• Title/Summary/Keyword: Economic Systems

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Multi-level Analysis of the Antecedents of Knowledge Transfer: Integration of Social Capital Theory and Social Network Theory (지식이전 선행요인에 관한 다차원 분석: 사회적 자본 이론과 사회연결망 이론의 결합)

  • Kang, Minhyung;Hau, Yong Sauk
    • Asia pacific journal of information systems
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    • v.22 no.3
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    • pp.75-97
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    • 2012
  • Knowledge residing in the heads of employees has always been regarded as one of the most critical resources within a firm. However, many tries to facilitate knowledge transfer among employees has been unsuccessful because of the motivational and cognitive problems between the knowledge source and the recipient. Social capital, which is defined as "the sum of the actual and potential resources embedded within, available through, derived from the network of relationships possessed by an individual or social unit [Nahapiet and Ghoshal, 1998]," is suggested to resolve these motivational and cognitive problems of knowledge transfer. In Social capital theory, there are two research streams. One insists that social capital strengthens group solidarity and brings up cooperative behaviors among group members, such as voluntary help to colleagues. Therefore, social capital can motivate an expert to transfer his/her knowledge to a colleague in need without any direct reward. The other stream insists that social capital provides an access to various resources that the owner of social capital doesn't possess directly. In knowledge transfer context, an employee with social capital can access and learn much knowledge from his/her colleagues. Therefore, social capital provides benefits to both the knowledge source and the recipient in different ways. However, prior research on knowledge transfer and social capital is mostly limited to either of the research stream of social capital and covered only the knowledge source's or the knowledge recipient's perspective. Social network theory which focuses on the structural dimension of social capital provides clear explanation about the in-depth mechanisms of social capital's two different benefits. 'Strong tie' builds up identification, trust, and emotional attachment between the knowledge source and the recipient; therefore, it motivates the knowledge source to transfer his/her knowledge to the recipient. On the other hand, 'weak tie' easily expands to 'diverse' knowledge sources because it does not take much effort to manage. Therefore, the real value of 'weak tie' comes from the 'diverse network structure,' not the 'weak tie' itself. It implies that the two different perspectives on strength of ties can co-exist. For example, an extroverted employee can manage many 'strong' ties with 'various' colleagues. In this regards, the individual-level structure of one's relationships as well as the dyadic-level relationship should be considered together to provide a holistic view of social capital. In addition, interaction effect between individual-level characteristics and dyadic-level characteristics can be examined, too. Based on these arguments, this study has following research questions. (1) How does the social capital of the knowledge source and the recipient influence knowledge transfer respectively? (2) How does the strength of ties between the knowledge source and the recipient influence knowledge transfer? (3) How does the social capital of the knowledge source and the recipient influence the effect of the strength of ties between the knowledge source and the recipient on knowledge transfer? Based on Social capital theory and Social network theory, a multi-level research model is developed to consider both the individual-level social capital of the knowledge source and the recipient and the dyadic-level strength of relationship between the knowledge source and the recipient. 'Cross-classified random effect model,' one of the multi-level analysis methods, is adopted to analyze the survey responses from 337 R&D employees. The results of analysis provide several findings. First, among three dimensions of the knowledge source's social capital, network centrality (i.e., structural dimension) shows the significant direct effect on knowledge transfer. On the other hand, the knowledge recipient's network centrality is not influential. Instead, it strengthens the influence of the strength of ties between the knowledge source and the recipient on knowledge transfer. It means that the knowledge source's network centrality does not directly increase knowledge transfer. Instead, by providing access to various knowledge sources, the network centrality provides only the context where the strong tie between the knowledge source and the recipient leads to effective knowledge transfer. In short, network centrality has indirect effect on knowledge transfer from the knowledge recipient's perspective, while it has direct effect from the knowledge source's perspective. This is the most important contribution of this research. In addition, contrary to the research hypothesis, company tenure of the knowledge recipient negatively influences knowledge transfer. It means that experienced employees do not look for new knowledge and stick to their own knowledge. This is also an interesting result. One of the possible reasons is the hierarchical culture of Korea, such as a fear of losing face in front of subordinates. In a research methodology perspective, multi-level analysis adopted in this study seems to be very promising in management research area which has a multi-level data structure, such as employee-team-department-company. In addition, social network analysis is also a promising research approach with an exploding availability of online social network data.

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A Theory on the Scope of Financial Activity (금융(金融)의 전업(專業) 및 겸업화(兼業化) 이론(理論): 금융산업조직론(金融産業組織論)의 모색(摸索))

  • Jwa, Sung-hee
    • KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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    • v.13 no.1
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    • pp.167-197
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    • 1991
  • This paper is intended as an introductory essay to explain endogenous changes in the scope of firm activities in the competitive structure of a deregulated, multi-product financial industry. Recently, the global financial industry has been experiencing a widespread reshuffling in its activities, reflecting both consolidation and specialization. The spread of the universal banking system, which involves the integration of various kinds of financial activities, has resulted in the so-called financial supermarket. At the same time, the traditional set of banking activities has been unbundled into so-called financial boutiques. A relevant question is where the current reshuffling process of integration and disintegration in financial activities might lead the financial industry. However, presently popular theories of the financial industry are not really appropriate for the analysis of this issue. This paper attempts to integrate the theory of specialization [George J. Stigler, "The Division of Labor is Limited by the Extent of the Market," Journal of Political Economy, Vol. LIX, No.3, June 1951] and the theory of the multi-product firm [William J. Baumol, John C. Panzar, and Robert D. Willig, Contestable Markets and the Theory of Industry Structure, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., New York, 1982] and to apply the resulting hybrid theory, a theory on the scope of financial activity, to the financial industry. The implications of this theory for the issues raised above are formalized under five hypotheses on the reshuffling of financial activities as listed below: Hypothesis I: The differences in the organization of financial industries among countries are determined by differences in the size of the financial markets, other things being equal. Hypothesis II: A financial firm will separate those financial activities simultaneously having relatively strong economies of scale and relatively weak economies of scope (alternatively, diseconomies of scope) from other activities. Conversely, the firm will integrate those activities simultaneously having relatively weak economies of scale (alternatively, diseconomies of scale) and relatively strong economies of scope with incumbent activities. Hypothesis III: A competitive equilibrium in the deregulated financial industry will consist of both specialized and multi-product financial firms, resulting in a mixed form of specialized and universal banking systems. Hypothesis IV: As world financial markets fully integrate and all countries consequently face this single, common world market, the financial structures of individual countries will become increasingly similar. Hypothesis V: A more universal banking system will dominate the deregulated financial industry in countries with relatively small financial markets, while a more specialized banking system will dominate in countries with relatively large financial markets. However, equilibrium will ultimately be mixed, with specialized and universal banks coexisting, as stated in Hypothesis III. Based on these hypotheses, this paper interprets the historical development of specialized vs. universal banking systems in major industrial countries as a process driven by the evolution of the financial market in each country - i.e. the change in the size of the financial market over time. In addition, this paper anticipates that the final equilibrium of the world financial industry, which is currently under the pressure of financial innovations and deregulation, will be a mixed equilibrium with both specialized boutiques and universal supermarket-type financial firms, instead of an exclusively specialized or universal banking system. Future research should seek continued theoretical elaboration and empirical verification of this paper's hypotheses.

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Aspect of the chief of state guard EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse) protection system for the consideration (국가원수 경호적 측면에서의 EMP(Electro Magnetic Pulse) 방호 시스템에 대한 고찰)

  • Jung, Joo-Sub
    • Korean Security Journal
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    • no.41
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    • pp.37-66
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    • 2014
  • In recent years, with the development of computers and electronics, electronics and communication technology in a growing and each part is dependent on the cross-referencing makes all electronic equipment is obsolete due to direct or indirect damage EMP. Korea and the impending standoff North Korea has a considerable level of technologies related to the EMP, EMP weapons you already have or in a few years, the development of EMP weapons will complete. North Korea launched a long-range missile and conducted a nuclear test on several occasions immediately after, when I saw the high-altitude nuclear blackmail has been strengthening the outright offensive nuclear EMP attacks at any time and practical significance for the EMP will need offensive skills would improve. At this point you can predict the damage situation of Korea's security reality that satisfy the need, more than anything else to build a protective system of the EMP. The scale of the damage that unforeseen but significant military damage and socio-economic damage and fatalities when I looked into the situation which started out as a satellite communications systems and equipment to attack military and security systems and transportation, finance, national emergency system, such as the damage elsewhere. In General, there is no direct casualties reported, but EMP medical devices that rely on lethal damage to people who can show up. In addition, the State power system failure due to a power supply interruption would not have thought the damage would bring State highly dependent on domestic power generation of nuclear plants is a serious nuclear power plant accident in the event of a blackout phenomenon can lead to the plant's internal problems should see a forecast. First of all, a special expert Committee of the EMP, the demand for protective facilities and equipment and conduct an investigation, he takes fits into your budget is under strict criteria by configuring the contractors should be sifting through. He then created the Agency for verification of performance EMP protection after you have verified the performance of maintenance, maintenance, safety and security management, design and construction company organized and systematic process Guard facilities or secret communications equipment and perfect for the EMP, such as protective equipment maneuver system should take.

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A cognitive survey on the Diversification of class year from Junior Colleges by Changing Educational Environment-Focused on Health Sciences Departments (교육환경 변화에 따른 전문대학 수업 연한 다양화에 대한 인식조사 - 보건계열학과 중심으로)

  • Park, Cheolin;Park, Su-Jin;Kwon, Soon-Mu;Kim, Won-Gi;Chang, Ki-whan
    • Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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    • v.19 no.4
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    • pp.186-196
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    • 2018
  • Junior colleges are higher education institutions that have played a major role in the economic development of Korea by providing the necessary human resources for its industrial development. Recently, however, they have experienced difficulties due to the reduction in the number of students. Therefore, it is time for junior colleges as a representative higher vocational education institution to change their role in this rapidly changing environment, and adopt a survival strategy through mutual cooperation and competition. The purpose of this study was to analyze the current state of the national health universities, to investigate the policy changes adopted by colleges and universities, and to utilize the results as data. This study analyzed the current status of health science colleges nationwide and investigated the policy changes as well as the directions presented to the colleges, in order to use the results as the basic data to promote the diversification of the class periods and degree programs. This study surveyed 636 professors from health sciences departments and industry workers from May 1 to May 30, 2017. 70.7% of the respondents supported the transition of the existing three-year systems of the health science departments to four-year systems. The reason for this is that it is possible to strengthen the field practice and personality education of the students by having a sufficient number of class periods, and to provide them with an equal educational background. The most anticipated effect of the transition to a four-year system is to improve the social status of medical personnel and to improve the educational environment of the colleges/universities. Moreover, the universities, associations of medical personnel and Ministry of Education are expected to play a leading role in the transition to the four-year system. Based on the results of this study, it was concluded that a more systematic and advanced vocational education system for the training of professional healthcare workers is needed in the upcoming fourth Industrial Revolution era. Also, this transition is expected to actively foster the education of advanced health care workers thanks to the diversification of the degree programs through the adjustment of the class periods which can be completed by general university (4-year) graduates.

Development of Intelligent Severity of Atopic Dermatitis Diagnosis Model using Convolutional Neural Network (합성곱 신경망(Convolutional Neural Network)을 활용한 지능형 아토피피부염 중증도 진단 모델 개발)

  • Yoon, Jae-Woong;Chun, Jae-Heon;Bang, Chul-Hwan;Park, Young-Min;Kim, Young-Joo;Oh, Sung-Min;Jung, Joon-Ho;Lee, Suk-Jun;Lee, Ji-Hyun
    • Management & Information Systems Review
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    • v.36 no.4
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    • pp.33-51
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    • 2017
  • With the advent of 'The Forth Industrial Revolution' and the growing demand for quality of life due to economic growth, needs for the quality of medical services are increasing. Artificial intelligence has been introduced in the medical field, but it is rarely used in chronic skin diseases that directly affect the quality of life. Also, atopic dermatitis, a representative disease among chronic skin diseases, has a disadvantage in that it is difficult to make an objective diagnosis of the severity of lesions. The aim of this study is to establish an intelligent severity recognition model of atopic dermatitis for improving the quality of patient's life. For this, the following steps were performed. First, image data of patients with atopic dermatitis were collected from the Catholic University of Korea Seoul Saint Mary's Hospital. Refinement and labeling were performed on the collected image data to obtain training and verification data that suitable for the objective intelligent atopic dermatitis severity recognition model. Second, learning and verification of various CNN algorithms are performed to select an image recognition algorithm that suitable for the objective intelligent atopic dermatitis severity recognition model. Experimental results showed that 'ResNet V1 101' and 'ResNet V2 50' were measured the highest performance with Erythema and Excoriation over 90% accuracy, and 'VGG-NET' was measured 89% accuracy lower than the two lesions due to lack of training data. The proposed methodology demonstrates that the image recognition algorithm has high performance not only in the field of object recognition but also in the medical field requiring expert knowledge. In addition, this study is expected to be highly applicable in the field of atopic dermatitis due to it uses image data of actual atopic dermatitis patients.

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A Study on the Equity of the Charges Established to be Imposed on Damaging Activities of Natural Resources -A Comparative Study of Ecosystem Conservation Cooperation Charge and Replacement Charge for Forest Resources Creation- (자연환경 훼손에 관한 부담금의 형평성 제고방안 -생태계보전협력금과 대체산림자원조성비의 비교를 중심으로-)

  • Bang, Sang-Weon;Yoon, Ick-June
    • Journal of Environmental Policy
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    • v.8 no.2
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    • pp.25-61
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    • 2009
  • These days, environmental policies have changed from being command and control systems toward economic incentive systems, with various incentives having been established by OECD countries. In Korea, many environmental charges have been established in order to diminish activities which damage natural resources. Among them, the Ecosystem Conservation Cooperation Charge and the Replacement Charge for Forest Resources Creation are considered to be representative environmental charges. These charges, along with a few others, were designed to encourage efforts to protect natural resources. The charges include a number of different features, utilize varying methods, and altered ranges of jurisdiction. However, the charges may pose serious inequity problems in terms of their estimated values and their conditions of reduction and exemption. For instance, although the Ecosystem Conservation Cooperation Charge is a primary charge applied to natural resource damage, the charge does not fully secure its original objectives due to its low levy and limited range of provisions. Moreover, the Replacement Charge for Forest Resources Creation has been criticized because of similar reduction and exemption provisions. Therefore, this study analyzes the inequity problems associated with the charges and proposes solutions. First of all, the Ecosystem Conservation Cooperation Charge should be redesigned in such a way that it reflects the substantial value of natural resource damage through either abrogate or increased maximum limits of the charge. With regard to the Replacement Charge for Forest Resources Creation, the cases and ranges of reduction and exemption provisions should be narrowed. Finally, the charges collected should be expended in conformity with their original objectives, and their expenditure should be restricted to either restoration activities or activities directly related to compensation and mitigation of damaged natural resources.

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The Effect Of Job Insecurity To The Union Commitment, Dual Commitment and The Union-Related Orientation (고용불안이 노조몰입, 이중몰입, 노사관계행동지향성에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구)

  • Son, Heon-I;Jung, Hyun-Woo
    • Management & Information Systems Review
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    • v.34 no.2
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    • pp.131-149
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    • 2015
  • Recently many organizations have engaged in widespread restructuring as well as more flexible usage of labor in an attempt to cut costs and to increase profit. As a result of lays offs resulting from frequent restructuring, many people no longer consider their jobs as permanent positions. many employees have an increased feeling of job insecurity. There structuring and following downsizing have created an uncertain environment within creased fear offer ther job losses. therefore the study of job insecurity is significant. especially To understand the relationship between job security and union-relation behaviors on the industrial relations. The purpose of this study suggested the strategies to company and union. The purpose of this study is to examine how the union-relation behaviors are influenced by the job security. This study built a exploratory model that there is causal relationship of job security to union commitment, dual commitment, and labor related behaviors. For the verification of this study model, the regression analysis was applied to the surveys of 236 members of union that are located in Busan, Gyeongnam, Ulsan, and Pohang. The result of this research shows that the job insecurity is strongly related to the union commitment and union related behaviors. According to the research, the effect that the job security affects union commitment and union related behaviors are positive. With the research outputs, we have discussed about the academic and pragmatic viewpoint. We proposed comprehensive model to verify how the job insecurity affects the union-related behaviors, and objectively analyzed the model. The research result was opposite to what the existing theories have said that high job insecurity derives high union-related behaviors. This result is meaningful because it is concerned with the social issues-present situation of Korean company, low-employment, unstable employment and so on. Moreover, this research may contribute to expand the aspect of academic research on job insecurity as there are few research conducted in korea. This research also suggests the realistic alternative of union-related behaviors because it is proved that job security can contribute to innovation activities. Also, this research implies that the matter of job insecurity is the basic need of organizational individual and presents that job security is not a notion but the alternative by using of the positional stability and situational control power. The limitation of this research is that it is only utilized the cross-sectional study. To remedy the cross-sectional study, vertical, and serial method of research is needed. And there is no enough sample to secure more comprehensive data as the targets of the research is limited to Busan and Gyeongnam regions. Finally, the measurement tool for job security is needed to be suitably modified to by the South Korea's economic, linguistic, and cultural situation.

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The Gains To Bidding Firms' Stock Returns From Merger (기업합병의 성과에 영향을 주는 요인에 대한 실증적 연구)

  • Kim, Yong-Kap
    • Management & Information Systems Review
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    • v.23
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    • pp.41-74
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    • 2007
  • In Korea, corporate merger activities were activated since 1980, and nowadays(particuarly since 1986) the changes in domestic and international economic circumstances have made corporate managers have strong interests in merger. Korea and America have different business environments and it is easily conceivable that there exists many differences in motives, methods, and effects of mergers between the two countries. According to recent studies on takeover bids in America, takeover bids have information effects, tax implications, and co-insurance effects, and the form of payment(cash versus securities), the relative size of target and bidder, the leverage effect, Tobin's q, number of bidders(single versus multiple bidder), the time period (before 1968, 1968-1980, 1981 and later), and the target firm reaction (hostile versus friendly) are important determinants of the magnitude of takeover gains and their distribution between targets and bidders at the announcement of takeover bids. This study examines the theory of takeover bids, the status quo and problems of merger in Korea, and then investigates how the announcement of merger are reflected in common stock returns of bidding firms, finally explores empirically the factors influencing abnormal returns of bidding firms' stock price. The hypotheses of this study are as follows ; Shareholders of bidding firms benefit from mergers. And common stock returns of bidding firms at the announcement of takeover bids, shows significant differences according to the condition of the ratio of target size relative to bidding firm, whether the target being a member of the conglomerate to which bidding firm belongs, whether the target being a listed company, the time period(before 1986, 1986, and later), the number of bidding firm's stock in exchange for a stock of the target, whether the merger being a horizontal and vertical merger or a conglomerate merger, and the ratios of debt to equity capital of target and bidding firm. The data analyzed in this study were drawn from public announcements of proposals to acquire a target firm by means of merger. The sample contains all bidding firms which were listed in the stock market and also engaged in successful mergers in the period 1980 through 1992 for which there are daily stock returns. A merger bid was considered successful if it resulted in a completed merger and the target firm disappeared as a separate entity. The final sample contains 113 acquiring firms. The research hypotheses examined in this study are tested by applying an event-type methodology similar to that described in Dodd and Warner. The ordinary-least-squares coefficients of the market-model regression were estimated over the period t=-135 to t=-16 relative to the date of the proposal's initial announcement, t=0. Daily abnormal common stock returns were calculated for each firm i over the interval t=-15 to t=+15. A daily average abnormal return(AR) for each day t was computed. Average cumulative abnormal returns($CART_{T_1,T_2}$) were also derived by summing the $AR_t's$ over various intervals. The expected values of $AR_t$ and $CART_{T_1,T_2}$ are zero in the absence of abnormal performance. The test statistics of $AR_t$ and $CAR_{T_1,T_2}$ are based on the average standardized abnormal return($ASAR_t$) and the average standardized cumulative abnormal return ($ASCAR_{T_1,T_2}$), respectively. Assuming that the individual abnormal returns are normal and independent across t and across securities, the statistics $Z_t$ and $Z_{T_1,T_2}$ which follow a unit-normal distribution(Dodd and Warner), are used to test the hypotheses that the average standardized abnormal returns and the average cumulative standardized abnormal returns equal zero.

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A Study on Estimating Optimal Tonnage of Coastal Cargo Vessels in Korea (우리나라 연안화물선의 적정선복량 추정에 관한 연구)

  • 이청환;이철영
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Navigation
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    • v.13 no.1
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    • pp.21-53
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    • 1989
  • In the past twenty years, there has been a rapid increase in the volume of traffic in Korea due to the Korean great growth of the Korean economy. Since transformation provides an infrastructure vital to economic growth, it becomes more and more an integral part of the Korea economy. The importance of coastal shipping stands out in particular, not only because of the expansion limit on the road network, but also because of saturation in the capacity of rail transportation. In spite of this increase and its importance, coastal shipping is falling behind partly because it is givenless emphasis than ocean-going shipping and other inland transportation systems and partly because of overcompetition due to excessive ship tonnage. Therefore, estimating and planning optimum ship tonnage is the first take to develop Korean coastal shipping. This paper aims to estimate the optimum coastal ship tonnage by computer simulation and finally to draw up plans for the ship tonnage balance according to supply and demand. The estimation of the optimum ship tonnage is peformed by the method of Origin -Destimation and time series analysis. The result are as follows : (1) The optimum ship tonnage in 1987 was 358, 680 DWT, which is 54% of the current ship tonnage (481 ships, 662, 664DWT) that is equal to the optimum ship tonnage in 1998. this overcapacity result is in excessive competition and financial difficulties in Korea coastal shipping. (2) The excessive ship tonnage can be broken down into ship types as follows : oil carrier 250, 926 DWT(350%), cement carrier 9, 977 DWT(119%), iron material/machinery carrier 25, 665 DWT(117%), general cargo carrier 17, 416DWT(112%). (3) the current total ship crew of 5, 079 is more than the verified optimally efficient figure of 3, 808 by 1271. (4) From the viewpoint of management strategy, it is necessary that excessive ship tonnage be reduced and uneconomic outdated vessels be broken up. And its found that the diversion into economically efficient fleets is urgently required in order to meet increasing annual rate in the amounts of cargo(23, 877DWT). (5) The plans for the ship tonnage balance according to supply and demand are as follows 1) The establishment of a legislative system for the arrangement of ship tonnage. This would involve; (a) The announcement of an optimum tonnage which guides the licensing of cargo vessels and ship tonnage supply. (b) The establishment of an organization that substantially arrangement tonnage in Korea coastal shipping. 2) The announcement of an optimum ship tonnage both per year and short-term that guides current tonnage supply plans. 3) The settlement of elastic tariffs resulting in the protect6ion of coastal shipping's share from other tonnage supply plans. 4) The settlement of elastic tariffs resulting in the protection of coastal shipping's share from other transportation systems. 4) Restriction of ocean-going vessels from participating in coastal shipping routes. 5) Business rationalization of coastal shipping company which reduces uneconomic outdated vessels and boosts the national economy. If we are to achieve these ends, the followings are prerequisites; I) Because many non-licensed vessels are actually operating and threatening the safe voyage of the others in Korea coastal routes, it is necessary that those ind of vessels be controlled and punished by the authorities. II) The supply of ship tonnage in Korean coastal routes should be predently monitored because most of the coastal vessels are to small to be diverted into ocean-going routes in case of excessive supply. III) Every ship type which is engaged in coastal shipping should be specialized according to the characteristics of its routes as soon possible.

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A Study for Factors Influencing the Usage Increase and Decrease of Mobile Data Service: Based on The Two Factor Theory (모바일 데이터 서비스 사용량 증감에 영향을 미치는 요인들에 관한 연구: 이요인 이론(Two Factor Theory)을 바탕으로)

  • Lee, Sang-Hoon;Kim, Il-Kyung;Lee, Ho-Geun;Park, Hyun-Jee
    • Asia pacific journal of information systems
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    • v.17 no.2
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    • pp.97-122
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    • 2007
  • Conventional networking and telecommunications infrastructure characterized by wires, fixed location, and inflexibility is giving way to mobile technologies. Numerous research reports point to the ultimate domination of wireless communication. With the increasing prevalence of advanced cell-phones, various mobile data services (hereafter MDS) are gaining popularity. Although cellular networks were originally introduced for voice communications, statistics indicate that data services are replacing the matured voice service as the growth engine for telecom service providers. For example, SK Telecom, the Korea's largest mobile service provider, reported that 25.6% of revenue and 28.5% of profit came from MDS in 2006 and the share is growing. Statistics also indicate that, in 2006, the average revenue per user (ARPU) for voice didn't change but MDS grew seven percents from the previous year, further highlighting its growth potential. MDS is defined "as an assortment of digital data services that can be accessed using a mobile device over a wide geographic area." A variety of MDS have been deployed, with a few reaching the status of killer applications. Many of them need to access the Internet through the cellular-phone infrastructure. In the past, when the cellular network didn't have acceptable bandwidth for data services, SMS (short messaging service) dominated MDS. Now, Internet-ready, next-generation cell-phones are driving rich digital data services into the fabric of everyday life, These include news on various topics, Internet search, mapping and location-based information, mobile banking and gaming, downloading (i.e., screen savers), multimedia streaming, and various communication services (i.e., email, short messaging, messenger, and chaffing). The huge economic stake MDS has on its stakeholders warrants focused research to understand associated dynamics behind its adoption. Lyytinen and Yoo(2002) pointed out the limitation of traditional adoption models in explaining the rapid diffusion of innovations such as P2P or mobile services. Also, despite the increasing popularity of MDS, unexpected drop in its usage is observed among some people. Intrigued by these observations, an exploratory study was conducted to examine decision factors of MDS usage. Data analysis revealed that the increase and decrease of MDS use was influenced by different forces. The findings of the exploratory study triggered our confirmatory research effort to validate the uni-directionality of studied factors in affecting MDS usage. This differs from extant studies of IS/IT adoption that are largely grounded on the assumption of bi-directionality of explanatory variables in determining the level of dependent variables (i.e., user satisfaction, service usage). The research goal is, therefore, to examine if increase and decrease in the usage of MDS are explained by two separate groups of variables pertaining to information quality and system quality. For this, we investigate following research questions: (1) Does the information quality of MDS increase service usage?; (2) Does the system quality of MDS decrease service usage?; and (3) Does user motivation for subscribing MDS moderate the effect information and system quality have on service usage? The research questions and subsequent analysis are grounded on the two factor theory pioneered by Hertzberg et al(1959). To answer the research questions, in the first, an exploratory study based on 378 survey responses was conducted to learn about important decision factors of MDS usage. It revealed discrepancy between the influencing forces of usage increase and those of usage decrease. Based on the findings from the exploratory study and the two-factor theory, we postulated information quality as the motivator and system quality as the de-motivator (or hygiene) of MDS. Then, a confirmative study was undertaken on their respective role in encouraging and discouraging the usage of mobile data service.