• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.362-377
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• 2017

This study examined the relationship between country-of-brand-origin perception and brand equity elements among Korean and Chinese male consumers. It also examined if there were differences between the two national consumers in the effect of country-of-brand-origin on brand evaluation. We analyzed survey responses from 414 Korean men and 393 Chinese men in their 20s-30s. Country-of-brand-origin perception was found positively related to brand awareness and brand image for both Korean and Chinese men in each group that selected domestic or foreign country-of-brand-origin. The results revealed a positive relationship between brand attitude and brand awareness as well as brand image for the two national consumers in each country-of-brand-origin selection group. The results indicated differences in the influence of brand image on brand attitude between these two male consumers in the group that selected the domestic country-of-brand-origin. The results also support the hypothesis on differences in the effect of country-of-brand-origin as well as brand evaluation between male consumers in the group that selected foreign country-of-brand-origin. This study has significant implications for fashion marketers, particularly when building brand equity by revealing country-of-brand-origin.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.79-87
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• 2016

Purpose - Since 1990, the sudden stop in capital flows has caused the economic crisis. The purpose of this research is to suggest the policy measures to mitigate the risk of the sudden stop in capital flows. To this end, we examine the theoretical framework and analyze the case study for countries which are faced with the sudden stop. Also we examine the structural problems of the foreign exchange market in Korea and derive the policy implications to prevent the sudden stop. Research design, data, and methodology - The criteria of whether the sudden stop in capital flows occurs are based upon Calvo et al. (2008). In case the proxy variable for the balance of capital account decreases from the average by over twice standard deviation, we determine that the sudden stop occurs for that country. The sample period is from January 1990 to December 2008, as in Calvo (2014). The sample countries are 17 developed countries and 19 emerging market countries, which are different from those of the previous papers as Agosin and Huaita (2012), and Calvo (2014). When the exchange market pressure index(EMPI) is deviated from the average by over three times standard deviation, we determine that the foreign exchange market is unstable for that country. Results - We find that the characteristics of the sudden stop in capital flows are the bunching or contagion among countries, the rapid drop in real effective exchange rate, and the huge decrease in foreign exchange reserves. Many countries tried to increase foreign exchange reserves and regulate capital flows. Also the foreign exchange market in Korea are found to be the volatile exchange rate, the vulnerable external debt and careless management of the foreign exchange derivatives transaction risk. Conclusions - To lessen the risk in the sudden stop of capital flows, this research suggests the some useful policy measures. To enhance the foreign exchange and distribution market stability, we should improve the price mechanism of exchange rate, hold the appropriate level of foreign exchange reserves, prevent excessive inflows of foreign exchange and promote sound transactions of foreign exchange derivatives.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.82-98
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• 2020

Purpose - This study aims to overcome the limitations of existing studies, which linearly determine the precedence factors of competency in overseas subsidiaries. The research objectives are as follows. First, what kind of nonlinear effects does the level of control held by Korean headquarters over foreign subsidiaries have in terms of competency in the subsidiaries? Second, what kind of nonlinear effects do the local experiences of overseas subsidiaries have on their competency? Design/methodology - With data on Korean multinational corporations (MNCs), this paper analyzes the effects of control levels of headquarters (HQs) and host-country experiences of foreign subsidiaries regarding competency in overseas subsidiaries. In particular, this study focuses on nonlinear models, differentiating it from previous studies. In order to examine research hypotheses, this study conducted a survey of overseas subsidiaries of Korean corporations. Surveys were conducted through various methods including e-mail, online questionnaires, fax, and telephone calls. Copies of the questionnaire were distributed to a total of 2,246 overseas subsidiaries, and 409 completed responses were collected. Excluding 15 copies that were insufficiently answered, responses from a total of 394 copies were used for analysis. Findings - This study presents the following results. First, there is a U-shaped relationship between levels of HQ control and competency in foreign subsidiaries. This means that higher levels of HQ control negatively impact the competency levels of subsidiaries because strict control undermines autonomy in subsidiaries. However, if the level of HQ control exceeds a certain point, then the transfer of knowledge between HQs and subsidiaries is facilitated. Knowledge transferred from HQs can be used as prior knowledge by foreign subsidiaries to the benefit of all parties. Accordingly, knowledge transfer negates the negative effects of excessive HQ control and positively affects competency in subsidiaries. Second, there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between the local (host-country) experiences of subsidiaries and competency in foreign subsidiaries. This means that foreign subsidiaries can overcome the liabilities of foreignness and contribute to capability building by accumulating unique knowledge about their host countries. However, if local experiences accumulate excessively beyond a certain point, then the host country-specific experiences of foreign subsidiaries will offset the benefits discussed above. Excessive local experiences not only increase organizational inertia, but also create a problem of goal incongruence due to information asymmetry between HQs and subsidiaries. Therefore, excessive local experiences have negative effects on competency in foreign subsidiaries. Originality/value - This study suggests the following implications. First, unlike existing studies based mainly on linear models, this study presents important theoretical implications in its focus on nonlinear models and its analysis of the effects of HQ control and local experiences on competency in foreign subsidiaries from perspectives of organizational learning theory and agency theory. Second, in terms of practical implications, the results of this study suggest that optimally raising levels of HQ control and managing the local experiences of subsidiaries without increasing organizational inertia is important for enhancing competency in foreign subsidiaries.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.57
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• pp.221-241
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• 2013

Country of origin is very important in terms of consumers right to know, protection of producer, national finance and tariff preference etc. The principal issues related to country of origin are breaches of origin mark, determination of origin of OEM products, domestic products using imported raw materials, exports products, and fairness of penalties. This study focus origin mark issues on key components and set products which have not been treated so far. First, Origin mark issues on key components need to introduce multiple countries of origin for the same products. Some specific products, which are considered important key components or materials, has to mark multiple country of origin in terms of portion and significance. Next, Origin mark issues on set products need to expand the objects from 15 listed items of Korea Foreign Trade Act to all items of HS tariff schedules of Korea Customs Act. A set products which below 15% of components can mark single country of origin like FTA agreement such as Korea-EU FTA, Korea-EFTA, Korea-US FTA and Korea-Peru FTA.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.5-16
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• 2009

Against the backdrop of the increasing trend towards economic globalisation, many international firms are indicating that decisions on how to enter foreign markets remains one of the key strategic challenges confronting them. Despite the rich body of literature on the topic, the fact that these challenges have continued to dominate global marketing strategy discourses point to someevident lacunae. Accordingly, this paper considers the variables, categorised in terms of firm contexts (standardisation, market research, competition, structure, competitive advantage) and host country-contexts (economic development, cultural differences, regulation and political risk), which influence the degree of involvement of UK companies in overseas markets. Following hypotheses were drawn from literature review: H1: The greater the level of competition, the higher the degree of involvement in the overseas market. H2: The more centralised the firm's organisation structure, the higher the degree of involvement in the overseas market. H3a: The adoption of a low cost-approach to competitive advantage will lead to a higher degree of involvement. H3b: The adoption of an innovation-approach to competitive advantage will lead to a higher degree of involvement. H3c: The adoption of a market research approach to competitive advantages will lead to a higher degree of involvement. H3d: The adoption of a breadth of strategic target-approach to competitive advantage will lead to a lower degree of involvement. H4: The higher the degree of standardisation of the international marketing mix the higher the degree of involvement. H5: The greater the degree of economic development in the host market, the higher the degree of involvement. H6: The greater the cultural differences between home and host countries, the lower the degree of involvement. H7: The greater the difference in regulations between the home country and the host country, the lower the degree of involvement. H8: The higher the political risk in the host country, the lower the degree of involvement. A questionnaire instrument was constructed using, wherever possible, validated measures of the concepts to serve the aims of this study. Following two sets of mailings, 112 usable completed questionnaires were returned. Correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze data. Statistically, the paper suggests that factors relating to the level of competition, competitive advantages and economic development are strong in influencing foreign market involvements. On the other hand, unexpectedly, cultural factors (especially individualism/collectivism and low and high power distance dimensions) proved to have weak moderating effects. The reason for this, in part, is due to the pervading forces of globalisation and the attendant effect on global marketing. This paper has contributed to the general literature in a way that point to two mainimplications. First, with respect to research on national systems, the study may hold out some important lessons especially for developing nations. Most of these nations are known to be actively seeking to understand what it takes to attract foreign direct investment, expand domestic market and move their economies from the margin to the mainstream global economy. Second, it should be realised that competitive conditions remain in constant flux (even in mature industries and mature economies). This implies that a range of home country factors may be as important as host country factors in explaining firms' strategic moves and the degree of foreign market involvement. Further research can consider the impact of the home country environment on foreign market involvement decisions. Such an investigation will potentially provide further perspectives not only on the influence of national origin but also how home country effects are confounded with industry effects.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.451-459
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• 2014

To solve the serious problem of insufficient manpower in medium and small scaled companies, our country allows introduction of foreign manpower for 5 business types such as manufacture industry, service industry, etc. and there are 226,825 people who entered by employment license system(E-9) in Sep. 2013. However, according to the results of investigation "actual status and difficulties of foreign manpower's employment of medium and small scaled manufacturing companies" of KFTA in 2013, 36.4% of respondents responded that current scale of introducing foreign manpower is insufficient to solve difficulties of insufficient manpower in industrial world and 37.7% of them responded that the quarter of new employment is insufficient. So, they hope that current quarter system of foreign manpower can be abolished. Meanwhile, introduction scale of foreign manpower was decided by 53,000 people so as to solve enterprise difficulties in manpower and vitalize economics this year, but illegal aliens are 39,623, more than 17.5%, in Sep. 2013 after employment expiration. Therefore, it becomes serious social problem. Government displays various support businesses so that foreign workers after employment expiration can return to their homeland legally. This thesis intends to find measures to maintain royalty for our country and support their smooth resettlement through the analysis on homecoming support business of foreign workers.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.69-81
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• 2021

The aim of this paper is to identify the key determinants in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows by using a balanced data panel for the period from 1995 to 2018. This study covers GCC countries in their entirety. The study uses ten explanatory variables, namely, trade ratio, gross domestic product, external balance, fuel exports, gross savings, international tourism, military expenditure, net foreign assets, services value added, and total natural resources. The authors have tried to find the best fit model from the differences methods considered such as OLS, GLS regression with the help of Hausman test, and country by country regressions as additional analysis. The study revealed a significantly positive association between inflation, trade ratio, gross domestic product, gross savings, and net foreign assets with FDI. On the contrary, international tourism was revealed to have a negative association with FDI. The sample of all GCC countries chosen for this study has not been considered widely by any earlier study. Moreover, this study covered many determinants of FDI that add to the previous literature. It is a significant contribution to the current research body and stresses the originality of this paper.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.41
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• pp.267-292
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• 2009

It is a right time to improve the Korea Foreign Trade Act(KFTA) as a fundamental law on Rules of Origin(RoO) in the global trade circumstances which are summarized FTA and WTO. The KFTA's RoO constitutes the labelling system of the Country of Origin, the criterion of it, the issuing of certificate of origin and the punishing offender mainly around the importing goods. This study has focused on the problems of KFTA's RoO at the macro and practical level, and proposed the programs to improve the KFTA's RoO about importing, exporting and domestic production goods. KFTA need to create a purpose clause to protect consumers and industries also, and has to be located a general and top position in the RoO of Korea. In the concrete, the labelling system of the Country of Origin has to set limited in the point of minimum necessity view. The criterion of the Country of Origin also has to improve the wholly obtained criterion, the changing in tariff classification criterion, value added criterion and processing operation criterion to harmonize WTO Rules of Origin and FTA Rules of Origin. The punishment ceiling against offender has to raise to guarantee the effectiveness of RoO.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.39-54
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is as follows. First we investigate the relationship between contact with foreign managers (CFM) of host country nationals (HCNs) working at MNC subsidiaries and their organizational identification with MNC (OIM). Second we examine the moderating effect of MNC subsidiary localization (MSL) on the relationship between CFM and OIM. For this purpose, we set hypotheses on the relationship among CFM, OIM, and MSL. To verify theses hypotheses, we conducted hierarchical regression analysis on the data from 374 HCNs in 56 MNC subsidiaries. The results of this study are as follows: Frist, CFM positively affects OIM. Second, there is a significant moderating effect of MSL on the relationship between CFM and OIM. Our findings have critical implications in that a subsidiary-level variable that has a significant impact on organizational identification with MNC is presented and in that specific managerial guidelines for subsidiaries can be drawn.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.24
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• pp.107-125
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• 2004

This study is based on the survey data of 74 Korean multinational corporations, which undertook foreign direct investments from 1980 to 1996. The study examined the firm-specific as well as the host country-specific factors affecting the decision between shared and full ownership. According to the results of this study, as for the firm-specific factors, Korean firms entering foreign markets in order to penetrate local markets prefer shared ownership while those pursuing core business diversification prefer full ownership. As for the host country factors, the more advanced the host country(such as OECD countries) is, the more preference is given to full ownership.