[Abstract]
With the advent of knowledge-based society, the revitalization of technological innovation type SMEs, termed ¡°inno-biz¡± hereafter, has been globally recognized as a government policymakers' primary concern in strengthening national competitiveness, and much effort is being put into establishing polices of boosting the start-ups and innovation capability of SMEs.
Especially, in that the inno-biz enables national economy to get vitalized by widening world markets with its superior technology, and thus, taking the initiative of extremely competitive world markets, its growth and development has greater significance.
In the case of Korea, the government has been maintaining the policies since the late 1990s of stimulating the growth of SMEs as well as building various infrastructures to foster the start-ups of the SMEs such as venture businesses with high technology. In addition, since the enactment of ¡°Innovation Promotion Law for SMEs¡± in 2001, the government has been accelerating the policies of prioritizing the growth and development of inno-biz.
So, for the sound growth and development of Korean inno-biz, this paper intends to offer effective management strategies for SMEs and suggest proper policies for the government, by researching into the effect of technological innovation capability and technology commercialization capability as the primary business resources on business performance in Korean SMEs in the light of market information orientation.
The research is carried out on Korean companies characterized as inno-biz. On the basis of OSLO manual and prior studies, the research categorizes their status. R&D capability, technology accumulation capability and technological innovation system are categorized into technological innovation capability; product development capability, manufacturing capability and marketing capability into technology commercialization capability; and increase in product competitiveness and merits for new technology and/or product development into business performance. Then the effect of each component on business performance is substantially analyzed. In addition, the mediation effect of technological innovation and technology commercialization capability on business performance is observed by the use of the market information orientation as a parameter. The following hypotheses are proposed.
H1£ºTechnology innovation capability will positively influence business performance.
H1-1£ºR&D capability will positively influence product competitiveness.
H1-2£ºR&D capability will positively influence merits for new technology and/or product development into business performance.
H1-3£ºTechnology accumulation capability will positively influence product competitiveness.
H1-4£ºTechnology accumulation capability will positively influence merits for new technology and/or product development into business performance.
H1-5£ºTechnological innovation system will positively influence product competitiveness.
H1-6£ºTechnological innovation system will positively influence merits for new technology and/or product development into business performance.
H2£ºTechnology commercializing capability will positively influence business performance.
H2-1£ºProduct development capability will positively influence product competitiveness.
H2-2£ºProduct development capability will positively influence merits for new technology and/or product development into business performance.
H2-3£ºManufacturing capability will positively influence product competitiveness.
H2-4£ºManufacturing capability will positively influence merits for new technology and/or product development into business performance.
H2-5£ºMarketing capability will positively influence product competitiveness.
H2-6£ºMarketing capability will positively influence merits for new technology and/or product development into business performance.
H3£ºTechnology innovation capability will positively influence market information orientation.
H3-1£ºR&D capability will positively influence information generation.
H3-2£ºR&D capability will positively influence information diffusion.
H3-3£ºR&D capability will positively influence information response.
H3-4£ºTechnology accumulation capability will positively influence information generation.
H3-5£ºTechnology accumulation capability will positively influence information diffusion.
H3-6£ºTechnology accumulation capability will positively influence information response.
H3-7£ºTechnological innovation system will positively influence information generation.
H3-8£ºTechnological innovation system will positively influence information diffusion.
H3-9£ºTechnological innovation system will positively influence information response.
H4£ºTechnology commercialization capability will positively influence market information orientation.
H4-1£ºProduct development capability will positively influence information generation.
H4-2£ºProduct development capability will positively influence information diffusion.
H4-3£ºProduct development capability will positively influence information response.
H4-4£ºManufacturing capability will positively influence information generation.
H4-5£ºManufacturing capability will positively influence information diffusion.
H4-6£ºManufacturing capability will positively influence information response.
H4-7£ºMarketing capability will positively influence information generation.
H4-8£ºMarketing capability will positively influence information diffusion.
H4-9£ºMarketing capability will positively influence information response.
H5£ºMarket information orientation will positively influence business performance.
H5-1£ºInformation generation will positively influence product competitiveness.
H5-2£ºInformation generation will positively influence merits for new technology and/or product development into business performance.
H5-3£ºInformation diffusion will positively influence product competitiveness.
H5-4£ºInformation diffusion will positively influence merits for new technology and/or product development into business performance.
H5-5£ºInformation response will positively influence product competitiveness.
H5-6£ºInformation response will positively influence merits for new technology and/or product development into business performance.
H6£ºMarket information orientation will mediate the relationship between technology innovation capability and business performance.
H7£ºMarket information orientation will mediate the relationship between technology commercializing capability and business performance.
The followings are the research results£ºFirst, as for the effect of technological innovation on business performance, the technology accumulation capability and technological innovating system have a positive effect on increase in product competitiveness and merits for new technology and/or product development, while R&D capability has little effect on business performance. Second, as for the effect of technology commercialization capability on business performance, the effect of manufacturing capability is relatively greater than that of merits for new technology and/or product development. Third, the mediation effect of market information orientation is identified to exist partially in information generation, information diffusion and information response.
Judging from these results, the following analysis can be made£ºOn Increase in product competitiveness, directly related to successful technology commercialization of technology, management capability including technological innovation system, manufacturing capability and marketing capability has a relatively strong effect. On merits for new technology and/or product development, on the other hand, capability in technological aspect including R&D capability, technology accumulation capability and product development capability has relatively strong effect. Besides, in the cast of market information orientation, the level of information diffusion within an organization plays and important role in new technology and/or product development. Also, for commercial success like increase in product competitiveness, the level of information response is primarily required.
Accordingly, the following policies are suggested£ºFirst, as the effect of technological innovation capability and technology commercialization capability on business performance differs among SMEs; in order for SMEs to secure competitiveness, the government has to establish microscopic policies for SMEs which meet their needs and characteristics. Especially, the SMEs lacking in capital and labor are required to map out management strategies of focusing their resources primarily on their strengths. And the government needs to set up policies for SMEs, not from its macro-scaled standpoint, but from the ive and concentrative one that meets the needs and characteristics of respective SMEs. Second, systematic infrastructures are urgently required which lead technological success to commercial success. Namely, as technological merits at respective SME levels do not always guarantee commercial success, the government should make and effort to build systematic infrastructures including encouragement of M&A or technology trade, systematic support for protecting intellectual property, furtherance of business incubating and industrial clusters for strengthening academic-industrial network, and revitalization of technology financing, in order to make successful commercialization from technological success. Finally, the effort to innovate technology, R&D, for example, is essential to future national competitiveness, but its result is often prolonged. So the government needs continuous concern and funding for basic science, in order to maximize technological innovation capability. Indeed the government needs to examine continuously whether technological innovation capability or technological success leads satisfactorily to commercial success in market economic system. It is because, when the transition fails, it should be left to the government.