• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.11
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• pp.357-366
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of internationalization on the business performance of firms in Laos as a transition economy. Using a panel dataset collected by the World Bank for 285 firms during the period 2009, 2012, and 2016 in the service and manufacturing industries, the two-steps Heckman regression results found robust evidence for the fact that the S-curve tie exists between the degree of internationalization and business performance of firms in Laos while controlling other factors. Specifically, if firms have a degree of internationalization lower than 0.4374, they will suffer losses due to the high cost of preparing for phase 1 which is market penetration. Then, when the degree of internationalization continues to increase from 0.4374 to 0.9131, firms will gain benefits from internationalization (phase 2), however, these benefits will deteriorate when the degree of internationalization is greater than 0.9131 (phase 3), meaning that firms will no longer be able to exploit economies of scale or advantages in target markets, or product cycles will fall into a state of decline. Interestingly, we also found that firms with a high concentration level of ownership and internationalization activities may achieve better performance than those with a low concentration of ownership and one which carried out internationalization activities.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.30-57
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• 2019

Purpose - This study analyzes the effect of internationalization represented as exporting on firm performance on the subject of SMEs operating in Masan Free Trade Zone which has shown poor performance recently despite its status as the oldest and largest free trade zone in Korea. We also analyze the effect of firm size on firm performance, and the moderating role of firm size in relation to internationalization and firm performance. Design/methodology - This study uses multiple regression models for unbalanced panel data as the empirical tools for the estimation of the effect that internationalization has on firm performance (ROA or ROS). Our sample consists of 91 manufacturing SMEs among all 110 companies located in Masan Free Trade Zone as of 2017. Findings - The degree of internationalization has a negative impact on firm performance. However, firm size turns out to have a positive effect and play a positive moderating role in the relation to internationalization and firm performance. This seems to be because most tenant companies operating in Masan Free Trade Zone are small firms whose costs of internationalization may exceed the benefits. Empirical results also show that longer CEO tenure has a greater negative effect on firm performance. Originality/value - The originality/value of this paper can be found in 3 aspects. First, we conducted an empirical analysis on the relationship between the internationalization and firm performance of SMEs in a specific region, namely, Masan Free Trade Zone. Second, while most previous studies focused on listed medium companies, most of the sample of this study are small and medium non-listed enterprises. Third, it is witnessed that firm size has a positive moderating effect on the relation between internationalization and firm performance.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.321-336
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• 2019

The purpose of this research is to identify the global capability of international entrepreneurship, categorize internationalization opportunities into different types, and propose international entrepreneurship and the fit of opportunities. To do so, this study reviewed seven prominent business journals between 1996 and 2015 reflected the international business activities of entrepreneur and identified 6 attributes of international entrepreneurship. Second, this study analyzed researches using internationalization motivation as a keyword, categorized the researches into 4 types of internationalization opportunity according to the exploration and exploitation of resources. Third, this study developed conceptual models based on them to identify international entrepreneurship and fit of opportunities and gave a hypothesis on the relationship between international entrepreneurship, internationalization opportunity, and internationalization performance. By clarifying which capability of an international entrepreneur is needed in an internationalization opportunity, this study is expected to provide theoretical and practical implications to the internationalization performance of firms.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.87-102
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• 2020

While many previous studies have emphasized that technological and learning capabilities have an important impact on internationalization, however, there have been few attempts to directly identify the mediating role of innovative performance in the relationship between them. Therefore, we tested the relationships among two organizational capabilities such as technological capability and learning capability, innovative performance and internationalization. Specifically, we explored the impact of two organizational capabilities on innovative performance and the mediating role of innovative performance on internationalization. We tested hypotheses based on 206 survey data of Gwangju and Jeonnam provinces' small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The empirical results showed that both technological capability and learning capability had a significantly positive (+) effect on SMEs' innovation performance, and both technological capability and learning capability had a significantly positive (+) effect on internationalization performance. In addition, it was confirmed that the innovation performance is not only related to the relationship between technological capability and internationalization performance but also acts as a partial mediation role in the relationship between the learning capability and internationalization performance. Based on the results of this study, theoretical and practical implications were provided, and the limitations of this study and future research directions were also discussed.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.1-21
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• 2023

This study investigates the effect of internationalization speed and scope on the performance in Korean SMEs. Through empirical regression analysis, the following results were identified. both the time-based speed of internationalization and the scope of internationalization by a geographical perspective have significant positive impacts on international performance. This implies that the earlier and wider in global market expansion, the more positive the effect on performance. It was also confirmed that the scope has a significantly greater effect on international performance than speed, which suggests that the geographical national scope is more meaningful for international performance than the initial foreign market entry speed. In addition, the characteristics of the CEO's international experience strengthened the positive relationship between internationalization speed and performance. In conclusion, it means that the internationalization speed and the scope after foreign market entry should be managed in a balanced way to enhance the level of SMEs internationalization.

• Asian Journal of Innovation and Policy
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.461-488
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• 2018

This paper explores the relationship between network cooperation, innovation, internationalization and economic performance of manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of engineering goods industry located in Bangalore city, India. At the outset, it is observed that SMEs receive the maximum assistance in the realm of product specifications. Moreover, they do not resort to manufacturing new products as much as they resort to product modifications or process improvements. Further, it is found (using Chi-square test of independence) that higher the network assistance received from an external network, greater is the innovation performance of SMEs. Subsequently, using analysis of variance (ANOVA), export intensity (proxy for internationalization performance) of SMEs is found to have a significant positive association with both the degree of their network cooperation and of their innovation performance. Lastly, it is observed that higher the degree of each of network cooperation, innovation performance and internationalization performance, better is the economic performance (measured by total sales turnover) of SMEs. These results have significant implications for the policy makers of the country to give due attention to network cooperation, innovation and internationalization as the means of enhancing the economic performance of SMEs.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.1-18
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• 2021

Purpose - In this study, we explore the relationship between the degree of internationalization (DOI) and firm performance (DOI-P) of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector. Specifically, we investigate whether the costs and benefits dynamics concerning the internationalization of SMEs differ between high-tech and non-high-tech industries. Design/methodology - We extend the prior literature on this relationship by employing 5-year data on 589 Korean SMEs in the manufacturing sector and examining the moderating impact of the industry characteristics. Our findings reveal a U-shaped relationship between the DOI and SME performance. High-tech SMEs demonstrate an inverted U-shaped relationship, whereas non-hightech SMEs exhibit a U-shaped relationship. Findings - Our findings illustrate the importance of the industry factor in testing the performance impact of the internationalization of Korean SMEs. By incorporating industry dynamics, our results indicate that the DOI-P relationship depends on the context of the industry in which an SME operates. High-tech SMEs also display a higher DOI but are outperformed by non-high-tech SMEs for the entire internationalization path, which implies that high-tech SMEs face more challenges than non-high-tech SMEs while seeking internationalization. Originality/value - The findings strongly validate that significant benefits exist for SMEs undertaking internationalization. We also employ the contextual framework contributing to increasing the understanding of the intrinsic value of internationalization and resolving the mixed results issue on the DOI-P relationship, by illustrating that the industry factor leads to different dynamics of costs and benefits of SME internationalization; it also determines the shape and direction of the relationship.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.435-462
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• 2011

Increased attention has worldwide been given to exporting SMEs pursuing the rapid internationalization from their inception. In spite of the limited resources, exporting SMEs have entered in global markets successfully and then improve their internationalization performance. Nevertheless, there is little empirical research regarding internationalization in exporting SMEs, Using a survey of 317 exporting SMEs, this study designated organizational, entrepreneurial, environmental, and technological characteristics as determinants of internationalization performance as well as investigates empirically the relationships among the determinants of internationalization performance, export Support programs of the government, and internationalization performance. According to the results of the study, firstly, R&D capacity, globalization-orientation, international market environment, and technological characteristics (e.g. technological capacity and imitation) have significant effects on international performances. Finally, it is found that export support programs moderated the relationships between market information management, R&D capacity, management capacity, international market information, and technological capacity, and internationalization performance. Above results indicate that if exporting SMEs would not use export support programs effectively, they could not improve internationalization performance. As well, several implications for researchers and practitioners, limitation of this study and future direction were suggested.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.79-97
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• 2022

This study aims to analyze the effects of the characteristics of startups and the role of accelerators on internationalization performance. To achieve this purpose, we collected data from the management of 180 startups promoting overseas expansion. As a result of empirical analysis, it was confirmed that among the characteristics of startups, innovativeness, learning orientation, and global orientation had a significant effect on internationalization performance. In addition, it was confirmed that the role of the accelerator has a positive effect on the internationalization performance.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.227-245
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• 2021

This study aims to examine how entrepreneurs' international entrepreneurial orientation and digital orientation affect business networks, innovative product development, and internationalization performance in a digital environment. For this purpose, data were collected from the CEOs of 192 domestic start-up venture companies. The causal relationship between the variables was analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis and structural model analysis using AMOS(18.0 version) for the collected data. It was confirmed that international entrepreneurial orientation and digital orientation have a positive effect on business networks. And the business network was found to have a positive effect on innovative product development and internationalization performance