Douglas R. Gress

Trade Fairs as an Export Marketing and Research Strategy: Results from a Study of Korean Advanced Machinery Firms

Manufacturers pursuing information on potential customers in distant, dynamic markets confront myriad obstacles. To address this, many firms attend international trade fairs in order to market their products, to meet with prospective customers, and to tap into buzz related to potential international opportunities. In many ways, moreover, such exhibitions can serve as short-term agglomerations of same-industry activity, particularly important for producer–user interface geared towards innovation. The goal of this paper is to explore how Korean machine tool manufacturers utilise a major global trade show in Seoul to minimise the difficulties associated with accessing a global customer base, inclusive of their activity at this show geared towards innovation. Evidence from firm-level surveys and interviews suggest that the amount of importance placed on trade fair attendance as part of a firms internationalisation strategies is related to export growth. Additionally, a new insight generated is that firms that participate in trade shows as part of their innovation process also demonstrate higher rates of export intensity. Finally, we may be witnessing newly discovered, technology-driven, symbiotic relationships between online portal sites, vendors, and potential customers at these trade fairs, where virtual services are nonetheless augmented by a need for a continued onsite presence at these exhibitions.

Enrolling in global networks and contingencies for China's solar PV industry

This study tests the contention in the Asian business systems literature that interacting with global managers and increasing experience via international education are ways by which Asian firms enroll in global networks, thus potentially leading to changes in their broader network contingencies. Chinese solar PV firms are examined given the competitiveness of Chinese products in the global marketplace and the importance being placed on solar energy domestically as China confronts increasing pressure to protect its environment and control pollution while meeting mounting energy needs. Results indicate an emphasis on extra-firm institutional network relationships both within and outside of China for all firms, characteristic of a bourgeoning energy sector. A unique result is that buyer–supplier networks are spatially influenced by extra-local managerial education. Enrolling in wider networks also matters as firms with internationally educated managers have more non-mainland Chinese managers, which mitigates traditional management practices at home.

Go big or stay home? Korean machinery firms, trade fair dynamics and export performance

With heightened global competition, many manufacturers export as a process by which to increase sales and expand into new markets. South Korean manufacturers export in order to expand outside of a small domestic market, but confront the constraints of many exporters (especially smaller firms), including access to market intelligence and geographically distant prospective customers. This article examines efforts by machine tool manufacturers to minimize the friction of distance involved with exporting through the use of international trade fairs. Analytical emphases are placed on the influence of individual export destinations and on the role of firm size vis-à-vis firm export intensities and overall export strategies and motivations.

Knowledge bases, regional innovation systems, and Korea's solar PV industry

In order to more firmly align the study of Korean regional innovation systems (RIS) with contemporary place-based inquiry into innovation processes, this research deploys a knowledge base and RIS perspective to explore firms’ motivations to innovate and spatial variability in firms’ use of innovation-supporting infrastructure and external technical support. Results, on the basis of a survey of Korean solar photovoltaic firms, parallel expectations of firms with a synthetic knowledge base and indicate that firms are active in multiple ‘regional networked innovation systems’. This suggests a move away from Koreas historically dirigiste system toward an approach which is more balanced among regions. Concerning RIS research, wider applications derived from the study include suggestions to further integrate firm-level analyses in order to unearth shortcomings associated with policy, to deploy knowledge base considerations to identify possible policy mismatch, and to include multispatial demand support considerations for innovative activity, particularly for nascent industries.

Getting There: Trade Fair Participation and Its Importance for Korean Machinery Exporters

Entering overseas markets provides challenges for firms, especially for those with little international experience. These obstacles can be compounded for manufacturers of advanced machinery, as previous research suggests that a physical presence is necessary for the successful implementation of their products in export markets. One way for producers to address this issue is to participate in trade fairs, which enables a physical presence of staff and machinery to be established. Evidence from a survey of Korean machinery producers at a recent trade fair suggests that a physical presence is related to the importance that firms ascribe to exports and to the role of trade fairs in new sales.

Cooperative research in international studies: Insights from economic geography☆

Abstract This article visits two highly integrative concepts deployed in contemporary economic geography – firm network analysis and embeddedness, and introduces the geographical approach to the study of globalization processes in an effort to generate cooperative synergies between the fields of international studies and geography. Geographical theorization with respect to interdisciplinary cooperation has begun to come full circle, from a borrower to a donor, as evidenced by its appearance in work in the fields of business, economics, sociology, and political science. This has further compelled geographers to emphasize analyses focusing on processes of change rather than a perpetuation of static models. However, there is still room for cooperative efforts that more robustly integrate insights pertaining to economic behavior, culture, and politics into spatially-sensitive theorization and research practice. This article draws extensively on the broadening role of East Asia, coupled with an accelerating cross-disciplinary emphasis on globalization, to demonstrate the value of analyses that simultaneously capture the activity of multiple actors operating at multiple scales in and across space.

Potential for Knowledge in Action? An Analysis of Korean Green Energy Related K3-12 Curriculum and Texts.

Abstract While understanding green energy development and what drives it are important, there is increasing consensus that sustainability transitions concerning usage need to be viewed in terms of the place specific contexts, including education, that critically mold them. In order to support sustainability transitions, information and knowledge building are not enough; knowledge must be turned into action. This research examines the potential efficacy of Korea’s efforts in this regard via an analysis of K3–K12 geography education curriculum and texts vis-à-vis green energy content. There is scant disconnect between the curriculum and the texts analyzed, and, aside from the small shortcomings unearthed, analyses suggest that Korea is cogent of the ability of geography education and education for sustainable development to turn knowledge into action, thereby empowering civil society to drive its green energy transitions going forward.