신생기업 경영자 외부네트워킹행동과 경쟁우위성과: 자금조달성과, 동태적역량, 제품혁신성과의 순차적 매개 = A Study on Startup Entrepreneurs’ External Networking Behavior and Competitive Advantage: Sequential Mediation of Financing Performance, Dynamic Capabilities, and Product Innovation Performance

국문 초록 (Abstract)

본 연구는 신생기업의 경쟁우위성과에 영향을 주는 요인을 탐색하고, 어떻게 하면 신생기업의 경쟁우위성과를 높일 수 있는지 연구하고자 했다. 선행연구 고찰을 바탕으로 신생기업 경쟁우위성과에 영향을 미치는 변수들 간의 관계가 유의한지 실증하고자 했다. 신생기업 경쟁우위성과에 대한 선행변수로 제품혁신성과, 동태적역량, 자금조달성과를 선정했다. 그리고 자원과 역량 부족으로, 신생기업이 시장이 요구하는 제품을 개발하는데 어려움을 겪는데, 이를 극복하기 위해 경영자가 할 수 있는 것으로, 외부네트워킹행동이 효과적인지 확인하고자 했다.
신생기업 경영자 402명을 대상으로 설문조사를 실시하여 경쟁우위성과, 제품혁신성과, 동태적역량, 자금조달성과, 그리고 경영자 외부네트워킹행동을 측정했다. 측정도구의 신뢰도, 타당도 및 모형적합도를 검증한 결과 모두 적합한것으로 나타났다. 가설 검증 결과, 첫째, 신생기업 경영자 네트워킹행동은 자금조달성과와 동태적역량 각각에 통계적으로 유의한 정(+)의 영향을 미쳤다. 둘째, 자금조달성과는 동태적역량에 통계적으로 유의하게 정(+)의 영향을 주었다. 셋째, 동태적역량은 제품혁신성과, 기업의 경쟁우위성과 각각에 통계적으로 유의미 정(+)의 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 넷째, 제품혁신성과는 기업의 경쟁우위성과에 통계적으로 유의하게 정(+)의 영향을 주었다.
마지막으로, 신생기업 경영자 외부네트워킹행동은 자금조달성과, 동태적역량, 제품혁신성과를 순차적으로 매개해서 기업의 경쟁우위성과에 정(+)의 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다.
본 연구의 결과를 바탕으로 이론적 시사점과 실무적 시사점을 도출했고, 향후 연구를 제안했다.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study is intended to examine 1) factors affecting the competitive advance performance of startups and 2) how to increase the competitive advance performance of startups. Based on a literature review of previous studies, this study selected competitive advantage performance as a variable to represent the survival rate of startups, and the following as antecedents thereof: product innovation performance, dynamic capabilities, financing performance, and startup entrepreneurs’ external networking behavior. Many previous studies have used qualitative approaches that examined the relationship between each of the variables, while few quantitative studies have empirically demonstrated the relationships among these variables.
An empirical investigation was, therefore, warranted, which this study conducted.
A questionnaire survey of 402 startup entrepreneurs was conducted to measure competitive advant age, product innovation performance, dynamic capabilities, financing performance, and startup entrepreneurs’ external networking behavior. The following results were obtained. First, startup entrepreneurs’ external networking behavior had a statistically significant positive effect on financing performance and dynamic capabilities. Second, financing performance had a statistically significant positive effect on dynamic capabilities. Third, dynamic capabilities had a statistically significant positive effect on product innovation performance and competitive advantage. Fourth, product innovation performance had a statistically significant positive effect on competitive advantage performance. Finally, startup entrepreneurs’ external networking behavior had a statistically significant positive effect on competitive advantage performance by sequentially mediating financing performance, dynamic capabilities, and product innovation performance. On the basis of the analysis results, the structural model established by this study was tested, and the goodness of fit of the research model in this study was considered adequate in view of the structural model fit indices.
This study has the following implications. First, this study empirically demonstrated the conceptual model proposed by previous studies as a research model. Most previous studies on the relationship among these variables examined in this study established a possible relationship through qualitative research, such as reviews, cases, and interviews, and suggested it would need to be demonstrated in the future (Kump et al., 2019; Vrontis et al., 2020). This study’s significance is that it actually demonstrated this empirically.
Second, startup entrepreneurs can obtain funds through engaging in external networking. Through interviews with successful startup entrepreneurs, Kim & Moon (2021) developed a theoretical framework to reflect the fact that startup entrepreneurs can obtain funds in exchange for trust and reciprocity to funders, which is consistent with this study’s empirical findings. Therefore, if startup entrepreneurs engage in networking behavior based on trust and reciprocity to those with whom they have a business partnership outside their startups, they may be effective at raising funds.