

Using a multinomial logit model with the panel-data set of Vietnam manufacturing firms, this paper investigates the impacts of foreign direct investment (FDI) - small and medium enterprises (SMEs) linkages and other factors on SMEs' participation in the global value chain (GVC). We consider GVC firms are those engaging in any of the three modes including (i) using domestic inputs to export (D2E), (ii) using imported inputs to produce for the domestic market (I2P), (iii) using imported inputs to export (I2E). We discover that FDI-SME linkages statistically encourage Vietnamese SMEs to integrate into the GVC via I2P and I2E, while no statistical association between FDI-SME linkage and D2E participation is found. GVCs participation likelihood is also positively correlated with the introduction of new product introduction. The establishment of firms' production facilities in industrial zones and foreign ownership are both reported to be significantly decisive factors to SMEs' decisions on GVC participation. Besides, there is a strong association between firms' attributes, i.e. employment, capital intensity as well as financial access, and their participation in the GVC. Local governance quality (proxied by the Provincial Competitiveness Index) and the share of skilled labor at the province-level can facilitate firms' integration into GVCs, while greater market concentration may be a hurdle to such potential.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.171-189
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• 2019

As many studies have contributed to various aspects of the market by utilizing market orientation, however, this study has tried to overcome limitations of existing studies and suggest more concrete and extended implications. In this study, the relationship between market orientation, responsiveness to market change, and organizational performance of SMEs was examined and compared with characteristics of SMEs (manufacturing and service firms). As a result of the verification, interfunctional coordination has a strong influence on the ability of the organization to respond to market changes as well as customer orientation and competitor orientation. And responsiveness to market change, organizational flexibility has a strong impact on both personal performance and overall team performance. As a result of the comparative study, it can be concluded that manufacturing firms emphasize competitor orientation and organizational agility while service firms emphasize customer orientation and organizational flexibility.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.103-124
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• 2022

For venturing into international markets, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have not only emphasized internal resources but entrepreneurial orientation has also become the need of the day due to its significant role in increasing firm's competitive capabilities. Although research indicates that the competitive strategies can significantly impact export performance, minor attention is given to the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation, business competitive strategy and export performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This study scrutinizes the effect of each dimension of entrepreneurial orientation (i.e., innovativeness, risk-taking, and proactiveness) and each of generic competitive strategies (i.e., cost leadership and differentiation) on the export performance of Chinese SMEs. And we investigated the moderating effect of entrepreneurial orientation on the relationship between the competitive strategies and export performance. We surveyed 217 Chinese SMEs through a structured questionnaire. For the data analysis and hypotheses testing, we used AMOS. 27. The findings display that differentiation and cost leadership strategies significantly improve export performance. The innovativeness, risk-taking and proactiveness also spur Chinese SME's export performance. Further we find that adding entrepreneurial orientation significantly improves our model of the relationship between the competitive strategies and export performance. Thus, our study extends the entrepreneurial orientation literature and provides interesting new insights into how entrepreneurial orientation helps firms create more successful export operations.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.221-235
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• 2019

SMEs are experiencing difficulties in doing sales promotion due to the low awareness of the image of the company and the products produced by them in the global market. Therefore, the Government should seek ways to raise awareness of SMEs' image and products. SMEs have to carry out global innovation activities needed to develop new products or new technologies, but they are exposed to limitations of these innovative activities due to the limit of their available resources. Therefore, as a national project, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Small and Medium Business Corporation are doing project for fostering and constructing global shopping mall (independent mall) so that SMEs can strengthen their global innovation activities. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to succeeding in the project for fostering and constructing global shopping mall (independent mall) by studying the case of Zungle Incorporation which operates a global shopping mall and greatly increases exports by participating in this project, and identifying success factors of Zungle Incorporation in doing this project.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.1-9
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• 2023

Purpose: This study analyses the current development of cross-border e-commerce in China, outlines the challenges faced by Chinese cross-border e-commerce SMEs, and finally summarises the development strategies of Chinese cross-border e-commerce SMEs in the post-covid-19 era, which will provide opinion references for the development of Chinese cross-border e-commerce SMEs. Research design, data and methodology: The methodology used in this study is to analyse the current situation of cross-border e-commerce development in China in the context of covid-19 through literature; and to summarise the challenges encountered by Chinese cross-border e-commerce SMEs through semi-structured interviews. Results: The article summarises the current status of China's cross-border e-commerce development in the context of covid-19 in terms of cross-border e-commerce trade volume, cross-border e-commerce enterprise and user scale, cross-border e-commerce logistics, cross-border e-commerce global co-operation, government policy, and cross-border e-commerce product distribution, outlining challenges encountered by China's cross-border e-commerce SMEs in terms of logistic pricing, operating capital chain, product service support, and trade protection The paper Finally, it is pointed out that Chinese cross-border e-commerce SMEs must adopt new strategies to adapt to the new development in the context of covid-19. Conclusions: Specific development strategies are provided for Chinese cross-border e-commerce enterprises and reference suggestions are provided for the post-covid-19 era.