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The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of the publication of sustainability reports by KOSPI-listed companies on firm value. The empirical results of previous studies on the impact of sustainable management activities such as ESG and CSR on firm value are mixed. In the past, there was a negative perception that sustainable management activities were merely a cost for companies, but the social atmosphere is gradually establishing it as an essential factor for the survival of companies. In this study, we conduct an analysis by determining whether a company publishes a sustainability report as part of its sustainable management activities. An analysis of KOSPI-listed companies from 2010 to 2023 found that companies that published sustainability reports had higher value. There are not many studies that have analyzed the impact of publishing a sustainability report on firm value. The significance of this study lies in the empirical analysis of the relationship between the publication of sustainability reports and firm value, which have not been studied before. This study contributes to empirically verifying what signals non-financial information provided by a company through its sustainability report gives to the company's stakeholders and capital market participants. This study is expected to help establish policies and standards for non-financial information by identifying the impact of non-financial information on corporate stakeholders.

This study aimed to investigate the influence of organizational culture in small and medium-sized export companies on rapport between employees and overseas customers and how that rapport affects employees’ organizational citizenship behavior. That is, this study aimed to examine the influence of the employee, task, innovation, and communication-oriented culture of small and medium-sized export companies on the enjoyable relationship and personal bond between employees and overseas customers, called rapport, and to clarify how this rapport affects employees’ organizational citizenship behavior. To examine this, we obtained and analyzed data from 207 small and medium-sized enterprises currently exporting overseas. As a result, it was revealed that the employee and communication-oriented organizational culture of small and medium-sized export companies had a positive effect on both enjoyable relationships and personal bonds, which are sub-elements of rapport between employees and overseas customers. An innovation-oriented organizational culture was found to have a positive effect on enjoyable relationships among the rapport sub-factors, but did not have an effect on personal bonds. On the other hand, the results confirmed that task-oriented organizational culture does not affect rapport, which are enjoyable relationships and personal bonds. And it was revealed that rapport between employees and overseas customers has a positive effect on employees’ organizational citizenship behavior. This study shows that organizational culture plays a significant role in building rapport with overseas customers in small and medium-sized export companies, and that rapport influences employees’ proactive work behavior.

This study analyzed the agglomeration factors by using a model that defines the local creator industry and measures the effects of urban resources that affect agglomeration in order to utilize creative small business entrepreneurs such as local creators and influencers and to seek industrial development measures. While previous studies focused on analyzing the effectiveness of livelihood support policy support centered on self-employment, this study is different in that it is a study on the startup ecosystem centered on local creators to transition to fostering specialized industries utilizing local creative manpower and specialized resources. In the case of Korea, this study confirmed that the type and size of the city affect the agglomeration of local creative talent, and in particular, urban factors such as urban culture are more important than the population size in agglomeration of local creator industries. In order for the local creator industry in Korea to grow, it is necessary to activate commercial spaces to improve the unique urban cultural identity and urban living standards. However, due to the difficulty in obtaining statistical data on creative small business owners, this study cannot reflect the latest trends by using existing statistical data, which will be a limitation of this study.

This study analyzes the policy network surrounding the tonnage tax system and proposes measures to enhance its effectiveness. The research findings identify the main actors involved in tonnage tax policy as: 1) the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, 2) Korea Shipowners’ Association, 3) the National Assembly, and 4) academia and maritime industry organizations. It appears that these stakeholders, directly or indirectly contributing to the design of the tonnage tax policy, are each striving to advance their own interests. However, excessive pursuit of self-interest was not evident; rather, it seemed to serve as a driving force for policy development, indicating that the internalized pursuit of interests among these actors has positive implications. While the tonnage tax policy has resulted in adverse effects, such as an oversupply of shipping capacity during boom periods. To enhance the effectiveness of the tonnage tax policy, this study presents various improvement measures. The proposed measures include: 1) strengthening the role of the government, 2) enhancing the role of experts, 3) establishing a dedicated department for policy development research, and 4) increasing the social responsibility of shipping companies.

This study empirically analyzed whether there is a monthly sales effect for each category in the Chinese online health functional food market based on big data actually traded on Alibaba’s main platform. To this end, we obtained big data on health functional food sales from Taobao, Tmall, and Tmall International in China from September 2020 to August 2021, reprocessed them in accordance with the functional classification criteria of the China Food and Drug Administration, and used them for analysis. As a result, among the 21 valid categories used in the study, the top five sales categories showed high sales for immune system enhancement products in November and diet products in June, in addition, products such as freckle removers, memory enhancers, throat-freshening products, and antioxidant products showed a sales volume pattern in the form of a monthly effect, where sales volume differed greatly in a specific month. This study is meaningful in that it attempted an academic big data-based monthly effect analysis, and in practical terms, it provided implications for Korean health functional food manufacturers entering the Chinese market by identifying monthly sales patterns for each product group in online channels and utilizing them in marketing strategies.

This study focuses on forecasting maritime freight rates by applying a time-series decomposition approach to two key indicators: the ClarkSea Index, which represents overall shipping market conditions, and Clarksons Average Tanker Earnings, which measure vessel-specific profitability. The analysis utilizes monthly data from October 2019 to September 2024, sourced from Clarksons Research via the Shipping Intelligence Network. By leveraging 60 months of historical data, the study generates one-month, two-month, and three-month ahead forecasts and evaluates their accuracy against actual observed values. As an analytical approach, the time series data are decomposed into three key components: trend-cycle, seasonal variation, and irregular components, and forecasting evaluation is conducted based on this decomposition. To assess the accuracy of the forecasting model, the Mean Absolute Percentage Error is utilized. The results indicate that forecasting errors remain below 10%, demonstrating a high degree of reliability. Specifically, the model performs well in predicting Clarksons Average Tanker Earnings, with minimal deviations from actual values.

The digitalization of international trade has advanced significantly, yet traditional paper-based documentation, especially bills of lading, remains prevalent. This reliance on paper creates challenges such as delays, losses, fraud risks, and high administrative costs. Initial efforts to digitize bills of lading, including first-generation platforms like Bolero, introduced centralized systems but struggled due to high costs, limited accessibility, and operational inefficiencies. Second-generation platforms, such as WAVE and CargoX, utilize blockchain technology to provide decentralized, secure, and interoperable solutions, addressing many of the previous limitations. South Korea has established a robust legal framework for electronic bills of lading through legislation such as the Commercial Act and the Basic Act on Electronic Documents and Transactions. However, adoption remains slow due to unresolved legal ambiguities, a lack of international interoperability, and deeply ingrained traditional practices in the trade industry. Moving forward, global legal harmonization, amendments to existing laws, active collaboration among stakeholders, and the effective application of blockchain technology are crucial to overcoming these challenges and facilitating the widespread use of electronic bills of lading.

This study aims to analyze how consumer awareness of these ethics influences the value-attitude-purchase intention of luxury goods since global supply chain ethics significantly impact the sustainability of luxury goods companies. Applying the VAB (Value-Attitude-Behavior) model, this study classifies the value of luxury goods into five dimensions: functional value, individual value, rarity value, economic value, and social value. It then examines their effects on attitudes toward luxury goods and purchase intention. While existing research on luxury goods primarily focuses on their value and consumers’ attitudes, there is a lack of studies on how awareness of supply chain ethics affects the perceived value of luxury goods. Therefore, this study seeks to explore the moderating role of consumer awareness of luxury goods companies’ global supply chains in shaping the perceived value of luxury goods among potential buyers. Empirical analysis found that five out of seven hypotheses are supported except two hypotheses regarding functional value and economic value factors, and hypothesis regarding attitude and purchase intention was supported. This paper provides strategic implications to help luxury companies recognize the impact of global supply chain ethics on brand value.

This study investigates the recent trend of ocean freight rate reductions based on HS codes, with a particular focus on chemical products such as organic compounds (HS 29) and plastics (HS 39). Unlike the traditional FAK (Freight All Kinds) system, some major carriers have started to apply selective rate discounts to non-hazardous, low-weight, high-volume cargo with stable demand. The research employs a triangulated approach combining literature review, product case analysis, and in-depth interviews with carrier representatives and logistics consultants. Findings reveal that freight rate differentiation based on cargo characteristics and HS codes can enhance operational efficiency and customer targeting. The study provides practical implications for shippers, freight forwarders, and carriers seeking cost-effective and strategically tailored logistics solutions in a volatile shipping market.

This study aims to analyze the relationships between corporate capabilities (operational capability, resource capability, logistics service quality, and information system operation), trust, commitment, and performance, while also deriving practical implications from the findings. To test the research hypotheses, 152 survey responses, excluding insincere answers, were utilized. Structural equation modeling (AMOS 21.0) was employed for data analysis. The results of the analysis indicate the following: First, corporate capabilities positively influence trust, commitment, and performance, with logistics service quality exerting the strongest influence, while resource capability has the weakest impact. Second, trust does not significantly affect commitment but has a positive impact on performance. Third, commitment positively influences performance, with trust emerging as the most critical factor affecting performance. In conclusion, this study presents theoretical and practical implications based on the findings, discusses its limitations, and suggests directions for future research.

This study explores the allocation of delay risk in voyage charter parties, with a particular focus on the modifications introduced in GENCON 2022. Delays in shipping, arising from factors such as port congestion, adverse weather, and operational disruptions, often lead to disputes over liability between shipowners and charterers. GENCON 2022 was introduced to address the legal ambiguities present in GENCON 1994 by refining key contractual provisions, including laytime commencement, demurrage conditions, and cancellation clauses. Additionally, the revised contract clarifies the shipowner’s approach voyage obligations and incorporates a more structured general exceptions clause to ensure a balanced risk allocation. By analyzing these revisions and their practical implications, this study assesses the extent to which GENCON 2022 enhances contractual certainty, reduces disputes, and provides a fairer legal framework for delay risk management in voyage charter agreements.

Many manufacturers and distributors are undergoing a rapid paradigm shift after COVID-19. As existing global supply chains have been limited and blocked to reveal problems such as supply bottlenecks, supply shortages, and production delays, many companies are shifting from strategies that valued efficiency for economies of scale to strategies for emergencies and looking for alternatives. In particular, changes in the world’s supply chain due to the conflict between the U.S. and China are expected to reduce corporate efficiency and cause higher barriers to international management and higher transaction costs. In order to improve the overall competitiveness of the distribution channel system, the cooperative relationship between the manufacturer and the distributor will be the most important competitiveness. Therefore, this study analyzes how coercive influence strategies affect conflict, satisfaction, and trust between manufacturers and distributors. Because coercive influence strategies are ways to communicate closely, and conflict and satisfaction are important variables in building trust.

Data-driven decision-making is essential in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In particular, accurate demand forecasting plays a critical role in optimizing supply chains and improving responsiveness in the global trade environment. This study aims to compare the forecasting performance of two models: ARIMA (Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average), a traditional time series method, and GRU (Gated Recurrent Unit), a deep learning-based approach. Using real-world demand data from the automobile parts industry, both models were evaluated based on MAPE (Mean Absolute Percentage Error), RMSE (Root Mean Squared Error), and RMSLE (Root Mean Squared Log Error). The results show that the GRU model consistently outperforms the ARIMA model, especially for highly volatile and irregular (lumpy) demand data. These findings suggest the practical applicability of GRU in demand forecasting for industries dealing with irregular patterns, and highlight the potential of combining traditional and deep learning methods for improved forecasting accuracy in international trade settings.