Research objective of our study is to find the effect of technology and market dynamism on the business performances by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) supporting services. Technology and market dynamism have been introduced as moderating variables, utilisation degree of information provided by SME supporting services was selected as an independent variable and contribution degree to SME business performances such as revenue, export, employment and so on were selected as dependent variables. Structural equation modeling was established to analyse moderating and mediating effects on SME business performances by SME supporting services using Smart PLS programme. The SME supporting services had a direct effect on SME business performances and also indirectly influenced SME business performances via contribution degree to decision-making of SME executives. Technology and market dynamism significantly moderated the effect of decision-making of SME executives on SME business performances. It could be seen that technology and market dynamism had a mediated-moderating effect on SME business performances.

The role of R&D (research and development) intensity on the effect of knowledge services on the business performance of firms has been discussed by using PLS-SEM and PLS-MGA methods. Research groups were divided into two groups, innovative and non-innovative. Respondents were classified into innovative firms if their R&D intensity was over 3% and vice versa. PLS-SEM and PLS-MGA results were compared for two groups and valuable insights were extracted. For innovative firms, knowledge services seemed to be verified and processed by the decision makers and utilized to achieve their business performance. On the other hand, a large number of non-innovative firms seemed to have a stronger tendency to utilize knowledge services directly for their business without sufficient verification by the decision makers.

The research objective of our study is to find the route how the information provided in small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) supporting services in South Korea affects business performances. Investigation into business performances from SME supporting services was conducted by a survey method. The survey data was statistically analysed by using SPSS program. A research model was designed by using a mediation model. In our research model, information utilisation of SME supporting services was selected as an independent variable; contribution degree to decision-making, growth of information competitiveness and customer satisfaction were introduced as mediating variables; and SME business performances, such as contribution degree to growth of current revenue, future revenue, future export and current employment, were used as dependent variables. Correlation and regression were analysed to investigate the relationship between two variables such as independent variables versus mediating variables, independent variables versus dependent variables and mediating variables versus dependent variables. The route from information provision in SME supporting services to business performances was clarified by using Baron and Kenny’s mediation model.

This study was conducted with a team of senior managers at a Korean shipyard in an effort to elicit particular motivators for implementing management by walking around (MBWA). To identify the key motivators and communication issues associated with them, a theoretical framework was produced based on the key tensions of social psychology of communication and upward communication as well as modern organizational theories. For this qualitative research analysis, 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face with the executives; the data were then supplemented by five field observations during MBWAs at the shipyard. Coding frame was used to organize modal salient themes for thematic analysis. The organizational and individual motivators identified were then analyzed in-depth to elicit communicational factors underlying these motivators. While identifying 10 salient motivators as organizing themes, the research concludes that MBWA is a contingent management strategy intended to promote upward communication within organizations.

This study clarified the effect of knowledge services (KSs) on the business performance of firms in South Korea using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The moderating effect of company growth stages was analyzed using partial least squares multi-group analysis (PLS-MGA) analysis. The utilisation degree of KSs was selected as an independent variable, and the dependent variable was the degree of contribution to business performance. In addition, the degree of contribution of KSs to decision making was introduced as a mediating variable. Structural paths were analyzed according to the company growth stages of startup, growth, and maturity. It can be seen that KSs are more effective for firms in the startup stage than in the growth or maturity stage. PLS-MGA results indicated that the difference in path coefficients from KSs to decision making was statistically significant when comparing firms in the startup stage with those in the maturity stage. The other differences in path coefficients showed no statistical significance. It can be concluded that when considering the target of KSs, we should focus on firms in the startup stage more than in the growth or maturity stage to maximise the contribution of KSs to innovation or business performance.