ABSTRACT
An Empirical Study on the Entrance Strategy to Africa and Performance by Korean Companies
The Continent of Africa as well known for civil war, conflicts, and famine has emerged as the last growth engine in the planet. The civil war in Afric...
ABSTRACT
An Empirical Study on the Entrance Strategy to Africa and Performance by Korean Companies
The Continent of Africa as well known for civil war, conflicts, and famine has emerged as the last growth engine in the planet. The civil war in Africa in the 2000s is showing a significant decrease by the stabilization of the Africa region. African countries had achieved significance in GDP growth from 3% in 2000 rising to 5.8% in 2007 throughout recent economic reform policies, market economy system development, and political stability, had been stabilized CPI (Consumer Price Index) of 5% in 2000 and 6% in 2010. Now, Africa is an emerging market that can provide new growth opportunities to Korean economy and domestic companies which have high directivity to the foreign market. In broad, we can address four strategic values in Africa. First, Africa has a world class natural resources reserves such as world's 10% oil reserves, 75% cobalt, 47% diamond, and 45% platinum as well as chromium, uranium, phosphate reserves. Second, the goods export market and investment destination have been emerged as a value. Investment in the domestic African market has shown a weak data based on the 2009 level of $ 2.1 billion. However, the large future market growth are emerging despite competition is mild other than emerging markets. Third, African resources can attribute to a fast-growing construction industry as the significant potential. Underdeveloped African countries are now rushing for the construction of industrial infrastructure development policies. Domestic firms with significant international competitiveness in overseas plant construction sector can expect a positive economic impact. Finally, African can be an important strategic hub for Korea’s foreign development cooperation policy and its expanded application. Therefore, a differentiated approach to development cooperation business opportunities are urged for Korea’s increase in world’s status and national value.
On the other hand, Africa has now increasing its voice in UN reform, trade liberalization, climate change, maintenance and development of UN peace keeping, human rights, refugees, energy resources, development issues as it is gaining an important role in the United Nations and other international organizations. Through the African Union (AU), Africa is acting in one unity to main international issues and now increasing world’s status. AU and surround organizations now increases roles in African politics, national security issues.
Potentials in Africa now began to earn the world’s attention, and major countries are enforcing activities to enter the market. China, United States, Europe, India and Japan are now diversifying its activities in development of the natural resources, infrastructure construction, profitable or non-profitable development assistance, and technical cooperation. Meanwhile, Koreas had shown reluctancy to enter the region, and there were lack of basic information required for entry. Also, there were not many professionals and diplomatic missions even though importance of Africa’s natural resources has been noticed.
Therefore, this study analyzes Korean companies’ market entry strategy and their performance to Africa by analyzing relativeness of cause and result through structural equation model analysis of export environment, Africa market entry strategy, and corporations performance. Given the strategic importance of Africa, Africa is a region with great potential market, and proper evaluation is highly required on the market entry strategies and performance, especially resource poor country such as Korea.
The subjects of this study include a survey to exporting companies and exporters already entered in African markets who also utilizes services provided by Korea International Trade Association and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. The survey was distributed to a total of 443 companies, and 105 copies were returned with response which attributes to 23.7% responsiveness, and 92 copies among the numbers were actually used in the analysis.
The statistical activity was held through the program SPSS 20.0, statistical computer application, and AMOS 16.0 statistical program for research hypotheses with structural equation model.
For the survey data analysis method, the frequency analysis was executed to identify the characteristics of the samples. Second, the reliability and validity of survey data was used to demonstrate the reliability analysis and factor analysis. Third, the confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to measure the relationship between latent variables and observed variables and the relationship between the latent variables to measure. Fourth, the causal correlation analysis was executed to identify each factor variable obtained through confirmatory factor analysis. Fifth, the path analysis was executed in order to analyze South Korea market strategies of companies and enterprises after removing variables not appropriate in the confirmatory factor analysis. As looking at the results, after analyzing general status of the companies,
First, 56.5% of Category was the trade business as the most common one. The main trade items were electrical and electronic items, highest 28.3%. Small and medium companies with less than 300 employees were the highest as 72.8%. As for the type of trading with Africa, general export was accounted for 46.7%, and the major trading partner was South Africa as 30.4% of the data. The trade duration data shows 62% of 3-4 years duration, and the 59.8% of market entrance and trade were held in the period 2006-2010 which can be recognized as a short period. This is a main reason why the hypothesis was rejected since the period is to short to obtain data in our companies’ performance in Africa.
Second, the African market analysis shows 3.90 of “Difficulty in utilizing the local financial services” as interpreting difficulty to use financial benefits. In addition, 3.79 of the “Difficulty of payment” and 3.65 of the “Complexity of import and export clearance procedures" was expressed to prove difficulty of the companies. This shows also difficulties in the complexity of import and export procedures and customs clearance delays. The biggest problem in Africa-market was the "regional situation and the social unrest” which counted for 3.98 which can attributed to civil war and ethnic conflicts in Africa.
Third, the reliability and validity of the study as a full survey results validate the reliability of 0.866 was found to have high reliability, and characteristics export environment factors were bound into 3 categories but 2 variables such as “various export products” and “management excellent resources and export marketing skills” were removed due to low level of factor loading. However, the 3 market entry factors has shown reliability per factor, corporation performance factors showed feasible for the economic and non-economic performance factor.
Fourth, the confirmatory factor analysis was executed based on factors removed from the exploratory factor analysis. The confirmatory factor analysis model represents the most appropriate. In addition, the correlation analysis presented in the research model and hypotheses to be consistent with the direction between the concepts respectively.
Finally, it is the purpose of this study, the African market entry strategies and analysis on causal relationship between corporate performance. Eight Hypotheses out of twenty one hypotheses were adopted. Particularly, timing of African market entry and market entry strategies was found in a positive effect. Also, There was no mediating effect of foreign market entry strategy for companies by giving an indirect effect on performance was analyzed. Exporters characteristic did not have a direct effect on corporate performance based on analysis of mediating local market characteristics, foreign market entry time commitment, corporate competitive strategy, and marketing strategy into financial performance and non-financial performance parameters. In conclusion, as the main research purpose of this study, the African market entry strategy and financial performance of the company on non-economic performance in Africa appear to affect the export or companies entered the centralization and segmentation strategies, and marketing mix strategy will attribute to the performance will be generated in the market. Meanwhile, the implications of this study are as follows.
First, companies that wish to export to Africa need to utilize a thorough market research, local business practices, and culture through the study of African countries in a mean of a strategy of localization and concentration.
Second, it is required to maintain a successful market entry as early entrants by awareness in the connectivity of the Africa’s natural resources and market entry and understanding of the degree of competitors entering Africa.
Third, Korea's vocational experience in economic development is our own unique cooperation model that has a practical effect.
Our own unique experiences in export-led economic and social development of a comprehensive plan utilizing the formulation and implementation can be an important model in the African region as we can find from our own unique experience in rural development practices and social consciousness such as New Village Movement by the Korea national leader of the strong policy commitment under its features.
Fourth, Korea’s comparative advantage in the construction of the plant, IT, technology for the power industry through training and consultancy manpower should be given the key to empowerment. The impact of development cooperation projects, service, training, professional, and NGO support shuld be utilized to become organic inputs without having different goals and standing alone of each individual business forms and business cycles.
Fifth, in the meantime, Korea’s African market entry was based on the private sector mainly through the construction and plant, but already rival countries has been targeting Africa in omnidirectional aspects with the provision of resources under government-led public-private partnership. Given the potential of Africa, the government should take a leadership role. In particular, it is essential to have investment in logistics infrastructure and markets in earnest by promoting investment cooperation at the national level and their systematic movement for business opportunities.
Sixth, there are 54 countries in Africa, and the regional economic disparity is big. It is very difficult in reality to target all of the countries, and therefore, companies should select a country for a business foothold. Companies should avoid to expect a short term outcome, but they should have long term plans. Diplomatic efforts and economic cooperation are needed such as the establishment of overseas diplomatic missions and signing FTA. Also, ongoing network expansion strategy is required through mutual synergies by entering with partners such as trading firm, financial institutions, construction companies, and resource companies.
Seventh, it is required to have risk diversification tools in the public system such as trade finance and export insurance. In particular, it is essential to have support for SMEs credit guarantee, equity participation in African local financial institutions, and our financial institutions’ credit line in local banks.
This study suggests an important fact that the African market entry strategy was found in company performance as the positive effect, and we need to build a comprehensive strategy by closely examining the issues in the Africa market entry and investment environment.