• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.18
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• pp.55-98
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• 1990

This research attempts to verify the hypothesis that the workers in the small-and medium-sized industries use more informal information channels than formal ones do to get the information necessary to industrial activities. Information sources are divided by the internal and the external ones and these are sub-divided by their acquiring channels, publishers and holding institutions. It is intended to investigate the information sources according to the use frequency, age, origin and format of documents used. The degree of benefit to the workers in their practical work through the use of information sources and the use frequency of information sources by the department and years of experience are also investigated. The data to test the hypothesis was collected through the questionnaires distributed to the workers in 300 sampled firms from June 5 to June 20, The following facts have been verified as the result : 1. Workers in industries acquire information mainly through the contacts with the colleagues or superiors in their departments, and the junior workers depend more on the colleague and superiors than senior workers are. 2. Among the documents published internally, the ones from the research and development departments are mostly used. The documents issued by the worker's own departments are also frequently used and the senior workers, the more frequently use the internal publications than the junior workers do. 3. Among the internal documents stored in various places in the industries, the documents kept in the worker's own departments are used most frequently. The senior workers the more use privately owned documents than the junior workers do. 4. As far as the external channels are concerned, information is obtained mainly through suppliers of equipment and raw materials and the use frequency of information channels varies according to department. The senior workers the more receive information through supporting institution, seminar and exhibition than the junior workers do. 5. Among the external publication, the ones published by the industrial supporting institutions are heavily used and the workers in research and developments frequently use the external publications. 6. The documents held in governmental industrial institutions and industrial supporting institutions are heavily used compared with the ones stored in other external institutions. The holding places of frequently used documents vary according to the working departments. 7. The degree of benefit to practical work performance resulted from the internal information use is less than by the use of external information. 8. The documents published more than five years ago are more used than the ones of less than five years, Korean and Japanese documents are used frequently and catalogues, patents and standards are used to a great extent. The documents are used differently in accordance with work departments.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.167-178
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between internal corporate, supplier, and customer integrations for domestic SMEs on non-financial and financial performance through SCM performance such as flexibility and reduction of uncertainties. To this end, data was collected on 286 SMEs in Korea, and the structural relationships between SCM integration level, SCM performances, and management performance were analyzed. As a result of the analysis, first, it was found that the SCM integration level had a significant positive effect on the flexibility and reduction of uncertainties, which are SCM performances. Second, the flexibility and reduction of uncertainties showed significantly positive effects on the non-financial performance of the companies, but did not directly affect the financial performance positively. Third, the non-financial performance was found to have a positive effect on the financial performance. In addition, the SCM integration level did not have a direct effect on the financial and non-financial performance, but it was found that it affected management performance by mediating the flexibility and reduction of uncertainties, which are SCM performances. That is, although the SCM integration level did not directly affect financial and non-financial performance, it was confirmed that it affects management performance by mediating SCM performances, flexibility and uncertainty reduction. In other words, it was confirmed that the SCM integration level directly or indirectly affects SCM performances and overall management performance. These results imply the necessity to focus on competency in the supply chain management area according to the SCM performance expected by SMEs, and the step by step approaches to the expected effects. In a situation where prior SCM related studies have not been able to present SCM performances and management performance of SMEs that are relatively lacking in their capital and SCM construction capabilities, the findings of this study could suggest the importance of SCM integration from the perspective of SMEs. In addition, from the viewpoint of SMEs, this study suggested that a sequential approach for performance measurement is required (SCM performance → management performance) in relation to the performance factors to be established through SCM.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.59-71
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• 2020

This study is empirically intended to look into the effects of smart factory technologies on quality and innovation performance in small and medium-sized Enterprises(SMEs). The research results are as follows. Device and application technologies for smart factory had a positive effect on the information quality and system quality, while platform technologies had an insignificant effect on the information quality and system quality, rejecting the effect of platform technologies for smart factory on information quality and system quality. Device technologies for smart factory had also a significant effect on innovative performance, while platform and application technologies had an insignificant effect on innovative performance, rejecting the effect of platform and application technologies for smart factory on innovative performance. The system quality had a significant effect on innovative performance, while the information quality had an insignificant effect on innovative performance. The quality played a partial mediating role in the effect of device technologies for smart factory on innovative performance. These results indicate that small and medium-sized venture firms should implement a high standard of information quality management(IQM) through interconnection as the kernel of a smart factory in the 4th revolutionary era, and that they can improve their corporate performance through the interlocking between components from manufacturing design to execution and analysis and the integrated management of systematic information collected from devices if necessary.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.177-205
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• 2022

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have strong incentives to engage in open innovation to enhance innovation efficiency and effectiveness due to their 'liability of smallness.' Previous research examined the performance effects of various open innovation practices, but whether coupled open innovation practices positively affect SMEs' firm performance is somewhat controversial. To resolve the issue, this study examined the effects of coupled open innovation activities on SMEs' firm performance using Heckman's two stage model to control endogeneity of the firms' self-selection bias in open innovation engagement. This study used the Korean Innovation Survey (KIS) 2020 collected by the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI), and tested the effects of SMEs' coupled open innovation activities, R&D and non-R&D cooperation, on their innovative and financial performance indicators. The results showed that SMEs' R&D cooperation positively affects the new-to-market (NTM) product innovation only. Moreover, SMEs' non-R&D cooperation has positive effects on the product innovation, business process innovation, new-to-the-market product innovation, and new-to-firm (NTF) product innovation. However, the results showed that both R&D and non-R&D innovation cooperation activities have no significant effects on SMEs' financial performance indicators. This study contributes to research on SMEs' open innovation and provides insights for SMEs' managers and policymakers.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.49-63
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of the collective characteristics of SMEs on M&A activity on the disclosure effect of mergers and long-term business performance after mergers. From 2000 to 2012, we examine 717 cases of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) using multiple regression analysis and difference analysis. The results of this study are as follows. First, it is confirmed that the effect on the merger announcement effect is the same as the previous study on the Korean capital market listed companies except for the effect of diversification, listing effect, and cross-border effect. In addition, we have found that firms with higher performance in the past have higher excess returns in the disclosure effect of mergers and acquisitions. Second, unlike the previous studies that non-related mergers have a positive effect on long-term operating performance, for the characteristics of SMEs with lower market competitiveness than that of average listed companies, SMEs merging with same industry group companies have a positive effect on long-term operating performance. This study provides a new perspective on the merger and acquisition of SMEs by examining the effects of M&A announcement and long-term performance.

• Journal of Practical Engineering Education
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.601-608
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• 2022

This study examines the current status of smart manufacturing innovation policies in Germany and Korea, compares and analyzes the supply industry strategies of both countries, and suggests the direction for Korea's smart manufacturing innovation supply industry. Germany's supply industry strategy aims to strengthen the market dominance of domestic suppliers through high technology, compatibility, and high reliability based on reference for global demanding companies. On the other hand, the Korea's supply industry strategy remains at the level improvement of the demanding companies by stage, so it is time to take a long-term and consistent response with the goal of implementing smartization at the advanced level. By referring to Germany's supply industry strategy for the advancement of smart factories, it was intended to help in establishing government support policies and supplier strategies. In addition, based on the analysis results of the supply industry strategies of both countries, improvement measures for the advancement of Korea's smart factories were presented. Ultimately, the contents of this study can be used as basic data for policy establishment to strengthen the industrial competitiveness of Korea's small and medium-sized suppliers.

• Journal of Venture Innovation
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.67-82
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• 2018

Lately, recognition of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been changing. CSR turned out to be a powerful tool which a company incorporates to improve its image. Nowadays, it is no longer an option, but a shared sense which is a source of corporate growth and competitiveness. CSR has changed with times and the economic environment, especially as the global value chain (GVC) came to be more vital, it became accepted as an effective means of growth strategy for small and medium exporters. For SMEs exporters, participating in GVC requires that they meet international standards for CSR demanded by global enterprises. Reflecting this trend, exporters should strive to achieve both goals of social responsibility fulfillment and efficient growth through CSR activities. As one of the key measures for a sustainable growth of an organization, the following are the policy implications. First, it is necessary to establish a national organization dedicated to CSR for small businesses. The central government should establish an organization which is exclusively responsible for CSR of SMEs and oversee the task of CSR of small businesses. Second, the development and verification of the CSV evaluation model should be promoted. The international trend of CSR should be promptly spread out to individual firms and supported to maximize economic effects through consultancy. Third, it should be linked to global advancement. CSR reports by small and mid-size businesses will have to be written to ensure that they have a real effect on the global value chain.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.545-552
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• 2015

This study One of the key elements of corporate competitiveness in the modern world of unlimited competition is human resource management. The reason that the world's leading companies are devoting a lot of investment and effort for good human resource development and management is that human resource can impact firm survival. In particular, there is little research on the internal and external environmental stimuli and job stress in the employee of small business which are often led to turnover, while they have suffered from chronic shortage of manpower. The purpose of this study is to determine the turnover factors in the small logistics companies and contribute to stable maintenance of workforce, facilitating human resource management and minimizing turnover. This study empirically analyzed the factors of the turnover in the organization of logistics companies from Busan Port, South Korea, which became one of the national infrastructure and the fifth world largest harbor. The conclusion proposed the development and direction of the human resource management which could promote the job environment improving the turnover factors and creating sustainable work condition through conducting preventive measures. The results indicated that the highest turnover rates was found in the category of field work, and the highest turnover group was from the 'less than one year', which implies that high turnover rates after and during job training might be greater cost to the companies than early turnover. The most common reasons for the high employee turnover were 'excessive workload' and 'dissatisfaction with wages'. Followed reasons including 'troubles with managers' and 'failure in organizational adaptation' can be understood in line with worse working conditions of the small logistic companies. It turned out that the preventive programs of the logistic enterprises had little effect through 'incentives system' and 'improving wage system' which are mainly conducted. The human resource managers appreciated the importance of 'wage raise' and 'benefits improvement'. This study is aimed at contributing to efficient human resource management through understanding of the turnover causes and human resource managers applying preventive measures. In particular, this can benefit small port logistics companies securing competitiveness and promoting persistent growth and development.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.157-192
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• 2006

Since the late 1990s, the Korean Venture Capital Industry has been remarkably grown in the aspect of quality and quantity. Korean government expects that the Venture company and Venture Capital Industry would contribute to the recovery of depressed Korean economy and restructuring of the high cost and low efficiency economic structure. Korean government reinforces supporting policies for the Venture Capital and Venture Business. Venture Capital is defined as the form of high risk and high profit investment capital growing the small & medium enterprises to competitive ones through capital and management support and collecting the capital. According to the Gompers and Lerners the venture capital cycle consists of raising investment capital, screening the investment opportunity and invest the money. And later, sold the retained stock to the other investor or to the company. This stage called EXIT Consequently, the function of the venture capital, which supply the fund and the business consultation to venture business, have been emphasized and how to effectively run this capital have been recognized as the way to develop the venture business. In this regard, the problem in Korean Venture Capital Market is as follows. First, most of the sources of fund depends on the government support and this conflict with the nature of risk capital because the government capital emphasis the stability than profitability. And secondly, the efficiency of the venture capital system in Korea do not reach that of the advanced countries due to many kinds of restriction and the rack of support. Consequently, the Activation Schemes for Korean Venture Capital Firms are as follows. First, the sources of venture capital need to diversify from angels to institutional investors such as banks, pensions, fund of fund. And Lastly, the internal management and operational system of venture capital companies should be strengthened by quality to that of global Venture Capital Firms.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.113-137
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• 2015

Many scholars have addressed the technological convergence of small-medium sized firms in Korea and their impact on the economic growth of nation. Nevertheless, most studies have been investigated the relationship between entrepreneurship and venture creation, and a few studies have analyzed the innovation and technological convergence of SMEs. The purpose of this research is to gain industrial insight into the technological convergence and to suggest a dynamic growth policy for entrepreneurs of SMEs to improve their convergence performance based on IT and BT. Therefore, we intend to propose solutions to these key questions in convergence such as; what are the key patterns in the process of technological convergence of SMEs on IT and BT, and what kinds of strategy do their need? In order to answer these research questions, we adopt network analysis using patent citation information. Results of network analysis revealed that building ecosystem based on government and universities is one of the most important factors for the future growth of SMEs in Korea. Also, the fit between technological convergence direction of SMEs and division of convergence structure of government and universities will be positively associated with dynamic growth of SMEs in Korea. In conclusion, this research extends the current studies on important aspects of SMEs in the technological convergence process by proposing their growth in convergence process to a newly converging context, IT and BT, and shed light on the integrative perspectives of crucial roles of SMEs on innovation performance in the IT and BT technological convergence.