한국기업의 아프리카 진입전략과 성과에 관한 실증연구

Abstract

연구의 요약 및 시사점

본 연구는 수출환경특성-아프리카 진출전략-기업성과 간의 구조방정식 모형을 통한 인과관계 분석을 통해 한국기업의 아프리카 진출전략과 성과를 분석하였다. 아프리카의 전략적 가치를 고려할 때 아프리카 시장은 무한한 잠재력을 가진 지역이며, 자원이 빈곤한 우리나라로서는 적절한 시장진입 전략 선택과 성과에 대한 올바른 평가가 매우 중요하다. 본 연구의 목적인 아프리카 시장 진입전략과 기업성과 간의 인과관계 분석 결과, 연구가설 21개 중 8개의 가설이 채택되었다. 특히 아프리카 시장 진입시기와 진입전략은 기업성과에 정(+)의 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 수출기업특성, 현지시장특성, 해외시장몰입이 시장진입시기, 기업경쟁전략, 마케팅전략을 매개하여 경제적 성과와 비경제적 성과에 영향을 주는 지 분석한 결과 수출기업특성은 기업성과에 직접적 효과는 없었으나, 해외시장진입전략의 매개효과를 통해 기업성과에 간접효과를 주는 것으로 분석되었다. 결론적으로 본 연구의 주된 연구목적인 아프리카 시장 진입전략은 기업의 경제적 성과와 비경제적 성과에 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타나 아프리카에 수출하거나 진출한 기업들은 집중화 및 세분화 전략, 그리고 마케팅믹스 전략을 통해 시장을 공략한다면 성과를 볼 수 있다는 것을 나타내주고 있다. 한국기업의 아프리카 진출 전략에 대한 기존 선행연구와 주요국의 아프리카 진출 전략을 종합하여 몇 가지 시사점은 다음과 같다. 첫째, 아프리카에 수출하고자 하는 기업은 철저한 현지시장 조사와 상관습과 문화에 대한 학습을 통해 아프리카 국가별 현지화 전략과 집중화 전략을 통해 시장을 공략할 필요가 있다. 둘째, 아프리카 보유자원과 아프리카 진출 연계성이라는 측면에서 경쟁기업들의 아프리카 진출 정도 파악 및 특정국가 진출을 통해 초기진입자로서의 성공적 사업진출 및 유지가 필요하다. 셋째, 우리나라의 경제개발 경험전수는 적은 비용으로 실질적인 효과를 거둘 수 있는 우리만의 독특한 협력모델이다. 우리나라의 새마을운동 등 농촌 및 사회의식 개발 사례, 국가지도자의 강력한 정책 의지하에 수출주도 등 자국의 특징을 살린 종합적인 경제사회 개발계획의 수립 및 이행 경험은 아프리카에 중요한 모델이 될 수 있다. 넷째, 우리나라가 비교우위가 있는 건설, 플랜트, IT, 전력 산업에 대한 기술연수 및 컨설팅을 통해 인력양성 역량강화에 핵심을 두어야 한다. 이는 개발협력의 파급효과를 높이기 위해서 프로젝트, 봉사, 연수, 전문가, NGO 지원 등 개별사업 형태가 각자 다른 목표와 사업 사이클을 가지고 단독으로 지원되는 것을 지양하고 각 형태의 장점을 살려서 유기적 투입요소를 활용해야 한다. 다섯째, 그동안 우리나라의 對 아프리카 시장 진출형태는 주로 민간기업이 건설 및 플랜트 수주를 통해 이루어져왔으나 그것은 한계가 있으며, 이미 경쟁국들은 자원확보를 위해 경쟁적으로 정부가 주도하에 민관 협력체제로 전방위적으로 공략하고 있다. 아프리카의 잠재력을 고려할 때 정부가 주도적 역할을 해야 한다. 특히 물류인프라 및 시장에 대한 투자도 본격적으로 추진하여 국가차원의 투자협력과 이에 따르는 체계적인 사업진출이 필수적이다. 여섯째, 아프리카는 현재 54개국으로 국가별 경제 격차가 큰 지역이다. 우리나라 기업이 아프리카 전 지역을 공략한다는 것은 현실적으로 매우 어려우며, 아프리카 진출 거점국가, 거점도시를 선정하여 진출할 필요가 있으며, 단기간에 어떤 성과를 기대하기 보다는 장기적 계획을 가지고 재외공관 설립 및 FTA 체결 등 외교적 노력 및 경제협력이 필요하다. 또한 주요 시장에 대해 무역상사, 금융기관, 건설회사, 자원회사 등의 동반 진출로 상호 시너지 효과 을 통해 지속적인 네트워크 확대전략이 필요하다. 일곱째, 무역금융, 수출보험 등에서 공적 제도로 위험 분산장치가 필요하다. 특히 중소기업 지원 신용보증제도, 아프리카 현지 금융기관 지분 참여, 현지은행에 우리의 정책 금융기관이 Credit line 개설 등이 필요하다. 본 연구결과에서 시사하는 중요한 사실은 아프리카 시장 진입전략은 기업성과에 긍정적 영향을 미침을 알 수 있었으며, 아프리카 시장 진출의 문제점과 투자환경을 면밀히 검토하여 종합적인 전략 마련이 필요하다.|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.