The International Strategy Shifts in MNC Subsidiaries in Korea
본 연구는 다국적기업 자회사의 국제화전략이 시간적 흐름에 따라 어떻게 전이되는가를 연구한 것으로, Jarillo & Martinez의 연구에서 제시된 다국적기업 자회사의 전략모형을 발전시킨 Taggart의 새로운 I-R 모형을 한국내 59개 제조 다국적기업 자회사에 대한 설문조사를 통한 자료에 근거하여 한국형 I-R 모형을 수립하고자 하였다. 본 연구에서도 Taggart란의 연구와 동일하게 I-R 모형의 4분면 중 Low I-Low R에 위치하여 무활동적 국제화 전략을 수행하고 있는 자회사 군집들이 존재하고 있음을 확인하였으며, 과거(5년전)와 비교한 현재의 국제화전략 전이는 선행연구와는 달리 상당히 큰 변화의 폭을 나타내고 있음을 알 수 있었다. 이러한 변화를 주도하는 요인으로는 우리나라의 급작스러운 경제적 구조변화(IMF 구제금융)에 기인하는 것으로 예측할 수 있었다. 한편 자회사의 국제화전략 중 High I-High R에 위치하여 활동적 국제화전략을 수행하고 있는 기업들에게서 대외경쟁력과 수익성이 높게 인지되고 있음을 알게 되었으며, 이와 더불어 선행연구에서와 동일하게 자회사의 국제화전략 변화는 진출시장에서 요구하는 기본적인 전략수행 차이에 기인하고 있다고 결론 짓는다.
The purpose of this research paper is to review and extend the integration-responsiveness(I-R) model of subsidiary strategy, which is proposed by the Jarillo and Martinez(1990) and Taggart (1998), based on the data from a survey of 59 manufacturing subsidiaries in Korea. It seeks to clarify the determinants of strategic positioning and identify the concomitant of strategy stability and strategy transformation. This will include a comparative evaluation of the previous researches together with a similar appraisal of the extensions proposed here. The notion underlying this approach is that, while much has been done to elucidate the area of subsidiary strategy, significant development in our analytical tools and mechanisms will be necessary if we are to come closer to understand and interpreting the dense configuration of dimensions confronting the subsidiary manager. The key finding of this research is the identification of a group of firms, is located in each of the four quadrants(quiescent, receptive, active, autonomous) of the I-R framework. There exists a group of 21 autonomous subsidiaries in the high I-high R quadrant of the framework and locates a group of 17 quiescent subsidiaries in the low I-low R quadrant of the framework. This research identify two variables, export propensity and R&D complexity, to affect the separator of the four clusters. It may therefore conclude that the four- cluster solution is robust and that it distinguishes clearly the four groups of affiliates. In particular, active subsidiaries are lower related with H.Q in export propensity and R&D complexity than others. In a subsidiary`s strategy transformation, there are a balance of 44(75%) firms that had changed strategy throughout the 5-year interval. And the active subsidiary` strategy firms are the better performance in the competitive advantages and profits than others. Characteristics of the quiescent affiliate type are explored, and the determinants of strategy stability and strategy transformation over time are evaluated. It is concluded that differences between the extended model and the original may lie in basic strategic differences between Spanish, U.K, and Korean affiliates.