• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.119-133
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• 2024

As a result of significant investments by the government in promoting public technology commercialization and fostering a venture startup ecosystem, there have been quantitative achievements, such as the registration of over 1,600 Innopolis Start-ups since 2006, generating a total revenue of 1.1 trillion won as of 2021. However, these achievements have been overshadowed by critical qualitative challenges, including a continuous decline in average revenue per Innopolis Start-up. This led to a focus on whether managers' technological and market orientations affect business performance. This study aims to provide insights into improving the qualitative growth of Innopolis Start-ups by analyzing the effects of technological and market orientations on business performance, as well as the moderating effects of adjusting marketing and research and development (R&D) costs on this relationship. Through prior research and empirical analysis, this study derives three main findings. First, technological excellence and innovation significantly influence the business performance of Innopolis Start-ups, while technological intensity does not. Second, customer orientation and competitive orientation significantly impact business performance, whereas entry barriers as a single factor do not. Third, adjusting marketing and R&D costs, as controlled variables obtained through general situations, has no direct impact on other variables. However, it interacts with entry barriers, influencing financial business performance, with R&D costs exhibiting a negative buffering effect and marketing costs showing a positive enhancing effect. This study confirms that both technological and market orientations directly influence the business performance of Innopolis Start-ups, thus being crucial factors affecting their growth. Moreover, it establishes that investments in marketing and R&D play significant roles in alleviating initial entry barriers and enhancing financial performance. Consequently, it underscores the importance of reinforcing technological and market orientations tailored to the characteristics of Innopolis Start-ups. Additionally, it proposes five theoretical contributions: strengthening institutional support systems for technology commercialization and innovation, improving qualitative evaluation criteria during the selection process of Innopolis Start-ups, conducting comprehensive analyses of technological and market aspects during startup selection, enhancing support for marketing education and consulting for smooth market entry, and supporting expenditure strategies and milestone setting tailored to the industrial characteristics of individual Innopolis Start-ups.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.105-116
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• 2023

While there have been studies on the impact of government financial support on the performance of these enterprises, there is limited research on how entrepreneurs' perceptions of such policies affect business performance. Additionally, there is scarce domestic research on the role of entrepreneurial persistence in achieving and sustaining entrepreneurial goals and its impact on business performance. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze how entrepreneurs' perceptions of government policy support affect business performance and to explore the mediating effect of entrepreneurial persistence, shedding light on the significance of perceptions and deepening the understanding of entrepreneurial persistence. This study utilizes entrepreneurs' perceptions of government support for South Korean small and venture enterprises, and entrepreneurship as independent variables, with entrepreneurial persistence as a mediating variable and non-financial performance of businesses as the dependent variable. Data was collected through surveys targeting founders, CEOs, and executives of small and venture enterprises. After excluding incomplete responses, a total of 205 survey responses were used for hypothesis testing. The results of this study are as follows. First, it was verified that the perception of SME policy support and entrepreneurship have a significant positive impact on business performance. Second, it was verified that entrepreneurial persistence partially mediates the relationship between the perception of SME policy support and entrepreneurship and business performance. The theoretical implications of this study are twofold. First, it highlights the significant positive impact of entrepreneurs' perceptions of policy support on the non-financial performance of small and venture enterprises. This contributes to the theoretical understanding by demonstrating that entrepreneurs' perceptions play a role in affecting business performance, in contrast to previous research that focused on the impact of policy financial support on business performance. Second, this study extends the theoretical understanding of entrepreneurial persistence, a relatively understudied concept in domestic research, by demonstrating its mediating role in the relationship between entrepreneurs' perceptions of government support and, entrepreneurship, and business performance. Practically, the study suggests that to enhance the performance of small and venture enterprises, the government should not only expand policy support but also seek ways to increase entrepreneurs' perceptions of such support.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.68 no.4
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• pp.431-437
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• 2023

This study evaluated the ecological characteristics related to spike heading time of three Korean foxtail millet cultivars, i.e., one early and two late maturities, and a finger millet cultivar in the north-central region of the Korean Peninsula, Kangwon Province. The changes in heading time occurred due to the changes in planting time from mid-May to late June. The heading time of the early-maturity cultivars was early August, with 80 days required for heading (DH) for the mid-May planting; late August, with 65 DHs for the late June planting; and mid-late August, with 100 DHs and mid-October, with 65 DHs, respectively, for the late-maturity cultivars. The accumulated temperature at heading time ranged from 1,700℃ of mid-May planting to 1,500℃ of late June planting in the early-maturity cultivars. In contrast, it ranged from 2,100℃ to 1,900℃ in the late-maturity cultivars. The photoperiod at heading time ranged from 14.0 h to 13.2 h in the early-maturity cultivars, whereas it was from 13.2 h to 12.5 h in the late-maturity cultivars. Considering that the limiting heading time of Korean foxtail millet and finger millet in the northern region of Kangwon Povince is late August, the limiting accumulated temperature at the heading time was evaluated to be approximately 1,500℃ and 2,000℃ for early and late-maturity cultivars, respectively. The mean daily temperature from planting to heading time showed a negative correlation with the DH, which was shortened with the increase in mean daily temperature. This suggests that delaying the planting time from May to June in the north-central region of the Korean Peninsula increases the mean daily temperature during vegetative growth periods, resulting in the decrease of the DH and the accumulated temperature.

• Sim-seong Yeon-gu
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.67-88
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• 2011

Pungsu is an ancient logic that systemizes geography based on the Yin-Yang and The Five Elements Principle. It is defined as the unique and highly systemized ancient Eastern art of selecting auspicious sites and arranging harmonious structures such as graves, houses, and cities on them by evaluating the surrounding landscape and cosmological directions. Pungsu helps allegedly one improve life by receiving vital energy(Shengqi, 生氣)-energy flow that flows under the ground. It is traditional belief that the living lead their lives on the ground, indirectly receiving the energy coming out of the ground, whereas the dead are buried under the ground, allowing them to directly absorb energy from the ground, which makes Shengqi the dead receive bigger and more obvious than that the living receive. This energy absorbed by the dead from the ground was believed to be passed on to their descendants. This phenomenon is called "Induction of vital energy between Ancestors and Descendants". People searched for the sites which were believed to contain rich and positive vital energy flow. They also tried to bury their ancestors under such sites hoping to receive the Shengqi coming from underground which they believed would help them thrive and prosper. The efforts to locate the sites which have the most vital energy, auspicious sites or "Bright Yard(明堂)", are easily observed in Asia including China and Korea. The ultimate goal of searching for auspicious sites lies in human(whether alive or dead) receiving vital energy from the nature to enjoy happy lives. In choosing a place to live or to bury their dead ancestors, people tried to understand the energy flow of the site considering the factors related with mountain, water, and direction. If we take a closer look into the methods of finding auspicious sites, we can see that people have tried to see the outer conditions of lands, mountains and waters within the perfect harmony if possible. Auspicious site or Bright Yard is the site with those elements in perfect order and harmony, that is, it is the place which derives the most vital energy from the best order and harmony of nature. As this shows, an auspicious site symbolizes totality-the Self, and it seems to be projected to the land. It is believed to be an attempt that the reason why we try to find auspicious sites to internalize the totality that we projected to the outer world. Therefore, this auspicious site is what our foremost values, symbol of the Self, such as harmony, equilibrium, perfection, and uniqueness are reflected to the land. Through the process of finding such a site, we try to gain totality of psyche.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.162-178
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• 2024

Swans are representative migratory birds that spend winter in East Asia, and have long been considered rare birds. In particular, they were regarded as king of Japan. The process of designating a natural monument in Hapcheon Swan Sanctuary is an interesting story. In this study, the designation and release process of Hapcheon Swan Sancturay ((Bakgok-ji, Yongju-myeon 龍州面 朴谷池), (Jeongyang-ji, Daeyang-myeon 大陽面 正陽池), Gaho, Cheongdeok-myeon 淸德面 嘉湖)) Natural Monument, was examined. These places were designated as a natural monument on August 27, 1934, during the Japanese colonial period, and was lifted on August 14, 1973, after the Cultural Protection Act was enacted after liberation. From the beginning of the new year in 1929, the Japanese Government-General of Korea (朝鮮總督府) decided to capture swans alive to give to the king of Japan. An official of the Japanese Government-General of Korea (統監) decided to offer swans to the king during his New Year's greeting visit. The department in charge of capturing swans was the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Police Department, and the execution was the police station of each county (郡). The reason is believed to be that it is easy to forcibly mobilize, control, or urge people, and the capture activity had to be completed as soon as possible. A total of three swans were captured in Hapcheon-gun from January 12 to 14, 1929. At that time, various newspapers published related information. Based on these facts and experiences, it is estimated that the Hapcheon area was selected when designating a natural monument in 1934. Hapcheon Swan Sancturay, Natural Monument lost its function due to excessive human interference of various developments, illegal capture, and use of poison to catch swans. Their number has also significantly decreased. It was thus removed from the natural monument in 1973. One of the three swan sanctuaries (Gaho 嘉湖) has been completely reclaimed, one (Bakgok-ji 朴谷池) has almost no migratory birds due to the conversion of wetlands, and one (Jeongyang-ji 正陽池) has swans flying back. In the case of Jeongyangji (正陽池), It is an encouraging sign that many swans fly as the surrounding environment and growing conditions change. This phenomenon is interpreted to mean that nature and climate are recovering and healing.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.59-70
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• 2024

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyze each country's infectious disease response capacities and, based on this, find areas for improvement in Korea's infectious disease management response. Methods: First, the capacity to respond to the COVID-19 infectious disease was analyzed by country using the SPAR scores of 96 countries around the world released by WHO in 2022. Second, we analyzed each country's specific COVID-19 quarantine performance using Our World in Data and the Global Health Security Index (GHSI). Results: First, the quarantine intensity index on January 24, 2021 was the highest in the Southeast Asia branch at 67.6, which had strong quarantine measures, and the lowest at 44.5 in the Africa branch. As of December 31, 2022, the quarantine intensity index in Europe was significantly lowered to 11.6. Second, the factor that influenced the SPAR indicator on the total number of patients per million population was national laboratory (C4), p=.027, and the factor that influenced the total number of deaths per million population was infection prevention and control (C9), p=.005., Risk Communication and Community Participation (C10) p=.040. The influential factor on GDP per capita was infection prevention and control (C9) p=.009, and the influential factor on GHSI was infection prevention and control (C9) p=.002. Conclusion: The research findings indicate that it was difficult to find a correlation between the SPAR, which is each country's self-assessment of their infectious disease capacities, and the number of COVID-19 cases or the intensity of pandemic responses. However, mortality rates, as well as factors such as the Global Health Security Index (GHSI) and national income, appear to be somewhat influenced. For future improvements in infectious disease management and response in our country, it is necessary to develop pandemic strategies that can reduce socio-economic costs based on more scientific and reliable data like JEE or GHSI, especially in preparation for potential unknown emerging infectious diseases. Based on this, proactive decision-making led by a control tower of experts and effective health communication are also required to respond to public health crises at a national level.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.123-138
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• 2024

Experiential social entrepreneurship education offers participants opportunities for active engagement in social entrepreneurial activities. Highlighting the significance of psychosocial experiences within the program, this study examines work meaningfulness discovered in this process as the antecedent to forming social entrepreneurial intention. Furthermore, drawing on social cognitive career theory that emphasizes the role of agency in career decisions, we propose social entrepreneurial self-efficacy as the underlying mechanism and social class as the moderating factor in the relationship between work meaningfulness and social entrepreneurial intention formation. The propositions were tested with a two-wave survey dataset collected among 145 university students taking part in an experiential social entrepreneurship program in South Korea. Our results indicate that work meaningfulness positively affects social entrepreneurial self-efficacy, which subsequently promotes social entrepreneurial intention. Moreover, when participants' social class, measured by either household income or perceived rank, is lower, the positive effect of work meaningfulness on social entrepreneurial self-efficacy as well as intention is amplified. Theoretically, these findings shed light on the crucial role of work meaningfulness in strengthening potential entrepreneurs' agency in the domain of social entrepreneurship, particularly for those from lower classes. Practically, we provide guidelines for designing an inclusive experiential social entrepreneurship program that allows participants to find meaningfulness by realizing their strengths and justifying their prosocial contribution.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.27-40
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• 2024

This study empirically derives the factors affecting the practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) of venture firms in Korea from the perspective of Slack Resource Theory and the company's growth strategy, and provides implications for future expansion of venture firm's CSR activities. In Korea, venture firms have grown into important players in the national economy since the late 1990s through social contributions such as economic value creation, job creation, and technological development. As venture companies grow in status, positive relationships with stakeholders and responsibility for environmental and social values are required. Now, CSR is becoming an important strategic choice for SMEs and venture firms. However, until now, CSR-related academic research has mainly focused on large or listed corporations, and there is not much research on SMEs or venture firms. In particular, research on the factors that lead venture companies to make important business decisions of participating in CSR activities is not there yet. This study applied logistic multiple regression analysis using the '2023 Survey on Venture Firms' conducted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. As a result of this study, operating profit, which is an available resources of venture companies, and government support, which is a potential resource, have a positive impact on venture firms's CSR activities. Also, business relationships with large corporations and expectation for future cooperation also have a positive impact on CSR activities as the determinants. On the other hand, it was analyzed that in venture firms where ownership and management are not separated, the higher the CEO's shareholding ratio, the more negatively it affects CSR activities. This study contributes academically as the first empirical study on the determinants of CSR activities of venture firms in Korea and provides implications that government policy support and collaboration between large corporations and venture firms are important in order to expand CSR activities of venture firms.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.53-68
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• 2024

Generative AI is receiving a lot of attention around the world, and ways to effectively utilize it in the business environment are being explored. In particular, since the public release of the ChatGPT service, which applies the GPT-3.5 model, a large language model developed by OpenAI, it has attracted more attention and has had a significant impact on the entire industry. This study focuses on the emergence of Generative AI, especially ChatGPT, which applies OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model, to investigate its impact on the startup industry and compare the changes that occurred before and after its emergence. This study aims to shed light on the actual application and impact of generative AI in the business environment by examining in detail how generative AI is being used in the startup industry and analyzing the impact of ChatGPT's emergence on the industry. To this end, we collected company information of generative AI-related startups that appeared before and after the ChatGPT announcement and analyzed changes in industry, business content, and investment information. Through keyword analysis, topic modeling, and network analysis, we identified trends in the startup industry and how the introduction of generative AI has revolutionized the startup industry. As a result of the study, we found that the number of startups related to Generative AI has increased since the emergence of ChatGPT, and in particular, the total and average amount of funding for Generative AI-related startups has increased significantly. We also found that various industries are attempting to apply Generative AI technology, and the development of services and products such as enterprise applications and SaaS using Generative AI has been actively promoted, influencing the emergence of new business models. The findings of this study confirm the impact of Generative AI on the startup industry and contribute to our understanding of how the emergence of this innovative new technology can change the business ecosystem.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.155-172
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• 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic not only posed an enormous human crisis, but also had a profound impact on firms' survival. Social distancing and global lockdown measures designed to protect human lives have paradoxically impaired the business environment. As a result, firms that sought to gain competitive advantage by leveraging external resources were cut off from the external world and faced unexpected challenges. Under these circumstances, researches were conducted in the early stage of the pandemic to explore how certain firms survived while others fell, but they were limited to re-examining business performance using traditional financial factors. However, this study aims to investigate the role of entrepreneurs' competency in crisis situations from the Resource-Based View (RBV), as such competency plays an important role in improving business performance and subsequently the probability of startups' survival. Specifically, we evaluated the performance as of end of 2019 of 1,127 startups evaluated by the Korea Technology Finance Corporation (KOTEC), which provides policy financing based on technology assessment, in 2016. We then conducted an empirical study to determine the mediating role of business performance in the relationship between entrepreneurial competencies and firm survival by verifying how many of the sample firms were still in operation at the end of June 2023, when the Korean government declared COVID-19 as an endemic. For this purpose, we defined technological, financial, and marketing competencies as the sub-factors of entrepreneurial competency, and sales growth rate and employment growth rate as the sub-factors of business performance. The results of the empirical analysis showed that technological and financial competencies of the entrepreneur had a positive impact on both business performance and firm survival, and that sales growth rate and employment growth rate mediated the relationship between technological competence and firm survival. However, the positive influence of entrepreneurs' financial competence of the survival of startups was only evident through the growth of employment. This study is the first study in South Korea to define the survival factors of startups in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and is expected to contribute to the theoretical and practical discussions on the importance of entrepreneurs' competency as a firms' survival factor based on RVB.