본 연구는 227개의 국내 중소기업기업들을 대상으로 최고경영자의 특성, 경쟁전략, 조직구조의 분권화와 기업의 활용적 혁신활동 및 탐색적 혁신활동 사이의 관계를 실증적으로 분석하고, 두 가지 유형의 혁신활동이 기업의 기술혁신성과와 경영성과에 미치는 영향을 실증적으로 분석하였다. 실증연구 결과, 최고경영자의 혁신적 경영스타일, 차별화전략, 분권화 수준은 탐색적 혁신활동에 정의 영향을 미치고 있는 반면, 활용적 혁신활동에는 원가우위 전략이 정의 영향을 미치고 있으며, 분권화 수준은 활용적 혁신활동에 부의 영향을 미치고 있는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 탐색적 혁신활동은 신제품(NEP)인증으로 측정된 새로운 분야에서의 기술혁신성과 창출에 기여하고 있는 것으로 나타났다. 이에 비해, 기존 영역에서의 활용적 혁신활동은 K마크 등 제품임의인증으로 측정된 중소기업의 기술혁신성과에 유의한 영향을 미치지 못하고 있는 것으로 나타났다. 한편, 활용적 혁신활동과 탐색적 혁신활동은 모두 인지된 경영성과에는 정의 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다.

This research conducts empirical analyses on the determinants of firm's exploitative and exploratory innovation activities and their effects on innovation output and perceived performance over a sample of 227 Korean small and midium-sized enterprises. Empirical results suggest that CEO's innovative management style, differentiation strategy, and decentralization level have positive relationships with firm's exploratory innovation activities. On the other hand, firm's exploitative innovation activities have positive relationships with cost-leadership strategy and have negative relationships with decentralization level. It is also found that a firm's exploratory innovation activities increase the firm's chance of having NEP certification, but contrary to the hypothesis, a firm's exploitative innovation activities do not have significant relationships with the firm's chance of having K-mark certification. However, it is found that a firm's exploitative innovation activities and exploratory innovation activities both have positive influence on the firm's perceived performance.

This research conducts empirical analyses on the determinants of firm's exploitative and exploratory innovation activities and their effects on innovation output and perceived performance over a sample of 227 Korean small and midium-sized enterprises. Empirical results suggest that CEO's innovative management style, differentiation strategy, and decentralization level have positive relationships with firm's exploratory innovation activities. On the other hand, firm's exploitative innovation activities have positive relationships with cost-leadership strategy and have negative relationships with decentralization level. It is also found that a firm's exploratory innovation activities increase the firm's chance of having NEP certification, but contrary to the hypothesis, a firm's exploitative innovation activities do not have significant relationships with the firm's chance of having K-mark certification. However, it is found that a firm's exploitative innovation activities and exploratory innovation activities both have positive influence on the firm's perceived performance.

Exploitation, Exploration, Technology Innovation, CEO's management style, Competitive Strategy