• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.5 no.2 s.18
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• pp.202-210
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• 2004

Under the current competitive business environment, the complexity of procurement method, and the lack of engineering capacity in the construction engineering industry, a construction engineering firms require the business strategy and its performance measurement system. This study suggests a performance measurement model that could follow 'H' construction engineering firm's vision and strategy. The model utilizes the concept of Balanced Scorecard. The study proposes the four main performance perspectives such as financial, growth, internal efficiency, and improvement & learning through the long-term strategy analysis, SWOT analysis, and interviews of the employees. Also the study develops the critical success factor and the key performance indicators. The usefulness of the performance measurement model is validated through the gap analysis such as alignment analysis and consensus analysis.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.199-233
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• 2014

This paper attempts to investigate how and why the additionality effects occur in the case when a firm receives government subsidy as opposed to counterfactual situation. To demonstrate this, we selected 12 SMEs(small and medium enterprises) firms in Daejeon area and have conducted multiple case studies. In order to analyse the multiple cases of firms, we classified firms innovative activities into three stages which are composed of input, behaviour and output stages and related various factors. Furthermore, we investigated the differences according to types of firms and stages of firm growth. Empirical results show that various input, behaviour and output additionality effects exist when firms receive public subsidies. Compared to companies in the growth and mature stages, startup phase companies depend on government subsidy extensively and they use public subsidies strategically to develop new product and to change their strategic direction. The attitude of firms to use government subsidies is different according to their types and stage of growth as well.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.14-35
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• 1999

This paper presents the relationship between the pace of structural change and the magnitude of employment growth in the manufacturing sector in OECD countries. To measure the pace of structural change, the compositional change index in value-added in manufacturing sector is introduced. For mid to long-term there seems to be a positive relationship between the pace of structural change and the magnitude of employment growth. In those countries with higher value of the compositional index, the employment growth in manufacturing sector was generally higher. To analyse the characteristics of structural change in manufacturing sector, this paper classifies manufacturing industries into groups: one based on technology, one on orientation, one on wages and one on skills. The international comparison of manufacturing sector's employment patterns based on above four classifications are presented. International comparison suggests that Korean manufacturing sector move into jobs with more skills and knowledge The structural change of SMEs and large firms are compared based on above four classification methods. It is shown that SMEs' employment in low value sectors, that is low-technology, labor-intensive, tow-wage, and unskilled sectors, have risen faster than SMEs' employment in high-technology, science-based, high-wage and skilled sectors. Large firms' employment have been mainly increased in high value sectors. However, the employment growth of both large and small firms have been concentrated on production worker-intensively-using sectors, i.e. unskilled sectors. This widened the wage differential of production workers by firm sizes and concurrently led to severe shortage of production workers for SMEs, which has little ability to pay high wage to production workers because they usually belong to low-wage sectors. Korea need to push SMEs forward to high value sectors. The premise of that is, however, to pull large firms out of production worker-intensively-using sectors.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.57-81
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• 2008

Knowledge is an essential strategic weapon for sustaining competitive advantage and is the key determinant for organizational growth. When knowledge is shared and disseminated throughout the organization, it increases an organization's value by providing the ability to respond to new and unusual situations. The growing importance of knowledge as a critical resource has forced executives to pay attention to their organizational knowledge. Organizations are increasingly undertaking knowledge management initiatives and making significant investments. Knowledge sourcing is considered as the first important step in effective knowledge management. Most firms continue to make an effort to realize the benefits of knowledge management by using various knowledge sources effectively. Appropriate knowledge sourcing strategies enable organizations to create, acquire, and access knowledge in a timely manner by reducing search and transfer costs, which result in better firm performance. In response, the knowledge management literature has devoted substantial attention to the analysis of knowledge sourcing strategies. Many studies have categorized knowledge sourcing strategies into intemal- and external-oriented. Internal-oriented sourcing strategy attempts to increase firm performance by integrating knowledge within the boundary of the firm. On the contrary, external-oriented strategy attempts to bring knowledge in from outside sources via either acquisition or imitation, and then to transfer that knowledge across to the organization. However, the extant literature on knowledge sourcing strategies focuses primarily on large organizations. Although many studies have clearly highlighted major differences between large and small firms and the need to adopt different strategies for different firm sizes, scant attention has been given to analyzing how knowledge sourcing strategies affect firm performance in small firms and what are the differences between small and large firms in the patterns of knowledge sourcing strategies adoption. This study attempts to advance the current literature by examining the impact of knowledge sourcing strategies on small firm performance from a holistic perspective. By drawing on knowledge based theory from organization science and complementarity theory from the economics literature, this paper is motivated by the following questions: (1) what are the adoption patterns of different knowledge sourcing strategies in small firms (i,e., what sourcing strategies should be adopted and which sourcing strategies work well together in small firms)?; and (2) what are the performance implications of these adoption patterns? In order to answer the questions, this study developed three hypotheses. First hypothesis based on knowledge based theory is that internal-oriented knowledge sourcing is positively associated with small firm performance. Second hypothesis developed on the basis of knowledge based theory is that external-oriented knowledge sourcing is positively associated with small firm performance. The third one based on complementarity theory is that pursuing both internal- and external-oriented knowledge sourcing simultaneously is negatively or less positively associated with small firm performance. As a sampling frame, 700 firms were identified from the Annual Corporation Report in Korea. Survey questionnaires were mailed to owners or executives who were most erudite about the firm s knowledge sourcing strategies and performance. A total of 188 companies replied, yielding a response rate of 26.8%. Due to incomplete data, 12 responses were eliminated, leaving 176 responses for the final analysis. Since all independent variables were measured using continuous variables, supermodularity function was used to test the hypotheses based on the cross partial derivative of payoff function. The results indicated no significant impact of internal-oriented sourcing strategies while positive impact of external-oriented sourcing strategy on small firm performance. This intriguing result could be explained on the basis of various resource and capital constraints of small firms. Small firms typically have restricted financial and human resources. They do not have enough assets to always develop knowledge internally. Another possible explanation is competency traps or core rigidities. Building up a knowledge base based on internal knowledge creates core competences, but at the same time, excessive internal focused knowledge exploration leads to behaviors blind to other knowledge. Interestingly, this study found that Internal- and external-oriented knowledge sourcing strategies had a substitutive relationship, which was inconsistent with previous studies that suggested complementary relationship between them. This result might be explained using organizational identification theory. Internal organizational members may perceive external knowledge as a threat, and tend to ignore knowledge from external sources because they prefer to maintain their own knowledge, legitimacy, and homogeneous attitudes. Therefore, integrating knowledge from internal and external sources might not be effective, resulting in failure of improvements of firm performance. Another possible explanation is small firms resource and capital constraints and lack of management expertise and absorptive capacity. Although the integration of different knowledge sources is critical, high levels of knowledge sourcing in many areas are quite expensive and so are often unrealistic for small enterprises. This study provides several implications for research as well as practice. First this study extends the existing knowledge by examining the substitutability (and complementarity) of knowledge sourcing strategies. Most prior studies have tended to investigate the independent effects of these strategies on performance without considering their combined impacts. Furthermore, this study tests complementarity based on the productivity approach that has been considered as a definitive test method for complementarity. Second, this study sheds new light on knowledge management research by identifying the relationship between knowledge sourcing strategies and small firm performance. Most current literature has insisted complementary relationship between knowledge sourcing strategies on the basis of data from large firms. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, this study identifies substitutive relationship between knowledge sourcing strategies using data from small firms. Third, implications for practice highlight that managers of small firms should focus on knowledge sourcing from external-oriented strategies. Moreover, adoption of both sourcing strategies simultaneousiy impedes small firm performance.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.141-157
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• 2007

This paper evaluates the effects of privatization and deregulation on the firm-specific efficiency and total factor productivity (TFP) growth in the Korean and Japanese railways. Using a stochastic frontier approach and a generalized translog functional form, the paper specifies the equation system consisting of a multiproduct variable cost function and input share equations which is estimated with Zellner's iterative seemingly unrelated regression and the corrected least squares method. The Korean and Japanese railway firms are assumed to produce three outputs (Shinkansen passenger-kilometers, incumbent railway passenger-kilometers, ton-kilometers of freight) using three input factors (labor, fuel, maintenance and rolling stock). A monetary value of the ways and fixed installations held by the railroad firm is also included as a quasi-fixed input. The empirical results indicate that the average estimate of cost inefficiency is 2.57% for the total sample and on the average, JNR and JR Kyushu are found to be worst efficient while the most efficient railway firm in the sample is JR West. Also the cost efficiency levels of seven JRs have been improved after the reform and privatization of JNR. The findings also indicate that TFP growth of the privately-owned JRs are higher than those of the government-owned KNR and JNR. Three-island JRs and JR Freight have slightly higher TFP growth than Honshu JRs as well. Thus, the results suggest that managerial autonomy and increased competition via deregulation have improved efficiency and TFP growth.

• Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.153-163
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship among factors that expand the win-win growth between domestic finished goods-making manufacturers and subcontractors. One-hundred twenty six firms participated for this study and were used for the data analysis. As a result of analysis, first, it was found that the win-win growth between first-tier suppliers and second-tier suppliers has positive effects on the win-win growth made by second-tier suppliers helping the third-tier suppliers. Second, it was found that the win-win growth policies supported by the government for the positive relationship between first-tier suppliers and second-tier suppliers for the finished goods-making manufacturers have positive effects on the win-win growth between second-tier suppliers and third-tier suppliers. Third, the results also showed that the win-win growth between second-tier suppliers and third-tier suppliers has a positive influence both on the financial and on the non-financial performances of the second-tier suppliers. Based on the results of this study, it is recommended to (1) construct infrastructure by sector through partnership between finished goods-making manufacturers and subcontractors, (2) draw in active support through the governmental win-win growth policies, (3) induce increasing productivities through information sharing, manpower support, technical support and educational support, and (4) strengthen and cultivate the culture of the small- and medium-sized companies.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.253-267
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• 2014

This study explores to identify the characteristics of the business model by comparing and analyzing the value creation between two cases, and to be successful in business model innovation. In order for the pursuit of purposes, domestic and international firm' business model cases are analyzed. Regarding the business model innovation, huge differences are found between two cases. First, a clear customer value proposal is important. Netflix is constantly monitoring the customer's needs and satisfactions to improve value proposition, while Joycube, domestic firm does not adjust to meet the change of the customer's behaviors. Second, the business model innovation should be taking into account the customer's behaviors in the constant changing market environments. For the growth, firms should consider strategic monitoring the market environments, and find a novelty of the markets, and to create the jump through business model innovation.

• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.16
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• pp.77-94
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• 2005

Nowadays, to change our country into advanced economy, the factor of growth obstacles was to be eliminated, or it is so important that the logistics base establishment enlarges to improve potential productivity. The best strategy to enforce the competition power is that we should be ready for some condition which can do cooperations and association very well. Also it is necessary for actors, government, firm and logistics field, to part their role. The national effort that firm supported by government and community participates in is reduced to achieve rational logistics system because logistics is complicate action flowing to final consumer. That is, self effort is needed for logistics competition system, adjustable arrangement of logistics field, the establishment of comprehensive informations system, logistics rationalization.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.23-46
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• 2008

The purpose of this research is to analyze the impact of business scope and technological capability on firm performance in SMEs. Existing studies on business scopes and technological capabilities have focused on the unilateral relationships with financial performances. This study examines the independent and interaction effects of business scopes and technological capabilities on financial performances of SMEs in capital industries. Based on 228 firm-level data, technological capabilities have positively significant impacts on performance. Business scope measured by product variety and number of buyers have been significantly positive relationships to financial performances. Also SMEs with technological capabilities can moderate the effects of business scope on their performances. However, the results show different relationships depending on measurements on business scope, technological capabilities and performance. The results provide interesting findings on strategic behaviors of SMEs when they pursue growth strategy through expanding business scopes and building technological capabilities.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-24
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• 2004

This paper analyses the effects of R＆D investment on patent in Korean manufacturing firms during the period 1984-99. The data contains 140 companies which listed in Korea Stock Exchange(KSE). We observed that the relative shares of R＆D investments and patent applications are much higher in scientific firms than in the other firms. The regression results show that R＆D investment has significantly positive effects on the growth of patent application and registration. And the effects of R＆D on patent turns out to be stronger in scientific firms than the other firms. The firm size and the capital intensity also have an important effect on the propensity to patent.