• IE interfaces
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.418-426
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• 2007

This study is to suggest the government's support direction for the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) by examining the relations among technology level, innovation factors, entrepreneur's characteristics, and start-up reasons. The management bottlenecks and the necessary fields of government's support are also investigated across the company's growth stages. Empirical analysis was conducted based on the 318 Korean SMEs' data receiving the Venture and/or Inno-biz certification. Results show that managing difficulties of the company have typical pattern according to the stage of growth. The characteristics of an entrepreneur such as age, education background and past experience affect the early stage of starting business. We also found that the technology level is closely connected with operational innovation activities and circumstances, entrepreneur's characteristics, start-up motives, and technological innovation activities.

• The Journal of Economics, Marketing and Management
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.81-92
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• 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the determinants of store occupancy based on the rental characteristics of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) renting buildings across the country, and to analyze the satisfaction level after opening. Research design, data and methodology: The study conducted an empirical survey through questionnaires targeting individual business owners, corporate representatives, and executives and employees nationwide, including Seoul, Gyeonggi, and other metropolitan areas and provincial cities. Results: In this study, the most important factor that SMEs consider when deciding whether to rent a commercial building or office is financial characteristics, followed by management characteristics, location characteristics, building characteristics, and facility characteristics. In addition, management characteristics were found to have the greatest impact on rental satisfaction of SMEs, followed by financial characteristics, building characteristics, and location characteristics in order. Conclusions: Since the lessor cannot immediately improve the location characteristics or building characteristics, in order to increase the rental satisfaction of small and medium-sized businesses in a relatively short period of time, it is necessary to improve managerial characteristics such as prompt civil complaint handling and clean management of the building. In addition, it is analyzed that if the factors that can reduce the burden on the tenants are found in advance and reflected in the financial characteristics, the satisfaction of the tenants can be increased.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.113-125
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• 2023

Purpose: Support policies for small and medium-sized retailers (SMSRs) have been promoted in various ways over the past 20 years, but they are generally regarded as unsuccessful. The purpose of this study is to analyze the process and impact of policy changes, identify the reasons for the lack of success, and explore policy alternatives. Research design, data and methodology: This study explored major policies in various categories such as the retail industry, traditional markets, and Micro-Enterprises from the mid-1990s to the present. It also analyzed the short- and long-term impacts of major policies at the retail format level like SMSRs, using data from Statistics Korea's service industry survey. Results: This research found that sudden shifts in policy philosophy conflicted with the existing market structure and reduced the effectiveness of policies. It also found that policies aimed at improving competitiveness at the SMSRs-level had some effect, while polices aimed at supporting expenses at the individual store-level were difficult to achieve their intended purpose. Conclusions: The failure of the policy to support SMSRs is fundamentally due to the late response and conflicts between policies. It was also not successful due to the policy's focus on individual store-level expenses and maintaining employment rather than structural improvements of SMSRs format.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.91-102
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• 2021

The effectiveness of informatization can vary depending on the level of operation of the information system as well as investment and installation. This study investigates and analyzes the information system operating environment and quality level of small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in Korea, and investigates how it affects the performance indicators of companies. The influence of the environmental factors operating the information system on the productivity performance and financial performance through the quality level of the information system was analyzed through the structural model. As a result of the analysis, it can be said that the higher the level of information system operating environment factors, the higher the quality level, the higher the quality level, the higher the productivity performance, and the higher the productivity performance, the higher the financial performance. It is judged that the effect of informatization depends on the operating environment and quality level after the installation of the information system.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.93-103
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• 2022

This study investigated the method of continuous improvement of small-medium company production processes through POSCO's QSS(Quick Six Sigma) activities. QSS is a field operation technique that encompasses the advantages of Six Sigma, TPS(Toyota Production System), TQM (Total Quality Management), and IE(Industrial Engineering). Through this, POSCO not only encourages activities centered on related small and medium-sized partners, etc., but is also expected to contribute to the continuous improvement of the company's own production process through QSS activities. In this study, rather than unconditionally carrying out activities according to the needs of large companies, the research is to help the continuous improvement of the actual production process of small and medium-sized enterprises by effectively applying and spreading QSS activities in consideration of the characteristics and environment of the company. For this purpose, empirical research is conducted on the process improvement activities and QSS activities of company Y, which has less than 100 assembly and production quality and inspection processes among SMEs. The changes in the production process improvement of SMEs through the application of the final QSS were investigated through empirical studies.

• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.83-100
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• 2015

This paper aims to survey the supply status and demand of the scientific & technological information among the 1,059 small enterprises demanding the support in Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam-do which have been supported by the Branch of KISTI and to propose the approaches to improve the scientific & technological information system. As the results of this research, Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam-do have very poor business and R&D environment to the extent that 96.3% of businesses was small business (medium business only for 3.7%) and 31% of total small & medium-cized businesses has less than 10 R&D workers. Small & medium-sized businesses which have demanded the information to KISTI account for only 0.2% in average for 3 years. The information demand types are market trend (26.8%), industrial property right (22.1%), business proposal (19.9%), item exploration (16.8%) and quality certification (8.4%). The supplied informations include scientific and technological data survey, market survey, translation and information application seminar. The business achievements from the information supply include 379 cases in technological development improvement and launch of products, 88 cases in technology certifications and 414 cases in patents and utility design application and registration. By the analysis results, the small and medium-sized businesses have difficulties in using R&D information by themselves. Thus, it's proposed to establish the science and technology information center in southeastern region and develop the information advisors specialized in local specialty industry categories. It's also proposed to expand the manpower and budget of KISTI concerning the information support for small & medium-sized businesses.

• International Journal of Quality Innovation
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.57-68
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• 2007

Benchmarking is more than just a comparison of measures about different company's performance in a wider sense. It is a methodology of learning-comparing-learning, at least within small and medium sized enterprises. This learning is not just limited to learn by copying successful concepts from other enterprises or competitors. It starts in learning more about the own company, about its structure and processes causing its own success or its failure. This kind of learning is necessary before the enterprise starts watching for a suitable Benchmarking partner. Learning from each other's strengths and weaknesses is the main goal of the European research project Quality beyond Borders! By using the Benchmarking methodology, small and medium sized enterprises get the opportunity to take part in a Benchmarking study and can learn more about the different strengths and weaknesses of other enterprises on both sides of the border. The results of such a Benchmarking can help to identify potentials for future cooperations among German and Polish enterprises in the same market or business. These potentials can lie in different ways of realising the same success or top-position. The Benchmarking study is not focused on an special business or region. That helps to find out trends for different kinds of top-positions, which can be claimed in all markets within a country. Every trend is characterised by different success factors which are responsible for the success in this top-position. In a first overview, the results of the Benchmarking study show 5 different groups of top-positions within a market which all have different profiles regarding to the importance of their success factors. By the end of the Benchmarking study it will be possible, to give answer about the special reasons for different kind of successes of these groups. These answers can be related to a special region within a country, a special business or of course related to possible differences in the expression of the group success factors in comparison of both countries.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.185-193
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• 2016

Background: Management and workers in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often find it hard to comprehend the requirements related to controlling risks due to exposure to substances. An intervention study was set up in order to support 45 SMEs in improving the management of the risks of occupational exposure to chemicals, and in using the control banding tool and exposure model Stoffenmanager in this process. Methods: A 2-year intervention study was carried out, in which a mix of individual and collective training and support was offered, and baseline and effect measurements were carried out by means of structured interviews, in order to measure progress made. A seven-phase implementation evolutionary ladder was used for this purpose. Success and failure factors were identified by means of company visits and structured interviews. Results: Most companies clearly moved upwards on the implementation evolutionary ladder; 76% of the companies by at least one phase, and 62% by at least two phases. Success and failure factors were described. Conclusion: Active training and coaching helped the participating companies to improve their chemical risk management, and to avoid making mistakes when using and applying Stoffenmanager. The use of validated tools embedded in a community platform appears to support companies to organize and structure their chemical risk management in a business-wise manner, but much depends upon motivated occupational health and safety (OHS) professionals, management support, and willingness to invest time and means.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.505-510
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• 2021

Background: Factors related to root causes can cause commonly occurring accidents such as falls, slips, and jammed injuries. An important means of reducing the frequency of occupational accidents in small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMSEs) of South Korea is to perform intensity analysis of the root cause factors for accident prevention in the cause and effect model like decision models, epidemiological models, system models, human factors models, LCU (life change unit) models, and the domino theory. Especially intensity analysis in a robot system and smart technology as Industry 4.0 is very important in order to minimize the occupational accidents and fatal accident because of the complexity of accident factors. Methods: We have developed the modern cause and effect model that includes factors of root cause through statistical testing to minimize commonly occurring accidents and fatal accidents in SMSEs of South Korea and systematically proposed educational policies for accident prevention. Results: As a result, the consciousness factors among factors of root cause such as unconsciousness, disregard, ignorance, recklessness, and misjudgment had strong relationships with occupational accidents in South Korean SMSEs. Conclusion: We conclude that the educational policies necessary for minimizing these consciousness factors include continuous training procedures followed by periodic hands-on experience, along with perceptual and cognitive education related to occupational health and safety.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.104-109
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• 2014

More than 76% of occupational accidents occur in small and medium sized enterprises(SME) employing less than 50 workers, due to the lack of safety and health systems, and carelessness of workers and owners. Timely Technical Guidance(TTG) project of Korea Occupational Safety & Heath Agency(KOSHA) for SME was initiated to analyze and inform accident causes just after accidents occur. Improvement direction of TTG project is suggested through situation and performance analysis on TTG services conducted in 2012. KOSHA provided TTS services on 15,571 SMEs(suffering at least one accident in 2012), through which the working day losses from recurrence resulted in 19.0%p, 14.5%p and 31.3%p decreases in manufacturing, services and construction businesses, respectively.