• Title/Summary/Keyword: Analysis Factors

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Clinical Characteristics of Recurred Patients with Stage I,II Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (근치적 절제 후 재발한 1,2기 비소세포폐암 환자의 임상상)

  • Ham, Hyoung-Suk;Kang, Soo-Jung;An, Chang-Hyeok;Ahn, Jong-Woon;Kim, Ho-Cheol;Lim, Si-Young;Suh, Gee-Young;Kim, Kwhan-Mien;Chung, Man-Pyo;Kim, Ho-Joong;Kim, Jhin-Gook;Kwon, O-Jung;Shim, Yong-Mog;Rhee, Choong-H.
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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    • v.48 no.4
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    • pp.428-437
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    • 2000
  • Background : Five year survival rate of postoperative stage I non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) reaches to 66%. In the remaining one third of patients, however, cancer recurs and the overall survival of NSCLC remains dismal. To evaluate clinical and pathologic characteristics of recurred NSCLC, the patterns and factors for postoperative recurrence in patients with staged I and II NSCLC were studied. Method : A retrospective analysis was performed in 234 patients who underwent radical resection for pathologic stage I and II NSCLC. All patients who were followed up for at least one year were included in this study. Results : 1) There were 177 men and 57 women The median age was 63. The median duration of the follow up period was 732 days (range 365~1,695 days). The overall recurrence rate was 26.5%, and the recurrence occurred $358.8{\pm}239.8$ days after operation. 2) The ages of recurred NSCLC patients were higher ($63.2{\pm}8.8$ years) than those of non-recurred patients ($60.3{\pm}9.8$ years)(p=0.043). The recurrence rate was higher in stage II (46.9%) than in stage I (18.8%) NSCLC p<0.001. The size of primary lung mass was larger in recurred ($5.45{\pm}3.22\;cm$) than that of non-recurred NSCLC ($3.74{\pm}1.75\;cm$, p<0.001). Interestingly, there were no recurrent cases when the resected primary tumor was less than 2cm. 3) Distant recurrence was more frequent than locoregional recurrence (66.1% vs. 33.9%). Distant recurrence rate was higher in females and in cases of adenocarcinoma. Brain metastasis was more frequent in patients with adenocarcinoma than in those with squamous cell carcinoma (p=0.024). Conclusion: The tumor size and stage were two important factors for determining the possibility of a recurrence. Because distant brain metastasis was more frequent in patients with adenocarinoma, a prospective study should be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of preoperative brain imaging.

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Role of Invasive Procedures in the Diagnosis and Management of Pulmonary Infiltrates in Patients with Leukemia (백혈병 환자에서 발생한 폐침윤의 진단 및 치료에 있어 침습적 검사의 역할)

  • Kang, Soo-Jung;Park, Sang-Joon;An, Chang-Hyeok;Ahn, Jong-Woon;Kim, Ho-Cheol;Lim, Si-Young;Suh, Gee-Young;Kim, Ho-Joong;Kwon, O-Jung;Lee, Hong-Ghi;Rhee, Chong-H.;Chung, Man-Pyo
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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    • v.48 no.4
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    • pp.448-463
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    • 2000
  • Background : Pulmonary infiltrate is a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with leukemia. It is often hard to obtain a reliable diagnosis by clinical and radiologic findings alone. The aim of this study was to evaluate diagnostic and therapeutic benefits of invasive procedures for new lung infiltrates in leukemia. Methods : Patients with leukemia who developed new lung infiltrates from December 1994 to March 1999 were included in this study. These patients were classified into the empirical group who received empirical therapy only and into the invasive group who underwent bronchoscopy or surgical lung biopsy for the diagnostic purpose of new lung infiltrates. A retrospective chart review was done to find the etiologies of new lung infiltrates, the yield of invasive procedures, outcome as well as predicting factors for survival. Results : 1) One hundred-two episodes of new lung infiltrates developed in 90 patients with leukemia. Invasive procedures were performed in 44 episodes while 58 episodes were treated with empirical therapy only. 2) Invasive procedures yielded a specific diagnosis in 72.7%(32/44), of which 78.1% had infectious etiology. Therapeutic plan was changed in 52.3%(23/44) of patients after invasive procedures. None of them showed procedure-related mortality. 3) The overall survival rate was 62.7%(64/102). Survival rate in the invasive group (79.5%) was significantly better than that in the empirical group (50.0%) (p=0.002). 4) Upon multivariate analysis, the performance of invasive procedures, no need for mechanical ventilation and achievement of complete remission of leukemia after induction chemotherapy were the independent predicting factors for survival in patients with leukemia and new lung infiltrates. Conclusion : Bronchoscopy and surgical lung biopsy are useful in the diagnosis of new lung infiltrates in patients with leukemia. However, survival benefits of invasive procedures should be considered together with disease status of leukemia and severity of respiratory compromise.

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Clinical Outcome after Breast Conserving Surgery and Radiation Therapy for Early Breast Cancer (초기 유방암의 유방 보존수술 후 방사선 치료 결과)

  • Cho, Heung-Lae;Kim, Cheol-Jin;Park, Sung-Kwang;Oh, Min-Kyung;Lee, Jin-Yong;Ahn, Ki-Jung
    • Radiation Oncology Journal
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    • v.26 no.4
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    • pp.204-212
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    • 2008
  • Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate the disease-free survival and risk factors of recurrence in early breast cancer patients who have undergone breast conserving surgery and radiation therapy. Materials and Methods: From March 1997 to December 2002, 77 breast cancer patients who underwent breast conserving surgery and radiation therapy were reviewed retrospectively. The median follow-up time was 58.4 months (range $43.8{\sim}129.4$ months) and the mean subject age was 41 years. The frequency distribution of the different T stages, based on the tumor characteristics was 38 (49.3%) for T1, 28 (36.3%) for T2, 3 for T3, 7 for T is and 1 for an unidentified sized tumor. In addition, 52 patients (67.5%) did not have axillary lymph metastasis, whereas 14 patients (18.1%) had $1{\sim}3$ lymph node metastases and 3 (0.03%) had more than 4 lymph node metastases. The resection margin was negative in 59 patients, close (${\leq}2\;mm$) in 15, and positive in 4. All patients received radiation therapy at the intact breast using tangential fields with a subsequent electron beam boost to the tumor bed at a total dose ranging from 59.4 Gy to 66.4 Gy. Patients with more than four positive axillary lymph nodes received radiation therapy ($41.4{\sim}60.4\;Gy$) at the axillary and supraclavicular area. Chemotherapy was administered in 59 patients and tamoxifen or fareston was administered in 29 patients. Results: The 5 year overall survival and disease-free survival rates were 98.08% and 93.49%, respectively. Of the 77 patients, a total of 4 relapses (5.2%), including 1 isolated supraclavicular relapse, 1 supraclavicular relapse with synchronous multiple distant relapses, and 2 distant relapses were observed. No cases of local breast relapses were observed. Lymph node metastasis or number of metastatic lymph nodes was not found to be statistically related with a relapse (p=0.3289) nor disease-free survival (p=0.1430). Patients with positive margins had a significantly shorter disease-free survival period (p<0.0001) and higher relapse rates (p=0.0507). However, patients with close margins were at equal risk of relapse and disease-free survival as with negative margins (p=1.000). Patients younger than 40 years of age had higher relapse rates (9.3% vs. 0%) and lower disease-free survival periods, but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.1255). The relapse rates for patients with tumors was 14% for tumor stage T2, compared to 0% for tumor stage T1 tumors (p=0.0284). A univariate analysis found that disease-free survival and relapse rates, T stage, positive resection margin and mutation of p53 were significant factors for clinical outcome. Conclusion: The results of this study have shown that breast conservation surgery and radiation therapy in early breast cancer patients has proven to be a safe treatment modality with a low relapse rate and high disease-free survival rate. The patients with a positive margin, T2 stage, and mutation of p53 are associated with statistically higher relapse rates and lower disease-free survival.

Clinical Course of Usual Interstitial Pneumonia (통상성 간질성 폐섬유증의 임상경과)

  • Park, Joo-Hun;Kitaichi, M.;Yum, Ho-Kee;Shim, Tae-Sun;Lim, Chae-Man;Koh, Youn-Suck;Lee, Sang-Do;Kim, Woo-Sung;Kim, Won-Dong;Kim, Dong-Soon
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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    • v.49 no.5
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    • pp.601-613
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    • 2000
  • Background : Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal progressive fibrous disease of the lung of unknown etiology. Recently it has been classified into several distinct entities on the basis of pathologic and clinical characteristics, ie : usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), desquamative interstitial pneumonia (DIP), acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP), bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia (BOOP), and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP). IPF is now applied only for UIP, which has the worst prognosis. The previous reports of 3-5 year median survival appears to be overoptimistic because other types with better prognosis like NSIP or BOOP might have been included. Therefore, this study was performed to determine the clinical course and the prognostic factors of UIP as diagnosed by surgical lung biopsy. Methods : The subjects were 72 UIP patients (age $58.2{\pm}11.6$ years, M : F=45 : 27, median follow up period : 18.1 months (0.7-103.6) diagnosed by surgical lung biopsy at the Asan Medical Center (68 patients) and the Paik Hospital in Seoul (4 patients). Clinical scores (level of dyspnea : 1-20 points), radiologic score (honeycombing : HC score 0-5 points, ground glass : GG score 0-5 points), and physiologic scores (FVC : 1-12 points, $FEV_1$ : 0-3 points, TLC : 0-10 points, $D_{LCO)$ : 0-5 points, $AaDO_2$ : 0-10 points) were summed into a total CRP score. Results : 1) The one year survival rate was 78.3%, while the rate for three year survival was 58.1%, and the median survival period was 42.5months. 2) Short term (1 year) prognosis : The patients who died within one year of diagnosis (14 patients) had the higher initial total CRP score ($28.6{\pm}8.3$ vs. $16.6{\pm}9.7$) than those who lived longer than one year (46 patients). The difference in the total CRP score was attributed to the symptom score ($8.4{\pm}2.1$ vs. $5.7{\pm}3.9$) and the physiologic score ($15.7{\pm}7.1$ vs. $6.7{\pm}5.7$) including FVC, $D_{LCO)$ and $AaDO_2$. 3) Long-term (3year) prognosis : The total CRP score ($12.2{\pm}6.7$ vs. $28.7{\pm}7.9$ : including symptom score, FVC, $D_{LCO)$ and $AaDO_2$) at the time of diagnosis were also different for the long-term survivors and those who lived less than 3 years. 4) Cox regression analysis showed $D_{LCO)$ (${\geq}$60%) (Hazard ratio : 4.56, 95% CI : 2.30-16.04) was the independent prognostic factors of UIP (P<0.05). Conclusion : These results suggest that $D_{LCO)$ at the time of diagnosis seem to be a prognostic markers of biopsy-proven UIP.

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Middle-aged Women's Health Behavior and Its related Factors in Rural Area (농촌 중년여성의 건강행위와 관련요인)

  • Kim, Kwi-Jin;Park, Jae-Yong;Han, Chang-Hyun
    • Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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    • v.26 no.1
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    • pp.81-103
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    • 2001
  • This study was conducted to identify the health behavior of middle-aged rural women and the factors that have an effect on them. For the purpose of the study, examinations were made from March 01, 2000 to March 31, 2000 with 468 women aged 40 to 64 out of 2,263 people whom four Primary Health Posts located in Yechon County, Kyongsangbuk-do Province, are in charge of. The results are summarized as follows. 17.5% of the subjects responded that the extent of their own interest in health were high. For the subjects having a chronic disease, a nuclear family, or an open family atmosphere, the extent appeared to be relatively higher, 15.4% responded that the extent of family's interest in their health was high. It was significantly high if the extent of education was high or if the family atmosphere was open. The subjects' average score of self-efficacy was 49.9 out of 68. The score significantly varied depending on religion, education, living together with a spouse or not, and the extent of the subjects' interest in health. The family pattern, family atmosphere, family's interest in the subjects' health were the variables that significantly influenced the self-efficacy. The average score of family function was 5.51 out of 10. The score significantly varies depending on age, education, occupation, financial status, the extent of the subjects' own interest in health, family atmosphere and family's interest in the subjects' health. In the practice of health behavior, the nonsmoking rate was 89.5%, the nondrinking rate 63.0%, the rate of exercising practice 6.6%, the rate of normal sleeping 75.6%, the rate of eating breakfast 91.7%, the rate of not eating between meals 18.2%, and the standard BMI 69.2%. In the frequency of health behavior, the subjects with the Breslow Index of 0-3, 4-5 and 6-7 accounted for 4.5%, 53.2%, and 42.3%, respectively. The average score of health behavior was 5.20 out of 7, in which significant variables were living together with a spouse or not, financial status, absence or presence of a chronic disease, and family atmosphere. In the multiple regression analysis with health behavior as a dependent variable, it was shown that living together with a spouse or not, financial status, and family atmosphere were the significantly substantial variables. The subjects were found to do health behavior well if they had not a spouse, a good financial status, or an open family atmosphere. They were also found to do health behavior well if the extent of self-efficacy was high or if the extent of family function was low, but these were not the significant variables. It is needed to develop a standard measuring tool fit for our environment and perform more studies in the future because the measuring tool used in this study was a tool developed in a foreign county. In promoting community health projects, it is required not to provide all community people with a uniform health program but to identify the health behavior of individuals and other variables such as living together with a spouse or not, financial status and family atmosphere before arranging for a proper health program.

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Soil Texture, Electrical Conductivity and Chemical Components of Soils under the Plastic Film House Cultivation in Northern Central Areas of Korea (중북부지역(中北部地域) 시설원예지(施設園藝地) 토양(土壤)의 토성(土性), 염농도(鹽濃度) 및 화학성분(化學成分)의 조성(組成))

  • Jung, Goo-Bok;Ryu, In-Soo;Kim, Bok-Young
    • Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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    • v.27 no.1
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    • pp.33-39
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    • 1994
  • This survey was conducted to investigate the factors affecting on salt accumulation and chemical components of soils cultivated with horticulture crops in plastic film houses. The soil samples were taken from 40 sites in the northern central areas of Korea and were analyzed for the chemical properties and soil separates. The data were evaluated with soil texture and years of cultivation as major factors. The results are summarized as follows : 1. The chemical properties of surface soils in plastic film house were pH 5.80, EC $3.59mScm^{-1}$, O.M. 4.20%, Av. $P_2O_5$ 1,178ppm, $NO_3-N$ 180ppm, Av. $SO_4{^{2-}}$ 353ppm, $Cl^-$ 240ppm, Ex. Na 0.40me/100g. 2. Compared to the outside soil of plastic film house, the inside soil had 2.5~3 times higher contents of $NO_3-N$, Av. $SO_4{^{2-}}$ and $Cl^-$, 1.2~1.8 times higher exchangeable base elements, and 2.8 times higher electrical conductivity. But pH value of the inside soil was lower than the outside soil by 0.3 pH unit. 3. Soil texture classification showed that sandy loam, loam and silt loam were 32.5 %, 37.5 %, and 30.0 %, respectively. The contents of $NO_3-N$, Av. $SO_4{^{2-}}$, $NH_4-N$ and EC value were very high in silt loam soils. Av. $P_2O_5$ content and pH value of sandy loam soils were higher than those of silt loam and loam soils. 4. The contents of O.M. and Av. $P_2O_5$ were higher in long term cultivation, but the contents of $NO_3-N$, Av. $SO_4{^{2-}}$, $Cl^-$, Ex. Mg and Ex. Na including EC of the soil with 2~4 years cultivation were higher than those of the soil with above 5 years cultivation. 5. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that contribution degree of soil chemical properties to the EC was high in the order of $NO_3-N$ > Av. $SO_4{^{2-}}$ > Ex. Na > $Cl^-$ > Av. $P_2O_5$ > $NH_4-N$ > Ex. Mg>Ex. Ca. Among the soil chemical properties the contribution of anions was remarkably high. 6. EC value correlated with ${\sum}A$(total content of anions)as $r=0.932^{**}$ and with ${\sum}C$(total content of cations) as $r=0.452^{**}$.

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Postoperstive Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer (국소 진행된 직장암에서 수술 후 화학방사선요법)

  • Chai, Gyu-Young;Kang, Ki-Mun;Choi, Sang-Gyeong
    • Radiation Oncology Journal
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    • v.20 no.3
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    • pp.221-227
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    • 2002
  • Purpose : To evaluate the role of postoperative chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer, we retrospectively analyzed the treatment results of patients treated by curative surgical resection and postoperative chemoradiotherapy. Materials and Methods : From April 1989 through December 1998, 119 patients were treated with curative surgery and postoperative chemoradiotherapy for rectal carcinoma in Gyeongsang National University Hospital. Patient age ranged from 32 to 73 years, with a median age of 56 years. Low anterior resection was peformed in 59 patients, and abdominoperineal resection in 60. Forty-three patients were AJCC stage II and 76 were stage III. Radiation was delivered with 6 MV X rays using either AP-PA two fields, AP-PA both lateral four fields, or PA both lateral three fields. Total radiation dose ranged from 40 Gy to 56 Gy. In 73 patients, bolus infusions of 5-FU $(400\;mg/m^2)$ were given during the first and fourth weeks of radiotherapy. After completion of radiotherapy, an additional four to six cycles of 5-FU were given. Oral 5-FU (Furtulone) was given for nine months in 46 patients. Results : Forty $(33.7\%)$ of the 119 patients showed treatment failure. Local failure occurred in 16 $(13.5\%)$ patients, 1 $(2.3\%)$ of 43 stage II patients and 15 $(19.7\%)$ of 76 stage III patients. Distant failure occurred in 31 $(26.1\%)$ patients, among whom 5 $(11.6\%)$ were stage II and 26 $(34.2\%)$ were stage III. Five-year actuarial survival was $56.2\%$ overall, $71.1\%$ in stage II patients and $49.1\%$ in stage III patients (p=0.0008). Five-year disease free survival was $53.3\%$ overall, $68.1\%$ in stage II and $45.8\%$ in stage III (p=0.0006). Multivariate analysis showed that T stage and N stage were significant prognostic factors for five year survival, and that T stage, N stage, and preoperative CEA value were significant prognostic factors for five year disease free survival. Bowel complication occurred in 22 patients, and was treated surgically in 15 $(12.6\%)$, and conservatively in 7 $(5.9\%)$. Conclusion : Postoperative chemoradiotherapy was confirmed to be an effective modality for local control of rectal cancer, but the distant failure rate remained high. More effective modalities should be investigated to lower the distant failure rate.

The Relationship between the Cognitive Impairment and Mortality in the Rural Elderly (농촌지역 노인들의 인지기능 장애와 사망과의 관련성)

  • Sun, Byeong-Hwan;Park, Kyeong-Soo;Na, Baeg-Ju;Park, Yo-Seop;Nam, Hae-Sung;Shin, Jun-Ho;Sohn, Seok-Joon;Rhee, Jung-Ae
    • Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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    • v.30 no.3 s.58
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    • pp.630-642
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    • 1997
  • The purpose of this study was to examine the mortality risk associated with cognitive impairment among the rural elderly. The subjective of study was 558 of 'A Study on the Depression and Cognitive Impairment in the Rural Elderly' of Jung Ae Rhee and Hyang Gyun Jung's study(1993). Cognitive impairment and other social and health factors were assessed in 558 elderly rural community residents. For this study, a Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSEK) was used as a global indicator of cognitive functioning. And mortality risk factors for each cognitive impairment subgroup were identified by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. At baseline 22.6% of the sample were mildly impaired and 14.2% were severely impaired. As the age increased, the cognitive function was more impaired. Sexual difference was existed in the cognitive function level. Also the variables such as smoking habits, physical disorders had the significant relationship with cognitive function impairment. Across a 3-year observation period the mortality rate was 8.5% for the cognitively unimpaired, 11.1% for the mildly impaired, and 16.5% for the severly impaired respendents. And the survival probability was .92 for the cognitively unimpaired, .90 for the mildly impaired, and .86 for the severly impaired respondents. Compared to survival curve for the cognitively unimpaired group, each survival curve for the mildly and the severely impaired group was not significantly different. When adjustments models were not made for the effects of other health and social covariates, each hazard ratio of death of mildly and severely impaired persons was not significantly different as compared with the cognitively unimpaired. But, as MMSEK score increased, significantly hazard ratio of death decreased. Employing Cox univariate proportional hazards model, statistically other significant variables were age, monthly income, smoking habits, physical disorders. Also when adjustments were made for the effects of other health and social covariates, there was no difference in hazard ratio of death between those with severe or mild impairment and unimpaired persons. And as MMSEK score increased, significantly hazard ratio of death did not decrease. Employing Cox multivariate proportional hazards model, statistically other significant variables were age, monthly income, physical disorders. Employing Cox multivariate proportional hazards model by sex, at men and women statistically significant variable was only age. For both men and women, also cognitive impairment was not a significant risk factor. Other investigators have found that cognitive impairment is a significant predictor of mortality. But we didn't find that it is a significant predictor of mortality. Even though the conclusions of our study were not related to cognitive impairment and mortality, early detection of impaired cognition and attention to associated health problems could improve the quality of life of these older adults and perhaps extend their survival.

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An Exploratory Study on Marketing of Financial Services Companies in Korea (한국 금융회사 마케팅 현황에 대한 탐색 연구)

  • Chun, Sung Yong
    • Asia Marketing Journal
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    • v.12 no.2
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    • pp.111-133
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    • 2010
  • Marketing financial services used to be easier. Today, the competition in financial services is fierce. Not only has the competition become more intense, financial services have also changed structurally. In an environment with various customer needs and severe competitions, the marketing in financial services industry is getting more difficult and more important than before. However, there are still not enough studies on financial services marketing in Korea whereas lots of research papers have been published frequently in some international journals. The purpose of this paper is (1)to review the literature on financial services marketing, (2)to investigate current marketing activities based on in-depth interview with financial marketing managers in Korea, and (3)to suggest some implications for future research on the financial services marketing. Financial products are not consumer products. In fact, they are not products at all in the way product marketing is usually described. Nor are they altogether like services. The financial industry operates in a unique way, and its marketing tasks are correspondingly complex. However, the literature review shows that there has been a lack of basic studies which dealt with inherent characteristics of financial services marketing compared to the research on marketing in other industries. Many studies in domestic marketing journals have so far focused only on the general customer behaviors and the special issues in some financial industries. However, for more effective financial services marketing, we have to answer following questions. Is there any difference between financial service marketing and consumer packaged goods marketing? What are the differences between the financial services marketing and other services marketing such as education and health services? Are there different ways of marketing among banks, securities firms, insurance firms, and credit card companies? In other words, we need more detailed research as well as basic studies about the financial services marketing. For example, we need concrete definitions of financial services marketing, bank marketing, securities firm marketing, and etc. It is also required to compare the characteristics of each marketing within the financial services industry. The products sold in each market have different characteristics such as duration and degree of risk-taking. It means that there are sub-categories in financial services marketing. We have to consider them in the future research on the financial services marketing. It is also necessary to study customer decision making process in the financial markets. There have been little research on how customers search and process information, compare alternatives, make final decision, and repeat their choices. Because financial services have some unique characteristics, we need different understandings in the customer behaviors compared to the behaviors in other service markets. And also considering the rapid growth in financial markets and upcoming severe competition between domestic and global financial companies, it is time to start more systematic and detailed research on financial services marketing in Korea. In the second part of this paper, I analyzed the results of in-depth interview with 20 marketing managers of financial services companies in Korea. As a result, I found that the role of marketing departments in Korean financial companies are mainly focused on the short-term activities such as sales support, promotion, and CRM data analysis although the size and history of marketing departments to some extent show a sign of maturity. Most companies established official marketing departments before 2001. Average number of employees in a marketing department is about 58. However, marketing managers in eight companies(40% of the sample) still think that the purpose of marketing is only to support and manage general sales activities. It shows that some companies have sales-oriented concept rather than marketing-oriented concept. I also found three key words which marketing managers think importantly in financial services markets. They are (1)Trust in customer relationship, (2)Brand differentiation, and (3)Rapid response to customer needs. 50% of the sample support that "Trust" is the most important key word in the financial services marketing. It is interesting that 80% of banks and securities companies think that "Trust" is the most important thing, whereas managers in credit card companies consider "Rapid response to customer needs" as the most important key word in their market. In addition, there are different problems recognition of marketing managers depending on the types of financial industries they belong to. For example, in the case of banks and insurance companies, marketing managers consider "a lack of communication with other departments" as the most serious problem. On the other hand, in the case of securities firms, "a lack of utilization of customer data" is the most serious problem. These results imply that there are different important factors for the customer satisfaction depending on the types of financial industries, and managers have to consider them when marketing financial products in more effective ways. For example, It will be necessary for marketing managers to study different important factors which affect customer satisfaction, repeat purchase, degree of risk-taking, and possibility of cross-selling according to the types of financial industries. I also suggested six hypothetical propositions for the future research.

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The Relations between Financial Constraints and Dividend Smoothing of Innovative Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (혁신형 중소기업의 재무적 제약과 배당스무딩간의 관계)

  • Shin, Min-Shik;Kim, Soo-Eun
    • Korean small business review
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    • v.31 no.4
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    • pp.67-93
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    • 2009
  • The purpose of this paper is to explore the relations between financial constraints and dividend smoothing of innovative small and medium sized enterprises(SMEs) listed on Korea Securities Market and Kosdaq Market of Korea Exchange. The innovative SMEs is defined as the firms with high level of R&D intensity which is measured by (R&D investment/total sales) ratio, according to Chauvin and Hirschey (1993). The R&D investment plays an important role as the innovative driver that can increase the future growth opportunity and profitability of the firms. Therefore, the R&D investment have large, positive, and consistent influences on the market value of the firm. In this point of view, we expect that the innovative SMEs can adjust dividend payment faster than the noninnovative SMEs, on the ground of their future growth opportunity and profitability. And also, we expect that the financial unconstrained firms can adjust dividend payment faster than the financial constrained firms, on the ground of their financing ability of investment funds through the market accessibility. Aivazian et al.(2006) exert that the financial unconstrained firms with the high accessibility to capital market can adjust dividend payment faster than the financial constrained firms. We collect the sample firms among the total SMEs listed on Korea Securities Market and Kosdaq Market of Korea Exchange during the periods from January 1999 to December 2007 from the KIS Value Library database. The total number of firm-year observations of the total sample firms throughout the entire period is 5,544, the number of firm-year observations of the dividend firms is 2,919, and the number of firm-year observations of the non-dividend firms is 2,625. About 53%(or 2,919) of these total 5,544 observations involve firms that make a dividend payment. The dividend firms are divided into two groups according to the R&D intensity, such as the innovative SMEs with larger than median of R&D intensity and the noninnovative SMEs with smaller than median of R&D intensity. The number of firm-year observations of the innovative SMEs is 1,506, and the number of firm-year observations of the noninnovative SMEs is 1,413. Furthermore, the innovative SMEs are divided into two groups according to level of financial constraints, such as the financial unconstrained firms and the financial constrained firms. The number of firm-year observations of the former is 894, and the number of firm-year observations of the latter is 612. Although all available firm-year observations of the dividend firms are collected, deletions are made in the case of financial industries such as banks, securities company, insurance company, and other financial services company, because their capital structure and business style are widely different from the general manufacturing firms. The stock repurchase was involved in dividend payment because Grullon and Michaely (2002) examined the substitution hypothesis between dividends and stock repurchases. However, our data structure is an unbalanced panel data since there is no requirement that the firm-year observations data are all available for each firms during the entire periods from January 1999 to December 2007 from the KIS Value Library database. We firstly estimate the classic Lintner(1956) dividend adjustment model, where the decision to smooth dividend or to adopt a residual dividend policy depends on financial constraints measured by market accessibility. Lintner model indicates that firms maintain stable and long run target payout ratio, and that firms adjust partially the gap between current payout rato and target payout ratio each year. In the Lintner model, dependent variable is the current dividend per share(DPSt), and independent variables are the past dividend per share(DPSt-1) and the current earnings per share(EPSt). We hypothesized that firms adjust partially the gap between the current dividend per share(DPSt) and the target payout ratio(Ω) each year, when the past dividend per share(DPSt-1) deviate from the target payout ratio(Ω). We secondly estimate the expansion model that extend the Lintner model by including the determinants suggested by the major theories of dividend, namely, residual dividend theory, dividend signaling theory, agency theory, catering theory, and transactions cost theory. In the expansion model, dependent variable is the current dividend per share(DPSt), explanatory variables are the past dividend per share(DPSt-1) and the current earnings per share(EPSt), and control variables are the current capital expenditure ratio(CEAt), the current leverage ratio(LEVt), the current operating return on assets(ROAt), the current business risk(RISKt), the current trading volume turnover ratio(TURNt), and the current dividend premium(DPREMt). In these control variables, CEAt, LEVt, and ROAt are the determinants suggested by the residual dividend theory and the agency theory, ROAt and RISKt are the determinants suggested by the dividend signaling theory, TURNt is the determinant suggested by the transactions cost theory, and DPREMt is the determinant suggested by the catering theory. Furthermore, we thirdly estimate the Lintner model and the expansion model by using the panel data of the financial unconstrained firms and the financial constrained firms, that are divided into two groups according to level of financial constraints. We expect that the financial unconstrained firms can adjust dividend payment faster than the financial constrained firms, because the former can finance more easily the investment funds through the market accessibility than the latter. We analyzed descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, and median to delete the outliers from the panel data, conducted one way analysis of variance to check up the industry-specfic effects, and conducted difference test of firms characteristic variables between innovative SMEs and noninnovative SMEs as well as difference test of firms characteristic variables between financial unconstrained firms and financial constrained firms. We also conducted the correlation analysis and the variance inflation factors analysis to detect any multicollinearity among the independent variables. Both of the correlation coefficients and the variance inflation factors are roughly low to the extent that may be ignored the multicollinearity among the independent variables. Furthermore, we estimate both of the Lintner model and the expansion model using the panel regression analysis. We firstly test the time-specific effects and the firm-specific effects may be involved in our panel data through the Lagrange multiplier test that was proposed by Breusch and Pagan(1980), and secondly conduct Hausman test to prove that fixed effect model is fitter with our panel data than the random effect model. The main results of this study can be summarized as follows. The determinants suggested by the major theories of dividend, namely, residual dividend theory, dividend signaling theory, agency theory, catering theory, and transactions cost theory explain significantly the dividend policy of the innovative SMEs. Lintner model indicates that firms maintain stable and long run target payout ratio, and that firms adjust partially the gap between the current payout ratio and the target payout ratio each year. In the core variables of Lintner model, the past dividend per share has more effects to dividend smoothing than the current earnings per share. These results suggest that the innovative SMEs maintain stable and long run dividend policy which sustains the past dividend per share level without corporate special reasons. The main results show that dividend adjustment speed of the innovative SMEs is faster than that of the noninnovative SMEs. This means that the innovative SMEs with high level of R&D intensity can adjust dividend payment faster than the noninnovative SMEs, on the ground of their future growth opportunity and profitability. The other main results show that dividend adjustment speed of the financial unconstrained SMEs is faster than that of the financial constrained SMEs. This means that the financial unconstrained firms with high accessibility to capital market can adjust dividend payment faster than the financial constrained firms, on the ground of their financing ability of investment funds through the market accessibility. Futhermore, the other additional results show that dividend adjustment speed of the innovative SMEs classified by the Small and Medium Business Administration is faster than that of the unclassified SMEs. They are linked with various financial policies and services such as credit guaranteed service, policy fund for SMEs, venture investment fund, insurance program, and so on. In conclusion, the past dividend per share and the current earnings per share suggested by the Lintner model explain mainly dividend adjustment speed of the innovative SMEs, and also the financial constraints explain partially. Therefore, if managers can properly understand of the relations between financial constraints and dividend smoothing of innovative SMEs, they can maintain stable and long run dividend policy of the innovative SMEs through dividend smoothing. These are encouraging results for Korea government, that is, the Small and Medium Business Administration as it has implemented many policies to commit to the innovative SMEs. This paper may have a few limitations because it may be only early study about the relations between financial constraints and dividend smoothing of the innovative SMEs. Specifically, this paper may not adequately capture all of the subtle features of the innovative SMEs and the financial unconstrained SMEs. Therefore, we think that it is necessary to expand sample firms and control variables, and use more elaborate analysis methods in the future studies.