(An) empirical study on organizational culture, absorptive capacity, and performance of the logistics company in Korea

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

With the advent of globalization - a phenomenon of the 21th century - many corporations have been developing inroads into overseas markets. As international competition continues to intensify, some companies and researchers have taken a profound interest in social cognitions, reactions, background, and behaviors of members in organizations. In line with these tendencies, organizational culture is becoming one of the decisive factors along with absorptive capacity. This dissertation aims to identify the relationships between organization culture, absorptive capacity, and performance on the logistics company in Korea based on empirical analysis.
The research framework and eight principal research are formulated on the basis of three major theories such as Hofstede's cultural dimensions, absorptive capacity, and logistics performance. This thesis adopts structural equation modeling (SEM) in order to rigorously test the validation of the measurement models and examine the relationships between the construct variables. The data for analyses were collected by on-line and paper-based (for personal visits) questionnaire survey from employees in logistics firms.
The empirical research shows that (1) there commonly exists a significant positive relationship between the lower degree of power distance and a high level of absorptive capacity; (2) there is no positive relationship between the higher level of uncertainty avoidance and a high degree of absorptive capacity; (3) the hypothesis on relationship between the high level of masculinity and a high degree of absorptive capacity is supported; (4) the low degree individualism has no significant positive influence upon a high level of absorptive capacity; (5) the high level long-term orientation has a significant positive relationship with a high degree of absorptive capacity; (6) there exists a significant positive relationship between absorptive capacity and performance (non-financial performance and financial performance); and (7) the result of the analysis of inter-relationship between non-financial performance and financial performance on logistics industry is significant positive.
Overall, this study suggests that managers in logistics firms bear in mind that the constructs of organizational culture have considerable influence over organization's absorptive capacity and business performance. They should face up to the reality and apply the appropriate strategies based on the comprehended weaknesses in order to effectively strengthen its competitive market position and long-term survival and success.

국문 초록 (Abstract)

세계화가 진점됨에 따라 많은 기업들이 해외 진출에 열을 올리고 있으며, 이러한 추세와 맞물려 경쟁은 더욱 치열해지고 있다. 치열한 경쟁에서 살아남기 위해 기업은 다양한 전략을 모색하고 있으며, 다국적 기업에 있어서는 ‘문화’가 중요한 화두로 떠올랐다. 국가문화 혹은 조직문화가 기업의 성과에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지, 성과에 영향을 미치는 기업의 흡수능력은 이들 관계에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지는 학계뿐만 아니라 다양한 업계에서 관심을 가지는 주제임에 틀림없다. 본 연구는 한국에 있는 물류기업을 대상으로 조직문화가 흡수능력 그리고 조직성과에 미치는 영향을 실증적 분석을 통해 살펴보는 것이 주된 목적이다.
우선 선행연구를 심도 있게 고찰하였고 이를 바탕으로 연구모델과 8개의 연구가설을 설정하였다. 본 연구는 측정모델의 타당도와 가설적 개념의 관계를 동시에 파악하기 위해 AMOS 18 프로그램을 이용하여 구조방정식모델링(structural equation modeling) 방법론으로 분석을 실시하였다. 분석에 사용한 자료는 물류기업의 임직원을 대상으로 두 달간 진행되었으며, 설문조사는 온라인 및 방문 설문법을 병행하였으며, 총 340부의 설문지를 배포하여 322부의 설문지를 회수하였다. 심각한 결측치(missing data)가 있는 4부를 제외한 318부를 최종실증분석에 이용하였다.
분석결과는 다음과 같다. (1) 권력 간격이 낮을수록 흡수능력은 높을 것임을 제시한 첫 번째 가설은 지지되었다. (2) 불확실성을 회피하려는 성향이 강할수록 흡수능력은 높아질 것이라는 가설은 기각되었다. (3) 남성성과 흡수능력은 강한 정(+)의 관계가 있음이 확인되었다. (4) 개인주의적인 성향이 적을수록 흡수능력은 뛰어날 것이라는 네 번째 가설은 기각되었다. (5) 장기적인 지향성이 강할수록 흡수능력이 높을 것이라는 가설은 많은 선행연구의 결과와 같이 채택되었다. (6) 흡수능력은 기업의 비재무적 그리고 재무적 성과에 정(+)의 영향을 미치는 것으로 분석되었다. (7) 기업의 비재무적 성과와 재무적 성과는 상호간의 정(+)의 영향이 있는 것으로 파악되었다.
종합해보면, 물류기업에 종사하는 임원 혹은 관리자는 조직문화가 기업의 흡수능력 그리고 기업성과에 직․간접적으로 영향을 미칠 수 있음을 항상 염두해 두어야 한다. 우선 기업이 처해있는 상황을 정확하게 파악하고, 파악된 특성 및 약점 등을 바탕으로 본 연구에서 제안한 실무적 시사점을 근간으로 종합적이고 장기적인 안목을 가지고 고민한다면 효과적인 전략을 도출할 수 있을 것이다.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Ⅰ. Introduction 1
• 1. Research Background 1
• 2. Research Objectives 3
• 3. Research Structure 4
• Ⅱ. Structure and Organizational Culture of the Logistics Company 7
• 1. Structure of the Logistics Company 7
• 2. Organizational Culture of the Logistics Company in Korea 9
• Ⅲ. Theoretical Foundations 13
• 1. Absorptive Capacity 13
• A. Definition of absorptive capacity 14
• B. Dimensions of absorptive capacity 20
• C. The three core models of absorptive capacity 24
• 2. Organizational Culture 29
• A. Definition of culture 29
• B. Cultural frameworks 31
• 1) Hofstede's framework 32
• 2) Schwartz's framework 33
• 3) Comparison between Hofstede's framework and Schwartz's one 35
• C. Individual culture and corporate culture, and cultural dimension 36
• 1) The link between individual culture and corporate culture 36
• 2) The cultural dimension of Hofstede 38
• 3. Logistics Performance 43
• A. Definition of logistics performance 44
• B. Measuring logistics performance 52
• Ⅳ. Research Model and Hypotheses 55
• 1. Research Framework 55
• 2. Research Model and Hypotheses 58
• Ⅴ. Research Methodology 68
• 1. Research Processes 69
• 2. Data Collection Methods 73
• 3. Questionnaire Design 75
• 4. The Sample and Data Collection 81
• 5. Measurement of Variable 83
• A. Organizational culture 83
• B. Absorptive capacity 85
• C. Logistics performance 87
• 6. Validity and Reliability 88
• A. Validity 89
• 1) Content validity 89
• 2) Unidimensionality 90
• 3) Convergent validity 90
• 4) Discriminant validity 91
• B. Reliability 91
• 7. Data Analysis Techniques 93
• A. Basic concepts of SEM 94
• B. Two critical issues of SEM technique 96
• C. SEM procedural steps 97
• Ⅵ. Data Analysis 104
• 1. Descriptive Analysis 105
• 2. Three Models Analysis on Absorptive Capacity 110
• A. Data preparation and screening 113
• B. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) 118
• C. Validity and reliability (CFA) 120
• D. Examination of three major models 126
• 3. Statistical Analysis of Organizational Culture and Performance 127
• A. Statistical analysis for organizational culture 127
• 1) Data preparation and screening 128
• 2) Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) 131
• 3) Validity and reliability (CFA) 133
• B. Statistical analysis for performance 139
• 4. Structural Model 146
• A. Structure model for default model 149
• B. Structure model for a new modified model 154
• 5. Mediation Effect Analysis 162
• A. Power Distance and Performance 165
• 1) Power distance → non-financial performance 165
• 2) Power distance → financial performance 167
• B. Uncertainty Avoidance and Performance 169
• 1) Uncertainty Avoidance → non-financial performance 169
• 2) Uncertainty Avoidance → financial performance 170
• C. Masculinity and Performance 171
• 1) Masculinity → non-financial performance 171
• 2) Masculinity → financial performance 172
• D. Individualism and Performance 174
• 1) Individualism → non-financial performance 174
• 2) Individualism → financial performance 175
• E. Long-term Orientation and Performance 177
• 1) Long-term orientation → non-financial performance 177
• 2) Long-term orientation → financial performance 179
• Ⅶ. Research Conclusions 182
• 1. Research Findings and Implications 183
• A. Relationships between the constructs of organizational culture and absorptive capacity (Hypothesis 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) 185
• 1) Power distance and absorptive capacity 185
• 2) Uncertainty avoidance and absorptive capacity 187
• 3) Masculinity and absorptive capacity 188
• 4) Individualism and absorptive capacity 190
• 5) Long-term orientation and absorptive capacity 191
• B. Relationships between absorptive capacity and performance (Hypothesis 6, 7, and 8) 192
• C. Mediation Effect 194
• 2. Contributions of the Research 196
• A. Contribution for Logistics Theory 197
• B. Contribution for Industry 198
• 3. Limitations and Further Research 199
• References 202
• Appendix 1> Absorptive capacity: conceptualization and operationalization issues 229
• Appendix 2> Questionnaire in Korean 233
• Appendix 3> Questionnaire in English 238
• Appendix 4> Correlations between observed variables in construct of absorptive capacity 243
• Appendix 5> A generating process of construct reliability and variance extracted 244
• Appendix 6> Measurement model for model1 (Cohen & Levinthal, 1990) 246
• Appendix 7> Measurement model for model2 (Zahra & George, 2002) 247
• Appendix 8> Measurement model for model3 (Todorova & Dursin, 2007) 248
• Appendix 9> Correlations between observed variables in construct of organizational culture 249
• Appendix 10> Model 1 in mediation analysis (Power distance → Non-financial performance) 251
• Appendix 11> Model 2 in mediation analysis (Power distance → Non-financial performance) 252
• Appendix 12> Model 3 in mediation analysis (Power distance → Non-financial performance) 253
• 논문요약 254