• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.83-120
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• 2008

Small and medium sized enterprises' (SMEs) environmental performance and activities have been often of great concern toward sustainability as they have been playing a critically important role in the economic and industrial development. Among many initiatives to engage SMEs into the sustainability framework, Supply Chain Environmental Management (SCEM) of large companies has a great potential to persuade SMEs to adopt environmentally improved activities. This study investigated the relationship between SCEM approaches of large companies and environmental activities of SMEs in the Korean electronics industry. A postal questionnaire survey was used as a data collection method, and factor analysis and regression analysis were applied to analyse the collected data. The empirical findings suggested that SCEM approaches of large companies have positive impacts on environmental activities of SMEs. Among SCEM approaches, the collaborative approach was more effective than the arm's-length approach. Additionally, this study found positive impacts of trans-national SCEM approaches on SMEs' environmental activities.

• The Journal of Economics, Marketing and Management
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.39-46
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to look at the current status and cases of ESG at home and abroad, and through this, seek ways to activate the ESG strategy of domestic SMEs and suggest a direction. Research design, data and methodology: This study examines the current status of ESG management at home and abroad and examples of companies through related literature on ESG management and performance. Through this, the strategic direction of ESG management of domestic SMEs was presented. Results: Compared to the government and major corporations, SMEs can be said to lack ESG management activities. ESG activities include environmental activities such as carbon neutrality, waste management, eco-friendly supply chain management, establishment of safety and health processes to improve workers' environment, expansion of governance to guarantee autonomy and profitability such as fair trade, protection of social and shareholder rights such as anti-corruption, etc. should be based on Therefore, there are difficulties in ESG activities of SMEs that lack funds and manpower. Conclusions: Compared to the government and major corporations, SMEs can be said to lack ESG management activities However, it will be possible to establish and implement ESG management strategies based on the strengths of SMEs and the characteristics of each company.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.147-165
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• 2012

Recently, the theory of open innovation emerges as a new innovation paradigm. This paper aims to examine open innovation activities of SMEs. Many firms tend to search new knowledge from various external sources and to pursue to achieve innovation resources or knowledge of external innovators. Particularly, this paper focus on the process of external knowledge networking and open innovation occurred in the process of technology innovation. The data used in this study were those that had been collected for total 3,400 sample SMEs that had conducted R&D. and in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 SMEs located at Chungbuk-Technopark. Empirical findings can be summarized as follows; SMEs tend to search new knowledge from various external sources and to pursue to achieve innovation resources or knowledge of external innovators, because they have lack of innovation resources. therefore, the conducting of open innovation affected positively the innovation performance of SMEs. In addition, empirical findings also indicated that expanding flexibility of labor market enhances open innovation activities of SMEs.

• Industry Promotion Research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2023

This study is an empirical study on the effect of eco-friendly management activities of small and medium-sized manufacturers on job improvement. The summary of the analysis results is as follows. first. Among the eco-friendly management activities of SMEs, it was analyzed that social activities did not have a statistically significant effect on job improvement, and second. Environmental activities were found to have a significant effect on work productivity with 𝛽= .394 (p<.001), and job satisfaction showed a low causal relationship with 𝛽=.216, p<.05, and third. Economic management activities were found to have a significant effect on job satisfaction, with 𝛽= .388 (p<.001). In addition, a low causal relationship was confirmed with 𝛽= .267 (p<.01) in work productivity. Therefore, among the effects on job improvement, it was found that environmental activities affect job productivity and economic management activities affect job satisfaction. This study is meaningful in creating an environment for SMEs' eco-friendly management activities, presenting competitive strategic directions, and providing basic data for research.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.131-148
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• 2019

Purpose - Based on the Korea-China FTA as the starting point, this paper makes an empirical analysis of the main influencing factors of the FTA utilization and performance of SMEs. Design/methodology - Taking into account the relationship between the internal and external environmental factors on FTA activities and performance of Korea's SMEs, with PLS-SEM and data obtained by the questionnaire, Smart PLS was applied for the analysis. Findings - The recognition of FTA in SMEs has a significant positive effect on FTA utilization and performance, the international marketing orientation factor only has a significant positive effect on the performance, while the inadequate improvement of non-tariff barriers has a significant negative impact on FTA utilization. In addition, FTA activity has a significant mediation effect on two paths. Originality/value - This paper is of great practical relevance as a tool to enable SMEs to make effective utilization of Korea-China FTA and improve their imports and exports. The paper helps grasp the main factors affecting the utilization and performance of FTA for SMEs, also to establish FTA Business Model and FTA utilization plans for specific industries in the future regarding tariff and non-tariffs compatibility.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.294-301
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• 2022

Background: In the early stage of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, small- and midsized enterprises (SMEs) may be an important transmission consideration. The study aimed to identify the pattern of COVID-19 prevention measures during the outbreaks in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do at the early stage of COVID-19. Moreover, we investigated whether SME size and past experiences affected the preventive measures implemented in the region. Methods: A survey detailing the general characteristics and implementation of 12 preventive activities was conducted in 122 SMEs in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do. The survey was analyzed by size and operation period. Results: The study subjects consisted of 53 (43.4%) workplaces with 1-5 employees, 50 (40.9%) workplaces with 6-30 employees, and 19 (15.6%) workplaces with 31-49 employees. The lowest three items among those surveyed were 'symptomatic workers to stay home for 3-4 days' (17.2%), 'work remotely' (18.9%), and 'video meetings' (20.5%). There were significant differences in the rate of several preventive measures implemented. The larger sized SMEs, the higher the number of implementations (p < 0.01). The operation period had no significant relationship with the implementation of preventive measures. The same pattern was observed in multiple generalized linear regression with covariate adjustment. Conclusion: Preventive measures among SMEs with fewer than 50 employees were identified. Even within SMEs, a gap in preventive measures according to size was confirmed. To prevent the spread of infection and protect workers' right to health, different support for different sized SMEs is necessary.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.199-218
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• 2010

When assessing environmental or other regulatory programs, economists and other policy analysts have traditionally used the approach that consists of comparing the benefits from regulation with the costs that must be borne to capture these benefits. The vast majority of economic analysis of regulation was based upon the assumption that regulations increase production costs. Porter had disputed this seemingly straightforward claim. In his view, economists had failed to incorporate the capacity of stringent regulations to induce innovation into their analysis. However, at the same time, the hypothesis had been criticized by economists. This study analyzed the determinants of innovation performances as well as activities of small and medium manufacturers, based on a recently held survey among mainly manufacturing SMEs in Korea. In particular, this study took the level of innovation activities, the strength of environmental regulations, and moreover the impediment that the company went through as factors. In addition, the characteristics of innovative SMEs were compared with the other counterparts. The empirical analysis revealed that the level of environmental awareness, existence of innovative activities, characteristics of firms, and moreover the innovation types are the most important determinants of SMEs’ innovation performance both in technology as well as in economic perspective.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.61-67
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• 2015

Purpose - Exports have long been regarded as significant drivers of sustainable competitive advantage and growth among small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The export activities of SMEs are particularly important in the context of export-oriented economies such as Korea. Although many studies have examined the determinants of exports, it is difficult to find empirical studies about the determinants of the export performance of regional SMEs. This study investigates the determinants of export performance in the regional SME context based on an integrated approach that combines the environment factor of industrial organization theory, competitive strategy theory, and the competences of the resource-based view. Research design, data, and methodology - To empirically analyze the determinants of export performance in the regional SMEs, data were collected from firms in the Daegu metropolitan area. Data were collected directly through questionnaire surveys; in addition, secondary financial data were also taken from the KIS-VALUE database. Out of the 175 responses that were received, 143 were considered to be worth examining. After testing the reliability and validity of the variables through multiple items such as environmental turbulence and competitive strategy, hypotheses were verified by using five multi-regression models. These models were: a control model with organizational size and age, an environmental model with technology and market turbulence, a competency model with R&D and foreign distribution channels, a strategy model with product and market differentiation, and an integrated model including all of these variables. Results - First, as a control variable, the organization size has significant positive effects on export performance. Second, technology turbulence based on industrial organization theory has significant positive effects on export performance, but market turbulence does not affect export performance. Third, the foreign market distribution competency of the resource-based view has strong positive effects on export performance, but the R&D competency does not affect export performance. Fourth, the product differentiation strategy from competitive strategy theory positively impacts export performance, but market differentiation does not affect export performance. Finally, in the integrated model, only the foreign distribution competency of the resource-based view has a significant effect on export performance. Conclusions - The empirical results of this study verified the usefulness of the rationales behind the three theories to explain the export performance of the regional SMEs, especially the importance of the foreign market distribution competency from the resource-based view. With regard to practical considerations, this study's implications suggest that the use of technological environmental changes by industries is better than the use of market changes. Further, the use of the product differentiation strategy is more effective than the use of the market-driving strategy, and the distribution channel competency plays a stronger role than the technology-oriented competency with regard to the export performance position of regional SMEs. Future studies should examine relational perspectives, such as trust among channel partners. Therefore, the configuration approach is more useful in enhancing pragmatism by comparing high- and low-export companies.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.13-23
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• 2019

Purpose - Corporate activities for enhancing and improving corporate performance can largely be divided into exploration and exploitation. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of implementing organizational ambidexterity in SMEs, including distribution firms, by reviewing the extant literature and deriving the basis on which this strategy affects the managerial performance. Research, design, and methodology - The study uses a systematic review methodology, which employs a structured process to discern trends and meaningful themes across a wide body of literature on specific subjects and research questions. This qualitative study examined the influence of ambidextrous strategies of SMEs on firm performance, and the results were synthesized from the literature. Results - Organizational ambidexterity in SMEs is related to the firm's managerial performance. However, it is crucial to know that there are many ways to generate an ambidextrous organization, and decisions about what method to choose should be based on the environmental aspects of the enterprise. Conclusions - The following aspects should be considered for execution; : making practical decisions based on accurate information about the resources the firm has, considering the organizational level of human resources for implementing organizational ambidexterity, and sharing specific performance goals.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.325-341
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• 2011

Environmental regulations in the world has been strengthened. International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that international standard for social responsibility in the ISO26000 was published on November 01, 2010. CSR is rapidly changing in global environment. In the meantime, domestic companies such as donations to the required activities ought to be stayed. Strengthening the competitiveness of enterprises in the management tools that should be taken as the movement is taking place. The domestic small and medium-sized corporate social responsibility (SMEs CSR) activities have also taken many changes. In particular, multinational corporations and large companies within the supply chain, B2B companies in partnership appears to have a significant impact on business. In this study, in changing environment for domestic SMEs CEO survey results are based. CSR activities of SMEs and its impact on the financial competence, B2B businesses and B2C business activities of corporate social responsibility has been to analyzed the differences factor. This allows the small and medium-sized companies effectively promote socially responsible business activities, to spread the government, corporate, NGO, and local stakeholder's CSR was to provide a new perspective.