Korean SMEs' Management Performance in Southeast Asia and Its Policy Implications

Abstract

As Golovko and Valentini (2011) pointed out, the level to which small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) enter overseas markets can serve as an important measurement of their business performance. While many Korean SMEs have entered the Southeast Asian market, there are still very few studies that have conducted fundamental research of their management. Instead, there have been abundant studies on how to enter the Southeast Asian market, listing the needs of Korean companies that wish to enter the region. When considering the recent status of Korean SMEs in Southeast Asia who are establishing a regional production network (RPN) with major Korean corporations, there is a need for current data on the management of Korean SMEs in Southeast Asia, upon which future directions can be based and government support policies prepared. This study aims to address this need.