• Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.31-52
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• 2023

The government's various support policies have helped Korea's SMEs and startups to grow from the beginning to the end, from domestic companies to exporters. In particular, direct business support policies such as financial support, R&D projects, and export support have been effective in helping a large number of entrepreneurs and startup companies to establish themselves in the market and have achieved tangible results every year since the establishment of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. As such, the government is making significant efforts to create and promote various types of support policies and to help companies utilize them in their business. However, this study aims to analyze the factors that affect the satisfaction of government policies and the achievement of managerial performance from the companies' perspective and to suggest the purpose of government support policies and the direction companies should take. Specifically, this study categorizes entrepreneurial self-efficacy into marketing, innovation, management, risk-taking, and financial management, using the relationship model of self-efficacy and collective efficacy to ultimately lead to practical results for SMEs and startups support policies. It uses perceived firm efficacy as a variable to reveal the influence relationship. In addition, the direct and mediating effects of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and policy satisfaction on managerial performance were analyzed to determine what SMEs and startups support policies should do. The results showed that, first, among the five components of entrepreneurial self-efficacy, innovation, and risk-taking efficacy positively affected perceived firm efficacy. Second, the specific components of entrepreneurial self-efficacy, marketing, and financial management efficacy positively influenced policy satisfaction. Third, we found that perceived firm efficacy positively influenced policy satisfaction and managerial performance, which are factors of SMEs and startups' policy performance. Specifically, perceived firm efficacy positively influenced policy satisfaction managerial performance. Fourth, we found that policy satisfaction positively influenced managerial performance.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.321-342
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• 2023

This study aims to derive policy implications by analyzing the experiences of Korean ICT startups that participated in the government's online export and trade consultation platform, designed to support ICT startups' overseas expansion during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research methodology involved the analysis of semi-structured, in-depth interviews with six startups who participated in an online export and trade consultation platform, using Giorgi's phenomenological methodology. The analysis resulted in the identification of ten subcategories, including two subcategories for each of the five categories. These categories and subcategories offer a comprehensive understanding of the experiences of ICT startups in navigating the online export and trade counseling platforms. The findings suggest that online export and trade consultation platforms for ICT startups offer efficiency benefits by reducing time and space constraints, but they also reveal limitations in terms of practical business continuity. This study holds academic and practical significance by providing insights into how ICT startups navigate online export and trade counseling platforms during the pandemic.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.123-137
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• 2014

Since the global financial crisis, funding for startups or ventures has been diminished seriously. In this situation, crowd-funding has attracted worldwide attention as a viable means to financing startups/ventures. After reviewing existing laws in other countries, this study investigated the current status of crowd-funding legalization in Korea and surveyed requirements from three groups of participants to crowd-funding. Investors already recognized the high risk of crowd-funding into startups and asked for the protection of their investment. But, their priorities were on the enlargement of tax benefits and the establishment of a trading market for selling their equity. In addition, investors wanted to shorten the compulsory holding period. Issuers as fund raisers hoped fast legalization, convenient process of crowd-funding, and expansion of government support. Crowd-funding platform operators requested policies for establishing paths to become new growth companies from startups, tax benefits, and the setup of separate fund for startups. Currently, the National Assembly in Korea is holding the discussion on the submitted law. For desirable outcomes to all participants, it would be better to proceed in the following sequence. First, legalize the crowd-funding with clauses protecting investors; Second, encourage investment through tax benefits; Third, develop communities among participants for reducing information asymmetry; And fourth, establish diverse trading markets for selling equities of startups.

• Asian Journal of Innovation and Policy
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.79-102
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• 2018

In an entrepreneurial ecosystem, the failure rate of startups is extremely high at 90%, and every startup that fails becomes an orphan. This phenomenon leads to higher costs of failure for the entrepreneurs in the ecosystem. Failed startups have many lessons to offer to the ecosystem and offer guidance to the potential entrepreneur, and this area is not fully explored compared to the literature on successful startups. We use a case based method distinguishing a failed startup and a successful startup, studying the entrepreneurial characteristics and firm level factors which cause the failures, in the technology startup ecosystem of Bangalore. We study one of the modes of exit adopted by failed startup entrepreneurs and draw key lessons on causes that culminate in failures. We have identified that factors such as the time to minimum viable product cycle, time for revenue realization, founders' complementary skillsets, age of founders with their domain expertise, personality type of founders, attitude towards financial independence and willingness to avail mentorship at critical stages, will decisively differentiate failed startups from the successful ones. Accordingly, implications have been derived for potential entrepreneurs for reducing the cost of failures in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.197-216
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• 2019

The Korean government has been focusing on supporting technology startups to solve social and economic problems such as low growth, declining economic growth rate, rising youth unemployment rate and lack of new growth engine. Although the failure rate of young technology startups is very high, relevant researches are still scant. On the basis of previous researches, this study has identified four growth factors of technology startups: characteristics of entrepreneurs, technical superiority and originality of business items, focused marketing strategy, and follow-up government support projects. Five young technology startup cases were selected and analyzed in the cosmetics industry which were supported by the Six-month Challenge Platform project of Chungbuk Creation Economic Innovation Center. The main findings of the case study were as follows: First, product development through inhouse R&D rather than external contracted R&D was beneficial to acquiring follow-up government support projects and external investment. Second, choosing a small niche market and concentrating marketing efforts on the target market had a positive effect on firm performance. And, third, relevance of entrepreneurs' college major and technological originality of business items were confirmed to influence firm performance positively in the early stage. The results are expected to help young technology startups survive successfully and establish a foothold for growth in their early stage.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.10 no.12
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• pp.43-55
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• 2019

Purpose : With the proliferation of O2O platform services that combine offline and online services, many startups are fiercely competing to lead services in the O2O service market. While the prospects for growth in the O2O service market are optimistic because of the close convenience to life, startups can achieve corporate performance only through close cooperation and partnership with suppliers. The purpose of this study is to verify the effect of O2O-based startups' and suppliers' cooperation in supply chain management on SCM performance through supply chain partnerships and startup satisfaction with suppliers. Research design, data, methodology : Data were collected from O2O service-based startups and hypotheses were verified through frequency analysis, exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, feasibility analysis, and structural equation path analysis. In addition, the mediating effects of supply chain partnerships and startup satisfaction on suppliers were verified. Results : As a result of this study, IT utilization of the O2O startup cooperation method affects the financial perspective of supply chain partnership and SCM performance. The contract implementation of the cooperation method had an impact on the financial and innovation growth perspectives of the SCM performance, and the communication of the cooperation method had an effect on the supply chain partnership, startup satisfaction in the supply chain, and the innovation growth perspective of the SCM performance. Supply chain partnerships had an impact on the financial, innovation growth, and customer perspectives of SCM performance and startup satisfaction within the supply chain had a significant effect on innovation growth and customer perspectives. Conclusions : The implications of this study identified the factors that can improve SCM performance through the cooperation method of O2O startup, supply chain partnership and startup satisfaction with suppliers, and it is significant that the causal relationship was identified by the structural model through the supply chain cooperation factors derived by characteristics. Based on the empirical results, as the services of O2O startups grow, it is expected that empirical research and practical activation of academia should be considered as important in the cooperation of the supply chain.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.642-663
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that affect professor startups and their performances in Universities in Korea. We included 5 categories of factors: University's size and reputation, University's technology commercialization staff number and startup deregulation, University's resources for research and technology commercialization, University's patents and professors' publication, and student startups. We analyzed 150 Universities, using Korean government's Academyinfo database, and additional data for University ranking and government's projects for University startups. Our analysis shows that Universities' fund amount for research and technology commercialization, Universities' amount of patents give a positive impact on Universities statistically significantly, while Universities' size or reputation does not. In addition, the amount of patents and startup projects funded by the government give a significantly positive impact on the annual sales of the professor startups. Furthermore, student startups are in a positive relationship with professor startups and their sales, showing a synergy effect between the two startup groups in Universities. The result implies that Universities and government need to focus on supporting patenting activities, providing technology commercialization funds, and collaboration activities between professors and students for their startup activities.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.1-11
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• 2020

Increasing the number of unicorn startups has recently received much attention. In this study, we attempt to investigate that startups achieving an extremely high valuation could postpone their exit to raise more investment and receive more benefits. This study tested the hypotheses using data from Crunchbase, World Bank, Global Competitiveness Report, and Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. Using 140 unicorn startups that have already exited through an initial public offering (IPO) or mergers and acquisitions (M&A), we find out that unicorn startups tend to acquire higher valuation as their investment duration increases. Furthermore, we also examined the moderating effects of governmental policy and institutional distance from foreign investors in order to consider the institutional aspects of startups. The results of the moderating variables show significant supports. We expect to provide a better understanding with respect to making an exit decision of unicorn startups. Furthermore, managers and investors need to acknowledge the institutional factors of startups when they decide to fund.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.463-481
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• 2017

Purpose: This study provide the matching mechanism between startup and business incubator to enhance managerial performance of business incubator. In addition, we propose the differentiation strategy for business incubator based on the needs of startups. Methods: In order to carry out the research, we surveyed 216 startups who already have invested in venture capitals and angel investors and currently residing in business incubator and 30 venture capitals and angel investors. Based on survey results, we develop a business incubator capability table matching startup with business incubator. Results: Satisfaction and importance of the supporting programs varied depending on the startup experience and startup lifecycle. As a result, we recommended a R&D center for machinery/material, bio/medical and electric/electronics startups and individual office for ICT and knowledge service startups. In addition, we suggested a differentiation strategy to BI in university specialized for machinery/material, privately operated BI for electric/electronic, (local)government, R&D center and individual office for knowledge service respectively. Conclusion: In this study, business incubator capability table is applied to match startup with business incubator and it could be applied to evaluate the current status of business incubator. Furthermore, it will help to establish a future strategic direction for business incubator.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2023

This study divided articles into two time periods, from 2012 to 2022, with the aim of using big data analysis to look at patterns in the ecosystem of fashion start-ups. The research method extracted top keywords based on TF(Term Frequency) and TF-IDF(Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency), analyzed the network, and derived centrality values. As a result of comparing the first and second fashion startup ecosystems, elements of policy, support, market, finance, and human capital were derived in the first period. In addition, in the second period, elements of policy, support, market, finance, and culture were derived. In the first period, the fashion startup ecosystem focused on fostering new designer startups by emphasizing support, finance, and human capital factors and focusing on policies. Meanwhile, in the second period, online-based fashion platform startups and fashion tech startups appeared with the support of digital transformation and fulfillment services triggered by COVID-19(Corona Virus Disease 19), private finances were emphasized, and cultural factors were derived along with success stories of fashion startups. This study is meaningful in that it helps in developing strategies for fashion startups to grow into sustainable companies.