This study investigates whether decision-making rationality(DR) enhances the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) in Korea and examines how entrepreneurial orientation(EO) moderates this relationship, particularly under conditions of market turbulence(MT). Drawing on data from 387 Inno-biz certified SMEs⎯firms officially recognized for their technological competence and growth potential-we employed hierarchical regression analysis to test the proposed three-way interaction model. The findings indicate that decision-making rationality positively affects firm performance, and this relationship is significantly strengthened when firms exhibit high levels of entrepreneurial orientation, underscoring a synergistic effect between rational decision-making and entrepreneurial behavior. Furthermore, the interaction effect becomes more pronounced under high market turbulence, revealing a three-way interaction among DR, EO, and MT. These results contribute to the strategic management and entrepreneurship literature by empirically validating the complementary roles of rational analysis and entrepreneurial orientation in enhancing SME performance, especially in dynamic market environments. The study also offers practical implications for SME managers and policymakers focused on building capabilities that support effective decision-making and opportunity exploitation in resource-constrained settings.

The purpose of this study examines the effect of ethical leadership on the work-family balance of subordinates. Further, we investigate the mediating effects of job performance and job burnout in the relationship between ethical leadership on the work-family balance. Drawing upon conservation of resource theory, we expected that ethical leadership had a positive spillover effect not only job performance and job burnout in the work life domain but also in the work-family balance that includes the family life domain. The results showed that ethical leadership was positively related to work-family balance. Also, each job performance and job burnout partially mediated the relationship between ethical leadership and work-family balance, respectively. More specifically, ethical leadership was positively related to job performance and job performance was positively related to work-family balance. On the other hand, ethical leadership was negatively related to job burnout and job burnout was negatively related to work-family balance. Bootstrapping tests confirmed the indirect effects of the two mediators between ethical leadership and work-family balance. The research findings provide meaningful theoretical and managerial implications.

This study aims to investigate the effects of surface acting and deep acting on job engagement and work happiness of frontline service employees. Further, we scrutinize the mediating role of positive psychological capital among the relationships and the moderating role of trust from leader between the two types of acting and positive psychological capital. Based on conservation of resource theory and emotion regulation theory, we paid attention to the discriminatory influence of the two types of acting and the facilitating role of leader. The results showed that deep acting was positively related to psychological capital, while there was no significant relationship between surface acting and psychological capital. Also, the positive relationship between deep acting and psychological capital was stronger when trust from leader was higher, while there was no significant interaction effect between surface acting and trust from leader. Psychological capital was positively related to both job engagement and work happiness. Taken together, psychological capital fully mediated the positive relationships among deep acting, job engagement, and work happiness. However, surface acting had no significant effect on psychological capital, job engagement, and work happiness. The research findings offer beneficial theoretical and practical implications.

The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of CEO transformational leadership and CEO entrepreneurial leadership on employee satisfaction. Also, we paid attention to the mediating role of supportive culture among the relationships. The effects of the two CEO leadership styles have been reported to be positive to firm performance and employee outcomes, however they have different attributes. According to previous literature, leader’s entrepreneurial attitude or behavior emphasizing innovativeness, risk taking, and competitive aggressiveness could generate some stress or pressure to employees. Thus, we scrutinize the mechanism among the two CEO leadership styles, supportive culture, and employee satisfaction. The results showed that CEO transformational leadership had a positive effect on employee satisfaction directly as well as a positive effect on employee satisfaction through supportive culture indirectly. On the other hand, CEO entrepreneurial leadership had a positive effect on employee satisfaction through supportive culture indirectly while, there was no significant relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and employee satisfaction. Our research findings provide informative theoretical and managerial implications.

This study investigates whether decision-making rationality(DR) enhances the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) in Korea and examines how entrepreneurial orientation(EO) moderates this relationship, particularly under conditions of market turbulence(MT). Drawing on data from 387 Inno-biz certified SMEs⎯firms officially recognized for their technological competence and growth potential-we employed hierarchical regression analysis to test the proposed three-way interaction model. The findings indicate that decision-making rationality positively affects firm performance, and this relationship is significantly strengthened when firms exhibit high levels of entrepreneurial orientation, underscoring a synergistic effect between rational decision-making and entrepreneurial behavior. Furthermore, the interaction effect becomes more pronounced under high market turbulence, revealing a three-way interaction among DR, EO, and MT. These results contribute to the strategic management and entrepreneurship literature by empirically validating the complementary roles of rational analysis and entrepreneurial orientation in enhancing SME performance, especially in dynamic market environments. The study also offers practical implications for SME managers and policymakers focused on building capabilities that support effective decision-making and opportunity exploitation in resource-constrained settings.

The purpose of this study examines the effect of ethical leadership on the work-family balance of subordinates. Further, we investigate the mediating effects of job performance and job burnout in the relationship between ethical leadership on the work-family balance. Drawing upon conservation of resource theory, we expected that ethical leadership had a positive spillover effect not only job performance and job burnout in the work life domain but also in the work-family balance that includes the family life domain. The results showed that ethical leadership was positively related to work-family balance. Also, each job performance and job burnout partially mediated the relationship between ethical leadership and work-family balance, respectively. More specifically, ethical leadership was positively related to job performance and job performance was positively related to work-family balance. On the other hand, ethical leadership was negatively related to job burnout and job burnout was negatively related to work-family balance. Bootstrapping tests confirmed the indirect effects of the two mediators between ethical leadership and work-family balance. The research findings provide meaningful theoretical and managerial implications.

This study aims to investigate the effects of surface acting and deep acting on job engagement and work happiness of frontline service employees. Further, we scrutinize the mediating role of positive psychological capital among the relationships and the moderating role of trust from leader between the two types of acting and positive psychological capital. Based on conservation of resource theory and emotion regulation theory, we paid attention to the discriminatory influence of the two types of acting and the facilitating role of leader. The results showed that deep acting was positively related to psychological capital, while there was no significant relationship between surface acting and psychological capital. Also, the positive relationship between deep acting and psychological capital was stronger when trust from leader was higher, while there was no significant interaction effect between surface acting and trust from leader. Psychological capital was positively related to both job engagement and work happiness. Taken together, psychological capital fully mediated the positive relationships among deep acting, job engagement, and work happiness. However, surface acting had no significant effect on psychological capital, job engagement, and work happiness. The research findings offer beneficial theoretical and practical implications.

The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of CEO transformational leadership and CEO entrepreneurial leadership on employee satisfaction. Also, we paid attention to the mediating role of supportive culture among the relationships. The effects of the two CEO leadership styles have been reported to be positive to firm performance and employee outcomes, however they have different attributes. According to previous literature, leader’s entrepreneurial attitude or behavior emphasizing innovativeness, risk taking, and competitive aggressiveness could generate some stress or pressure to employees. Thus, we scrutinize the mechanism among the two CEO leadership styles, supportive culture, and employee satisfaction. The results showed that CEO transformational leadership had a positive effect on employee satisfaction directly as well as a positive effect on employee satisfaction through supportive culture indirectly. On the other hand, CEO entrepreneurial leadership had a positive effect on employee satisfaction through supportive culture indirectly while, there was no significant relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and employee satisfaction. Our research findings provide informative theoretical and managerial implications.

The survival and growth of entrepreneurial startups system are threatened by the unprecedented exogenous shock of the COVID-19 pandemic. While startups play pivotal roles in a country’s national innovation system, “what, why, and how” they act against the crisis has remained an underexplored topic. This study aims at identifying specific government policy initiatives to protect the firms’ survival during the crisis and counterstrategies employed by startups in the crisis management processes. Our quantitative analysis of 91 policy initiatives in 40 countries against the COVID-19 economic crisis indicates that governments focus mainly on providing short-term financial supports such as interest/tax benefits, payment delays, and wage subsidies for small and medium-sized enterprises. In contrast, startup-specific supports buffering from the lack of investment and financial capital were insufficient. Another qualitative analysis of interviews with 16 actors in entrepreneurial ecosystems reveals that Korean startups are leveraging the productive utilization of available resources through business model improvements, organizational restructuring, and external networks against the high illiquidity caused by the crisis. Startups are also required to remain resilient in the entrepreneurial crisis management process by adopting bricolage responses allowing high agility and adaptability for seeking alternative business opportunities in times of crisis.

Purpose - Based on transaction cost perspective and institution-based perspective, this research attempts to investigate the effect of outsourcing on a firm's performance and how it interacts with institutional context in which the firms operate. Research design, data, and methodology -With a sample of 164 manufacturing firms form South Korea, we examine the direct effects of outsourcing on the a firm's level of product innovation and internationalization and the moderating effects of competitive pressure and property right protection as important external factors that could affect the effectiveness of outsourcing decision. Result - The findings show that outsourcing not only enhance a firm's capability to concentrate on its core competencies, but also to increase a firm's combinative capacity to acquire external knowledge. Furthermore, we finds that in a highly competitive environment, potential knowledge spillovers to other competitors may attenuate the potential benefits of outsourcing. Conclusion - Outsourcing can enhance a firm's innovation activities by providing valuable access to external knowledge and also to complementary resources from the external partners, which in turn enables firms to focus on core competences.