• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.73
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• pp.111-128
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• 2017

The main objective of this study is to examine the required aptitudes for undergraduate students who want to join export-oriented Small & Medium Enterprises(SMEs). 178 Dataset from a survey of exporting firms in Gwangju, Korea, were used to analyze the study. The results of the study are as follows ; First, the most required aptitude is 'the capability related to build up human relationship'. So students should learn negotiation skills in the college. In addition to this, student also try to join informal club and cultivate teamwork capabilities. Second, finding out a job in export-oriented SMEs is needed to equip with problem-solving capabilities. To do it, students should learn various subjects related to trade theory. Additionally, having some certificates like 'international trade master' can be better. Third, communication capabilities including foreign language and international business skills will be also required for students who are preparing for joining export-oriented SMEs. However, capabilities related to information technology and basic statistic skills does not have statistically significant correlation to recruitment intention. As a result, students who have such above-mentioned four aptitudes may have better position to find out jobs in export-oriented SMEs.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.61-67
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• 2015

Purpose - Exports have long been regarded as significant drivers of sustainable competitive advantage and growth among small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The export activities of SMEs are particularly important in the context of export-oriented economies such as Korea. Although many studies have examined the determinants of exports, it is difficult to find empirical studies about the determinants of the export performance of regional SMEs. This study investigates the determinants of export performance in the regional SME context based on an integrated approach that combines the environment factor of industrial organization theory, competitive strategy theory, and the competences of the resource-based view. Research design, data, and methodology - To empirically analyze the determinants of export performance in the regional SMEs, data were collected from firms in the Daegu metropolitan area. Data were collected directly through questionnaire surveys; in addition, secondary financial data were also taken from the KIS-VALUE database. Out of the 175 responses that were received, 143 were considered to be worth examining. After testing the reliability and validity of the variables through multiple items such as environmental turbulence and competitive strategy, hypotheses were verified by using five multi-regression models. These models were: a control model with organizational size and age, an environmental model with technology and market turbulence, a competency model with R&D and foreign distribution channels, a strategy model with product and market differentiation, and an integrated model including all of these variables. Results - First, as a control variable, the organization size has significant positive effects on export performance. Second, technology turbulence based on industrial organization theory has significant positive effects on export performance, but market turbulence does not affect export performance. Third, the foreign market distribution competency of the resource-based view has strong positive effects on export performance, but the R&D competency does not affect export performance. Fourth, the product differentiation strategy from competitive strategy theory positively impacts export performance, but market differentiation does not affect export performance. Finally, in the integrated model, only the foreign distribution competency of the resource-based view has a significant effect on export performance. Conclusions - The empirical results of this study verified the usefulness of the rationales behind the three theories to explain the export performance of the regional SMEs, especially the importance of the foreign market distribution competency from the resource-based view. With regard to practical considerations, this study's implications suggest that the use of technological environmental changes by industries is better than the use of market changes. Further, the use of the product differentiation strategy is more effective than the use of the market-driving strategy, and the distribution channel competency plays a stronger role than the technology-oriented competency with regard to the export performance position of regional SMEs. Future studies should examine relational perspectives, such as trust among channel partners. Therefore, the configuration approach is more useful in enhancing pragmatism by comparing high- and low-export companies.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.156-172
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• 2019

Purpose - Without question, globalization has presented different opportunities to entrepreneurs seeking to expand their companies in foreign markets. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation, entrepreneurial activity, information internalization, and product differentiation in export oriented firms. As such, entrepreneurial activities are divided into exploitative and exploratory opportunities. These opportunities are crucial in improving firms' performance. Design/methodology - A structural questionnaire was developed using 21 factors/indicators from previous researches. The subjects of this study were recruited using convenience sampling in export SMEs in the Seoul Metropolitan Area. Data were collected through visits or e-mails from the export managers, executives, and CEOs of export SMEs in advance. 321 questionnaires were collected over a period of one month. 316 questionnaires were used in the final analysis. Findings - First, International Entrepreneurial-orientation (IE) has a positive effect on the exploration and exploitation of business opportunities. Second, the exploration and exploitation of business opportunities have a positive impact on information internalization. Third, information internalization has a significant effect on product differentiation and plays a mediating role in seeking opportunities, utilizing opportunities, and differentiating products. Originality/value - This study contributes to the development of academic discussions by explaining existing research gaps. First, there is currently a lack of research focusing precisely on the product differentiation capability of SMEs in manufacturing field in terms of IE. To bridge these gaps, we examined the entrepreneurial factors impact on product differentiation and tries to expand the discussion about the internationalization of SMEs, which were mainly focused on IT companies, and manufacturing companies. Second, there is no intuitive explanation regarding international entrepreneurial activity in terms of exploration and exploitation within existing. In this study, international entrepreneurship activities were classified in terms of exploration and exploitation.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 2015

This study examines the relationships between export intensity and knowledge search activities of Korea SME manufacturers. Using 2,145 firm data from the 2011 SME Technology Statistics Survey, we focused on the nonlinear relationships of export intensity and internal and external knowledge search activities. The results show that there are U-shaped relationships between export intensity and both of internal and external knowledge search activities. Local market-oriented or global market-oriented SMEs than the middle-level of exporters have more search activities both internally and externally. This study extends our understandings on the relationships between export intensity and knowledge search activities. There are some policy implications to develop supporting programs differing in knowledge search activities according to the acceleration of export or globalization of Korean SME manufacturers.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.145-174
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• 2017

Recently, due to the worsening global economic recession, Korea which is a small, export-oriented economy has decreased exports and the domestic economy also continues to stagnate. Therefore, for continued growth of our economy through export growth, we need to analyze the validity of export support system such as export insurance and prepare ways to expand exports. This study is to investigate the effects of Export Insurance on the exports of SMEs as well as LEs. For this purpose, this study conducted Time Series Analysis using data such as export, export insurance acquisition, export price index, exchange rate, and coincident composite index(CCI). First, as a result of the Granger Causality Test, the exports of LEs has found to have a causal relationship with the CCI, and CCI is to have a causal relationship with the short-term export insurance record. Second, the results of VAR analysis show that the export insurance acquisition result and the export price index have a positive effect on the exports of LEs, while the short - term export insurance has a negative effect on the exports of LEs. Third, as a result of variance decomposition, the export of LEs has much more influenced for mid to long term by the short-term export insurance acquisition compared to SMEs. Fourth, short-term export insurance has a positive effect on exports of SMEs. In order to activate short-term export insurance against SMEs, it is necessary to expand support for SMEs by local governments. This study aims to suggest policy implications for establishing effective export insurance policy by analyzing the effects of export insurance on the export of SMEs as well as LEs. It is necessary to carry out a time series analysis on the export results according to the insurance acquisition results by industry to measure the export support effect of export insurance more precisely.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.117-139
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• 2008

This study examines the determinants of trade show performance of export-oriented small and medium enterprises(SMEs). In this regard, the trade show performance is categorized into two dimensions, such as sales objective performance vs. non-sales objective performance Based on the analysis of 116 exporters participated in trade show held in DaeGu EXCO, it is found that the roles of the show organizers play more important roles in both the sales objective performance and the non-sales objective performance than the roles of the exhibitors do. It is also interesting to find that export experience has a negative influence on both the sales objective performance and the non-sales objective performance. These results suggest that trade show organizers should provide high service quality so as to enhance the trade show performance of exhibitors.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.89-110
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• 2014

This study build an integrated model of a relationship between the supply chain orientation(SCO), the performance of a supply chain management(SCM) and an export performance in a domestic manufacturing SMEs. Twelves hypotheses including the mediating effect of the structural SCO and the customer-focused performance of SCM were analyzed on the 212 SMEs. In the result of the analysis, the strategic SCO has a positive effect on the both of the SCO and the operational performance of the SCM. The structural SCO has a positive effect on the performance of the SCM. Also, the operational performance of the SCM has a positive effect on the export performance of SMEs. In the mediating effect, the structural SCO has a fully mediating effect between the strategic SCO and the customer-focused performance of SCM. In addition, it has a partial mediating effect on the relationship of the strategic SCO and the operational performance of the SCM. The operational performance of the SCM has a fully mediating effect between the structural SCO and the customer-focused performance of SCM.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.3-25
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• 2009

These days international trade has been converting to e-Trade formation. At this point, Korea has been striving for the trade facilitation; reducing logistics cost and improving foreign competitiveness by computerization operations of the maritime transportation that logistics and customs clearance are involved. However, due to the substantial characteristic of logistics service, the necessity of flexible and various logistics service development using internet has been strongly suggested. In particular, the logistics service which could share documents related to international physical movement between shippers and logistics organization. In this regard, this study carried out interview to explore the problems of physical distribution service and to suggest development direction of e-logistics service. The reason why this survey carried out is that most of users want more effective e-logistic service that could diminish successively real expense decrease. After analysis of survey results, this paper presents the basic development direction and emphasis development subjects. Therefore, the basic direction is presented from four viewpoints; customer-oriented approach, service-oriented approach, total approach and step-by-step implementation. Furthermore six development subjects; web-based standard module development for small and medium forwarders, development of standard logistics ERP system, collaboration model between KTNET and KLNET, system improvement for real users, on-demand system building for SMEs and connection with legacy system have been required.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.2376-2381
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• 2014

The necessity for co-prosperity between large and small businesses has emerged as a top policy priority as economic polarization has been exacerbated since the 2008 global financial crisis. Against this background this paper makes a detailed analysis of differences between SMEs (Small and Medium sized businesses) and large enterprises located in Gyeong-do, in respect of growth. The data set used in the analysis is the 15 year(1996-2010) panel data of IT companies (large enterprises: 80 data and SMEs: 437 data) collected from the KISVALUE database. The estimation results of Pooled OLS indicate that the coefficients representing corporate size are less than 1, which implies that the Gibrat's law, no correlation between the size of a firm and its growth rate, is not supported by the data. In the meantime, the estimated coefficients representing corporate age are negative, which implies that Jovanovic hypothesis, inverse correlation between the age and the growth rate of a firm, is consistent with the data. In short, SMEs, which are generally younger than big enterprises can achieve higher growth rate than the latter ones which are usually believed to be older. In addition, the more export- and innovation-oriented the firm, the higher its growth rates.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.388-419
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• 2010

The aim of the study is to create a theoretical model and hypotheses on competitive advantages of exporting SMEs. For this we have proposed an integrated model in which learning competences and dynamic capabilities should have an influence on competitive advantages of the SMEs. This study have examined the influence of integrating and reconfigurating capability respectively. As a result, the learning competences had positive influences in dynamic capabilities and to the cost and service competitive advantage. To integrating capabilities had positive influences in competitive advantage. Besides, dynamic capabilities playing significant intermediate role only for the cost advantage through the analysis of intermediate effects of learning competence to the dynamic capabilities.