• Korean Business Review
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.21-43
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• 2005

Since China opened its market to foreign investors, overseas Chinese firms have been the biggest foreign investors. Because of the uncertain market environment, other foreign finns incurred larger liabilities of foreignness than overseas Chinese finns. Some parts of liabilities of foreignness stem from cultural differences and last for quite long time. Therefore better understanding of Chinese culture and guanxi network can give overseas Chinese finns competitive advantages over those from other countries by offering market information and reducing transaction costs. Also better management skills, information about export markets and abundant capital allow them to maintain competitive strengths over local firms. As foreign firms accumulate market knowledge in China, they can reduce liabilities of foreignness. However, it is very difficult for foreigners to understand Chinese cultures and to utilize guanxi network as well as Chinese. It is likely that Overseas Chines firms can have competitive strengths in some industries such as banking, retailing, and foreign trade, where relationship with local contractors and exploitation of worldwide Chines networks can play important roles to make successful business deals.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.171-182
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• 2022

Purpose - The main purpose of this study is to test two competing hypotheses on the relationship between foreignness and corporate philanthropy drawing on the resource dependence theory. Design/methodology/approach - This study used Korean Enterprsie Survey data constructed by Korean Statistical Information Service. This study employed both OLS and Tobit models to test the hypotheses. Findings - A conventional wisdom can argue that MNC subsidiaries are more willing to give charitable donations than local firms do because they may perceive philanthropy in the host country is a good opportunity to reduce liabilities of foreignness (H1-1). On the other hand, one can argue that MNC subsidiaries are less willing to give charitable donations than local firms do because they have operational flexibility when they are coerced to engage in corporate philanthropy by host country government stakeholders (H1-2). Empirical results support the prediction that MNC subsidiaries are less likely to give charitable donations than local firms do in Korea. Research implications or Originality - Our findings can provide useful insights to researchers and managers in the sense that MNC managers can increase or decrease their charitable donations depending on the institutional contingencies in different host countries. These institutional contingencies are particularly important within a transforming context such as Korea.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.293-319
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• 2008

Medium and small-sized venture firms as well as multinational companies pay liabilities of foreignness. We defined these costs as three different factors which are liability of handicaps(deficit of time, money, experience and, increase of financial risk), overseas market entry costs(information gathering costs, network building costs, marketing costs, channelling costs, monitoring costs), internationalization preparing costs(forecasting and market research of local markets, ex-ante cooperation with local firms), and then empirically tested how each of these factors affects on their business performances. The more important both Taiwanese and Korean firms consider liability of handicaps, the more bigger they pay overseas market entry costs(H1). On the contrary, the more important they consider overseas entry costs, the more they focus on internationalization preparation(H4) and get the better business performances(H5). The more important Korean firms consider liability of handicaps, the bigger they focus on internationalization preparation, on the contrary, the less Taiwanese firms do this(H2). Taiwanese firms as well as Korean firms rejected Hypothesis 3 and 6 which mean both liability of handicaps and internationalization preparation are no relation with their own business performances.

• East Asian Journal of Business Economics (EAJBE)
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.17-26
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• 2022

Purpose - In this paper, we aim to analyze to what extent entrepreneurial orientation (EO) can help overcome Korean SMEs' liabilities of foreignness in overseas markets. In this end, we examined three sub-dimensions of EO (proactiveness, innovativeness, risk-taking) and examine their individual effects on NPD performance of exporting SMEs. Research design, data, and methodology - We collected survey questionnaires from Korean exporting SMEs that are certified with Inno-biz by the Korean Ministry of SMEs and Startups. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS 26 and AMOS to create an integrated model. Result - As a result of the analysis, we found that proactiveness and innovativeness dimension of EO have positive effect on new product performance of exporting SMEs. Furthermore, technological uncertainty has negative moderating effect between innovativeness and new product performance of SMEs. Conclusion - While proactive attitude and innovativeness of EO positively affected the performance of new products of SMEs, the tendency to take risks and pursue opportunities with bold behaviors did not have a positive effect on NPD performance in foreign nations.

• East Asian Journal of Business Economics (EAJBE)
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2022

Purpose - Drawing upon signaling and social identity theories, this study explores the effect of engagement in CSR activities by foreign firms on applicants' intention to apply. Furthermore, this study suggests CSR education as a moderator which strengthens the positive effects of the engagement in CSR activities on the intention to apply for potential job seekers. Research design, data, and methodology - One hundred and ninety-one undergraduate students were solicited to participate in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to two scenarios depicting different levels of a given foreign firm's engagement in CSR activities. After reading the given scenario, respondents answered a series of questions on their intention to apply to the foreign organization. Result - The results from hierarchical regression reveal that Korean applicants have a more favorable perception of a foreign firm which performs engagement in positive CSR activities. Moreover, the positive effect of the engagement in CSR activities on the intention to apply has a greater impact for Korean applicants who had CSR education. Conclusion - The result indicates that foreign firms could overcome the liabilities of foreignness and attract local talent effectively, by engaging in CSR activities. Moreover, this study suggests the important role of CSR education, and significantly contributes to the international recruiting literature.

• 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.

• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.25-41
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• 2013

This study was designed to suggest the effective CSR strategies for MNCs operating in Chinese market. For this purpose, it compares the multi-years results for the evaluation on CSR activities of Multinational and Chinese firms. It also conducts questionnaire survey in an attempt at developing measures of Chinese publics' perception on the four dimensions of CSR defined by Research Center of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences - responsibility management, economic responsibility, social responsibility, and environmental responsibility. The findings of empirical analyses indicate that the CSR activities of MNCs much fall in all four dimensions compared with them of Chinese firms. Among four dimensions, MNCs have had bad evaluations especially on economic responsibility and social responsibility that are considered more important than the others to Chinese. Those findings imply that the MNCs has so far failed to implement effective CSR activities in China. In order to offset their liabilities of foreignness and compensate for their disadvantages in the lack of governmental supports, MNCs should intensify the CSR in economic and social responsibilities.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.1-28
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to identity the relationship between CAGE distance and Korean foreign subsidiaries' social responsibility, which is divided into responsive and strategic activities. The hypothesis is that CAGE distance has positive relationships with subsidiaries' social responsibility to overcome local liabilities of foreignness and acquire social legitimacy. The key findings are as follows. Firstly, culture distance has positive significant impacts on subsidiaries' social responsibility activities. It especially has positive influences on strategic CSR. Secondly, administration distance has no impacts on subsidiaries' social responsibility. Thirdly, geographic distance also has positive impacts on subsidiaries' social responsibility activities, especially on responsive CSR. Lastly, economic distance has significantly negative effects on social responsibility. This empirical study identifies the relationships between cross national distance and subsidiaries' social responsibility. Culture and geographic distance has positive influences on subsidiaries' social responsibility. Market seeking subsidiaries group shows more positive relationship between culture distance and social responsibility activities, which means that foreign subsidiaries would engage in social responsibility activities for strategic purpose.