• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.127-140
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• 2010

The benefit that a consumer derives from the use of a good often depends on the number of other consumers purchasing the same goods or other compatible items. This property, which is known as network externality, is significant in many IT related industries. Over the past few decades, network externalities have been recognized in the context of physical networks such as the telephone and railroad industries. Today, as many products are provided as a form of system that consists of compatible components, the appreciation of network externality is becoming increasingly important. Network externalities have been extensively studied among economists who have been seeking to explain new phenomena resulting from rapid advancements in ICT (Information and Communication Technology). As a result of these efforts, a new body of theories for 'New Economy' has been proposed. The theoretical bottom-line argument of such theories is that technologies subject to network effects exhibit multiple equilibriums and will finally lock into a monopoly with one standard cornering the entire market. They emphasize that such "tippiness" is a typical characteristic in such networked markets, describing that multiple incompatible technologies rarely coexist and that the switch to a single, leading standard occurs suddenly. Moreover, it is argued that this standardization process is path dependent, and the ultimate outcome is unpredictable. With incomplete information about other actors' preferences, there can be excess inertia, as consumers only moderately favor the change, and hence are themselves insufficiently motivated to start the bandwagon rolling, but would get on it once it did start to roll. This startup problem can prevent the adoption of any standard at all, even if it is preferred by everyone. Conversely, excess momentum is another possible outcome, for example, if a sponsoring firm uses low prices during early periods of diffusion. The aim of this paper is to analyze the dynamics of the adoption process in markets exhibiting network effects by focusing on two factors; switching and agent heterogeneity. Switching is an important factor that should be considered in analyzing the adoption process. An agent's switching invokes switching by other adopters, which brings about a positive feedback process that can significantly complicate the adoption process. Agent heterogeneity also plays a important role in shaping the early development of the adoption process, which has a significant impact on the later development of the process. The effects of these two factors are analyzed by developing an agent-based simulation model. ABM is a computer-based simulation methodology that can offer many advantages over traditional analytical approaches. The model is designed such that agents have diverse preferences regarding technology and are allowed to switch their previous choice. The simulation results showed that the adoption processes in a market exhibiting networks effects are significantly affected by the distribution of agents and the occurrence of switching. In particular, it is found that both weak heterogeneity and strong network effects cause agents to start to switch early and this plays a role of expediting the emergence of 'lock-in.' When network effects are strong, agents are easily affected by changes in early market shares. This causes agents to switch earlier and in turn speeds up the market's tipping. The same effect is found in the case of highly homogeneous agents. When agents are highly homogeneous, the market starts to tip toward one technology rapidly, and its choice is not always consistent with the populations' initial inclination. Increased volatility and faster lock-in increase the possibility that the market will reach an unexpected outcome. The primary contribution of this study is the elucidation of the role of parameters characterizing the market in the development of the lock-in process, and identification of conditions where such unexpected outcomes happen.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.111-137
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• 2010

The basic purpose of this study is to investigate perceived quality and service personal value affecting the result of long-term relationship between service buyers and suppliers. This research presented a constructive model(perceived quality affecting the service personal value and the moderate effect of NFC) in the on off line and then propose the research model base on prior researches and studies about relationships among components of service. Data were gathered from respondents who visit at the education service market. For this study, Data were analyzed by AMOS 7.0. We integrate the literature on services marketing with researches on personal values and perceived quality. The SERPVAL scale presented here allows for the creation of a common ground for assessing service personal values, giving a clear understanding of the key value dimensions behind service choice and usage. It will lead to a focus of future research in services marketing, extending knowledge in the field and stimulating further empirical research on service personal values. At the managerial level, as a tool the SERPVAL scale should allow practitioners to evaluate and improve the value of a service, and consequently, to define strategies and actions to address services for customers based on their fundamental personal values. Through qualitative and empirical research, we find that the service quality construct conforms to the structure of a second-order factor model that ties service quality perceptions to distinct and actionable dimensions: outcome, interaction, and environmental quality. In turn, each has two subdimensions that define the basis of service quality perceptions. The authors further suggest that for each of these subdimensions to contribute to improved service quality perceptions, the quality received by consumers must be perceived to be reliable, responsive, and empathetic. Although the service personal value may be found in researches that explore individual values and their consequences for consumer behavior, there is no established operationalization of a SERPVAL scale. The inexistence of an established scale, duly adapted in order to understand and analyze personal values behind services usage, exposes the need of a measurement scale with such a purpose. This need has to be rooted, however, in a conceptualization of the construct being scaled. Service personal values can be defined as a customer's overall assessment of the use of a service based on the perception of what is achieved in terms of his own personal values. As consumer behaviors serve to show an individual's values, the use of a service can also be a way to fulfill and demonstrate consumers'personal values. In this sense, a service can provide more to the customer than its concrete and abstract attributes at both the attribute and the quality levels, and more than its functional consequences at the value level. Both values and services literatures agree, that personal value is the highest-level concept, followed by instrumental values, attitudes and finally by product attributes. Purchasing behaviors are agreed to be the end result of these concepts' interaction, with personal values taking a major role in the final decision process. From both consumers' and practitioners' perspectives, values are extremely relevant, as they are desirable goals that serve as guiding principles in people's lives. While building on previous research, we propose to assess service personal values through three broad groups of individual dimensions; at the self-oriented level, we use (1) service value to peaceful life (SVPL) and, at the social-oriented level, we use (2) service value to social recognition (SVSR), and (3) service value to social integration (SVSI). Service value to peaceful life is our first dimension. This dimension emerged as a combination of values coming from the RVS scale, a scale built specifically to assess general individual values. If a service promotes a pleasurable life, brings or improves tranquility, safety and harmony, then its user recognizes the value of this service. Generally, this service can improve the user's pleasure of life, since it protects or defends the consumer from threats to life or pressures on it. While building upon both the LOV scale, a scale built specifically to assess consumer values, and the RVS scale for individual values, we develop the other two dimensions: SVSR and SVSI. The roles of social recognition and social integration to improve service personal value have been seriously neglected. Social recognition derives its outcome utility from its predictive utility. When applying this underlying belief to our second dimension, SVSR, we assume that people use a service while taking into consideration the content of what is delivered. Individuals consider whether the service aids in gaining respect from others, social recognition and status, as well as whether it allows achieving a more fulfilled and stimulating life, which might then be revealed to others. People also tend to engage in behavior that receives social recognition and to avoid behavior that leads to social disapproval, and this contributes to an individual's social integration. This leads us to the third dimension, SVSI, which is based on the fact that if the consumer perceives that a service strengthens friendships, provides the possibility of becoming more integrated in the group, or promotes better relationships at the social, professional or family levels, then the service will contribute to social integration, and naturally the individual will recognize personal value in the service. Most of the research in business values deals with individual values. However, to our knowledge, no study has dealt with assessing overall personal values as well as their dimensions in a service context. Our final results show that the scales adapted from the Schwartz list were excluded. A possible explanation is that although Schwartz builds on Rokeach work in order to explore individual values, its dimensions might be especially focused on analyzing societal values. As we are looking for individual dimensions, this might explain why the values inspired by the Schwartz list were excluded from the model. The hierarchical structure of the final scale presented in this paper also presents theoretical implications. Although we cannot claim to definitively capture the dimensions of service personal values, we believe that we come close to capturing these overall evaluations because the second-order factor extracts the underlying commonality among dimensions. In addition to obtaining respondents' evaluations of the dimensions, the second-order factor model captures the common variance among these dimensions, reflecting the respondents' overall assessment of service personal values. Towards this fact, we expect that the service personal values conceptualization and measurement scale presented here contributes to both business values literature and the service marketing field, allowing for the delineation of strategies for adding value to services. This new scale also presents managerial implications. The SERPVAL dimensions give some guidance on how to better pursue a highly service-oriented business strategy. Indeed, the SERPVAL scale can be used for benchmarking purposes, as this scale can be used to identify whether or not a firms' marketing strategies are consistent with consumers' expectations. Managerial assessment of the personal values of a service might be extremely important because it allows managers to better understand what customers want or value. Thus, this scale allows us to identify what services are really valuable to the final consumer; providing knowledge for making choices regarding which services to include. Traditional approaches have focused their attention on service attributes (as quality) and service consequences(as service value), but personal values may be an important set of variables to be considered in understanding what attracts consumers to a certain service. By using the SERPVAL scale to assess the personal values associated with a services usage, managers may better understand the reasons behind services' usage, so that they may handle them more efficiently. While testing nomological validity, our empirical findings demonstrate that the three SERPVAL dimensions are positively and significantly associated with satisfaction. Additionally, while service value to social integration is related only with loyalty, service value to peaceful life is associated with both loyalty and repurchase intent. It is also interesting and surprising that service value to social recognition appears not to be significantly linked with loyalty and repurchase intent. A possible explanation is that no mobile service provider has yet emerged in the market as a luxury provider. All of the Portuguese providers are still trying to capture market share by means of low-end pricing. This research has implications for consumers as well. As more companies seek to build relationships with their customers, consumers are easily able to examine whether these relationships provide real value or not to their own lives. The selection of a strategy for a particular service depends on its customers' personal values. Being highly customer-oriented means having a strong commitment to customers, trying to create customer value and understanding customer needs. Enhancing service distinctiveness in order to provide a peaceful life, increase social recognition and gain a better social integration are all possible strategies that companies may pursue, but the one to pursue depends on the outstanding personal values held by the service customers. Data were gathered from 284 respondents in the korean discount store and online shopping mall market. This research proposed 3 hypotheses on 6 latent variables and tested through structural equation modeling. 6 alternative measurements were compared through statistical significance test of the 6 paths of research model and the overall fitting level of structural equation model. and the result was successful. and Perceived quality more positively influences service personal value when NFC is high than when no NFC is low in the off-line market. The results of the study indicate that service quality is properly modeled as an antecedent of service personal value. We consider the research and managerial implications of the study and its limitations. In sum, by knowing the dimensions a consumer takes into account when choosing a service, a better understanding of purchasing behaviors may be realized, guiding managers toward customers expectations. By defining strategies and actions that address potential problems with the service personal values, managers might ultimately influence their firm's performance. we expect to contribute to both business values and service marketing literatures through the development of the service personal value. At a time when marketing researchers are challenged to provide research with practical implications, it is also believed that this framework may be used by managers to pursue service-oriented business strategies while taking into consideration what customers value.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.1367-1375
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• 2015

The purpose of this paper is to suggest 10 mm aggregate specification for thin layer asphalt pavement using steel slag. Aggregate gradations of conventional dense-graded asphalt mixtures were made by fuller's model, whereas 10 mm dense-graded asphalt mixture was obtained tender mix due to close to the maximum density line. The proposed aggregate gradation specification was made to have enough VMA and well-interlocking refer to foreign standards. The correlation between the proposed aggregate gradation and the properties of mixtures were analyzed using Gradation Ratio (GR) and Compacted Aggregate Density (CAD). The CAD index has a high $R^2$ of 0.86-0.99 because the CAD index is able to reflect various aggregate properties. As the results of evaluation by CAD index the proposed aggregate gradation provides more reliable stability and VMA. The percent passing (%) of aggregate size smaller than 0.3 mm was limited 10% or more for improving crack resistance. This limitation increased for 15% of the asphalt mixture's toughness.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.97-108
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• 2016

The competition between countries became internationalized in the market. However, a situation in which globalization is concerned is important to domestic corporates. Corporate strategy to survive in the domestic market are also juggling the limit of survival. Technology transfer and commercialization at this point has important implications now. The same applies to the national level. Public-to-private technology transfer has been more important, in order to overcome the international competitions. Although various studies have been made to promote technology transfer, in the livestock sector rarely attempted. Taking into account that few previous research and theory development has been achieved, the paper explored the technology transfer phenomenon in the sector employing the grounded theory approach by Strauss & Corbin(1998). Corporates that licensed in technologies through the Foundation of Agri. Tech. Commercialization & Transfer, were targeted as informants or interviewees. Finally, eight informants were selected sequentially utilizing theoretical sampling technique to the saturation point. As the result of open coding and axial coding of the interview data using NVivo10 by QSR International, 77 concepts, 20 sub-categories, and 7 categories were derived while paradigm model was established. Through selective coding, 'the factors affecting technology transfer in livestock sector' was identified as core category. The story line about the core category was developed based on four main categories. Finally, it is expected that the concepts, categories, and the relationship between them can be an important basis for further research.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.543-553
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• 2010

Almost five million citizens a day are using subways as a means of traffic communication in the Seoul metropolitan. As the subway system is typically a closed environment, indoor air pollution problems frequently occurs and passengers complain of mal-health impact. Especially $PM_{10}$ is well known as one of the major pollutants in subway indoor environments. The purpose of this study was to compare the indoor air quality in terms of $PM_{10}$ and to quantitatively compare its source contributions in a Seoul subway platform before and after installing platform screen doors (PSD). $PM_{10}$ samples were collected on the J station platform of Subway Line 7 in Seoul metropolitan area from Jun. 12, 2008 to Jan. 12, 2009. The samples collected on membrane filters using $PM_{10}$ mini-volume portable samplers were then analyzed for trace metals and soluble ions. A total of 18 chemical species (Ba, Mn, Cr, Cd, Si, Fe, Ni, Al, Cu, Pb, Ti, $Na^+$, $NH_4^+$, $K^+$, $Mg^{2+}$, $Ca^{2+}$, $Cl^-$, and ${SO_4}^{2-}$) were analyzed by using an ICP-AES and an IC after performing proper pre-treatments of each sample filter. Based on the chemical information, positive matrix factorization (PMF) model was applied to identify the source of particulate matters. $PM_{10}$ for the station was characterized by three sources such as ferrous related source, soil and road dust related source, and fine secondary aerosol source. After installing PSD, the average $PM_{10}$ concentration was decreased by 20.5% during the study periods. Especially the contribution of the ferrous related source emitted during train service in a tunnel route was decreased from 59.1% to 43.8% since both platform and tunnel areas were completely blocked by screen doors. However, the contribution of the fine secondary aerosol source emitted from various outside combustion activities was increased from 14.8% to 29.9% presumably due to ill-managed ventilation system and confined platform space.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.106-124
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• 1996

This paper reviews battering, sexual violence and divorce experienced among women. There three problems have negative influence on health status in women and are further developed to social problems such as family dissolution. The victims of the problems may manifest physical injury, emotional difficulties and social withdrawl, while their children may show problems caused by lack of parental caring and by resembling abusive behaviors of their parents. Hence, nurses need to pay attention to batting, sexual violence, and divorce and to develop relevant nursing interventions for them. Some strategies of dealing with those problems are presented in the following. First, we have to eliminate sexism prevailing in out society. Our society is assigning inequal and asymmetrical gender role. Mass media should inspire equality between genders and show a healthy model of family and community. Second, social system and laws should be changed through collective efforts. Those living conditions of women cannot be changed by the effort of women themselves only. We all need to work for establishing and changing the law, so that those women in suffering can obtain immediate and adequate protection. Third, social support system of consulting and referring women's problems should be established. Such support system as hot line, shelter and counseling clinics would help women in crisis. Fourth, job training and arrangement should be available to women who are divorced. Fifth, there should be self-help group for those women in suffering. Self-help group would help those women in sharing their problems and feelings and in establishing coping strategies. Nurses, as the largest group among health professionals, are sensitive and respond to health needs of clients and have an effect on managing women's health. However, we nurses have not been ready for dealing with problems of women, although most of us are women. we not need to change our perspective of women's health problems from a traditional medical perspective to feministic one. Accordingly, nurses need to develop realistic way of caring those women in suffering and to assist them in making decisions for their lives by themselves.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.515-527
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• 2014

The purpose of the study is to find factors to measure Museum Service Quality (SERVQUAL) and Visitors' motivation. The survey was analyzed with 214 questionnaires out of 230 ones and it was conducted by those who have once visited the National Museum of Korea. Pre-test was conducted from May, 2013. Deriving adequate Service Quality Measures in Museum, factor analysis was applied. From 29th of July 2013 to 23rd of August 2013, surveys were conducted through online and off-line. Using the SPSS 20.0 statistics, Population analysis was applied frequently. In order to ensure the reliability, cronbach ${\alpha}$ value was evaluated. Fit of the research model and the suitability of the path coefficients were evaluated through AMOS to ensure the validity and reliability. As a result, in terms of Analysis on Service Quality, it influenced significantly on the degree of satisfaction. Visitors' motivation also had partial influence on the degree of satisfaction. Moreover, Behavioral Intentions were also influenced by the degree of satisfaction.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.87-101
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• 2014

The theory of customer-based brand equity emphasizes the importance of brand awareness and brand image or associations in building a strong brand. Marketing scholars have recently begun to identify the two types of corporate associations, that is, corporate ability(CA) and corporate social responsibility(CSR) associations, which had long been conceptualized as a unidimensional construct of corporate image in the literature. In line with the new research stream, I'm developed a research model concerning how CA and CSR associations are related to credibility-based and benevolence-based trust, which in turn will affect emotional trust and consumer attitudes toward company. As for the hypothesized paths, the results confirm that all of the them are supported(H1-H6). First, CA associations have a significant positive relationship with credibility-based trust, and CSR associations are positively related to benevolence-based trust. Second, both dimensions of trust show strong and positive influences on emotional trust. In addition, credibility-based trust directly affect attitude toward firm in the foreign company. But credibility-based trust not affect attitude toward firm in the domestic company.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.4089-4095
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• 1976

The safety of shore structure including the sea dipe is largely affected by typhoon. Accordingly it is desirable to analize the typhoon and determine the wind direction and velocity for use in planning and design of the structure. This method was adopted for the design of the Yong San Gang Estuary Dam. A comparative study of the results of typhoon analysis with the meteorological data obtained through actual observation is summarized as follows; (1) 62% of the typhoons occur during May to June in a year, and 62% of the typhoons which have an influence on the Korean peninsula, especially the proposed estuary dam fsite, proceed eastward through the zone in lat. 36$^{\circ}$-37$^{\circ}$N. Such typhoons occur two to three times a year on the average. (2) Data on typhoon "SARL" were used as a model case in designing the estuary dam, where it was proved that a southwesterly wind had a maximum velocity of 30m/sec in case r=150km, ${\alpha}$=120$^{\circ}$. Within the range of 22$^{\circ}$30'on the right and left side of the fetch line of the estuary dam, the wind direction varied SSW\longrightarrowSW\longrightarrowWSW, and the wind velocity varied 29m/sec\longrightarrow30m/sec\longrightarrow125m/sec. Such phenomemum lasted for five hours. (3) An analysis of data obtained during 44 years at Mok Po Meteorological Station shows that a wind with a velocity of some 25m/sec occurred twelve times in the S-direction and two times in the SW-direction, while that with a velocity of 30m/sec occurred three times in the S-direction, three times in the SSW-direction and one time in the SW-direction. The wind which had an influence on the estuary dam had a direction of SSW\longrightarrowSW\longrightarrowWSW and a velocity of min. 30m/sec. Actually, a wind with a max. velocity of 31.3m/sec occurred in the SSW-direction on March 15 and 16, 1956 where the mean velocity during two hours was 28m/sec and that during four hours was 24.6m/sec. (4) The data obtained through actual observation show that when the velocity is low, the wind with a fixed direction lasts long, and when the velocity is high, it is short-lived. It is difficult to determine the velocity of a wind which blows in a fixed direction for consecutive two or four hours. Therefore, the values obtained through typhoon analysis are larger that those obtained through actual observation, and hence, it is resonable to use the analyzed valuse for design of the estuary dam and shore structures. (5) The greatest effect was had on the estuary dam when typhoon was proceeding at a velocity of 29.71m/sec in the direction of ${\alpha}$=120$^{\circ}$(SW) at a point of R=150km from the center of the typhoon.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.196-202
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• 2011

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), or epigallocatechin 3-gallate, is the ester of epigallocatechin and gallic acid, and is a type of catechin. EGCG may be therapeutic for many disorders including diabetics and some types of cancer. However it is unknown whether EGCG can induce transdifferentiation of pancreatic cells in pancreatitis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of EGCG on the expression of pancreatic regenerating related markers in pancreatic AR42J cells, a model of pancreatic progenitor cells. AR42J cells, differentiated with betacellulin and activin A, were cultured with/without EGCG in a time-dependent manner. Cell growth rate, levels of mRNA, and protein expression were examined with the MTT assay, quantitative PCR, and Western blots, respectively. The results showed that AR42J cell growth rates were inhibited by EGCG in a dose-dependent manner. mRNA and protein expression of amylase, insulin and neurogenin 3 (ngn 3) increased in AR42J cells treated with EGCG. Additionally, we demonstrated that the signal transduction pathway of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase is active in EGCG-treated AR42J cells. ERK and JNK phosphorylation decreased in cells treated with EGCG but not p38 phosphorylation. Activation of the p38 MAP kinase pathway was confirmed by specific MAP kinase pathways inhibitors: U0126 for ERK, SP600126 for JNK, and SB203580 for p38. Activated p38 phosphorylation was inhibited by the specific p38 inhibitor SB203580 but p38 phosphorylation was inhibited with increased EGCG treatment. The ERK and JNK MAP kinase pathways were not affected by EGCG treatment. Although further studies are needed, these results suggest that EGCG affects the induction of pancreatic cell regeneration by increasing the ngn 3 protein and mRNA expression and activating the p38 MAP kinase pathway.