• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.5-28
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• 2018

Smoking is one of the important public health concerns because it is preventable causes regarding individuals' negative health consequences and increased social and economic cost. However, few studies have examined longitudinal patterns of stages of changes(SOC) in smoking behaviors among the general population. The purpose of the study is to explore the latent patterns of SOC over time among Korean adult smokers using the 2008-2016 Korea Welfare Panel Study. A repeated measure latent class analysis is employed in the present study. The finding of the present study are as follows: First, four latent groups were identified: (1) action/maintenance stage(33.6%), (2) contemplation/preparation to action/maintenance stage(14.8%), (3) continuously contemplation/preparation stage(29.6%), and (4) continuously pre-contemplation stage(22.1%). Second, the results of a multinomial logistic regression found that socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were associated with the identified longitudinal patterns of smoking behaviors. Compared to a continuously pre-contemplation stage, higher levels of depressive symptoms and drinking behavior were associated with increased odds of being in action/maintenance stage. The findings of the present study highlight that a tailored intervention is needed for individuals with continuously pre-contemplation stage and contemplation stage.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.3D
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• pp.409-416
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• 2006

Real-time traveler information disseminated through Variable Message Signs (VMS) is known to have effects on driver route choice decisions. In the past, many studies have attempted to optimize the system performance using VMS message content as the primary control variable of driver route choice. This research proposes a VMS information provision optimization model which searches the best combination of VMS message contents and display sequence to minimize the total travel time on a highway network considered. The driver route choice models under VMS information provision are developed using a stated preference (SP) survey data in order to realistically capture driver response behavior. The genetic algorithm (GA) is used to find the optimal VMS information provision strategies which consists of the VMS message contents and the sequence of message display. In the process of the GA module, the system performance is measured using micro traffic simulation. The experiment results highlight the capability of the proposed model to search the optimal solution in an efficient way. The results show that the traveler information conveyed via VMS can reduce the total travel time on a highway network. They also suggest that as the frequency of VMS message update gets shorter, a smaller number of VMS message contents performs better to reduce the total travel time, all other things being equal.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.155-175
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• 2010

Most of the service industries including finance and telecommunications have become matured and saturated. The competitions have become severe while the differences among brands become smaller. Therefore maintaining good relationships with customers has been critical for the service providers. In case of credit card and debit card, the similar patterns are shown. It is important for them to maintain good relationships with customers, and therefore, they have used marketing program which provides customized services to customers and utilizes the membership programs. Not only do they build and maintain good relationships, but also highlight their brands from the emotional aspects. For example, KB Card or Hyundai Card uses well-known designers' works for their credit card design. As well, they differentiate the designs of credit cards to stress on their brand personalities. BC Card introduced the credit card with perfume that a customer would like. Even though the credit card is small and not shown to public easily, it becomes more important for those companies to touch the customers' feelings with the brand personalities and their images. This is partly because of changes in consumers' lifestyles. Y-generations becomes highly likely to express themselves in many different ways and more emotional than X-generations. For the Y-generations, therefore, even credit cards in the wallet should be personalized and well-designed. In line with it, credit cards with good design can be seen as an example of brand identity, where different design for each customer can be used to recognize the membership groups that customers want to belong. On the other hand, these credit card companies offer the special treatment benefits for those customers who are heavy users for the cards. For example, those customers who love sports will receive some special discounts when they use their credit cards for sports related products. Therefore this study attempted to explore the relationships between relational benefits, brand identification and loyalty. It has been well known that relational benefits and brand identification lead to loyalty independently from many other studies, but there has been few study to review all the three variables all together in a research model. Furthermore, as reviewed above, in the card industry, many companies attempt to associate the brand image with their products to fit their customers' lifestyles while relational benefits are still playing an important role for their business. Therefore in our research model, relational benefits, brand identification, and loyalty are all included. We focus on the mediating effect of brand identification. From the relational benefits perspective, only special treatment benefit and confidence benefit are included. Social benefit is not applicable for this credit card industry because not many cases of face-to-face interaction can be found. From the brand identification perspective, personal brand identity and social brand identity are reviewed and included in the model. Overall, the research model emphasizes that the relationships between relational benefits and loyalty will be mediated by the effect of brand identification. The effects of relational benefits which are confidence benefit and special treatment benefits on loyalty will be realized when they fit to the personal brand identity and social brand identity. In the research model, therefore, the relationships between confidence benefit and social brand identity, and between confidence benefit and personal identity are hypothesized while the effects of special treatment benefit on social brand identity and personal brand identity are hypothesized. Loyalty, then, is hypothesized to have positive relationships with personal brand identity and social brand identity. In addition, confidence benefit among the relational benefits is expected to have a direct, positive relationship with loyalty because confidence benefit has been recognized as a critical factor for good relationships and satisfaction. Data were collected from college students who have been using either credit cards or debit cards. College students were regarded good subjects because they are in Y-generation cohorts and have tendency to express themselves more. Total sample size was two hundred three at the beginning, but after deleting those data with many missing values, one hundred ninety-seven data points were remained and used for the model testing. Measurement items were brought from the previous literatures and modified for this research. To test the reliability, using SPSS 14, chronbach's α was examined and all the values were from .874 to .928 exceeding over .7. Using AMOS 7.0, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to investigate the measurement model. The measurement model was found good fit with χ²(67)=188.388 (p= .000), GFI=.886, AGFI=.821, CFI=.941, RMSEA=.096. Using AMOS 7.0, structural equation modeling has been used to analyze the research model. Overall, the research model fit were χ²(68)=188.670 (p= .000), GFI=.886, AGFI=,824 CFI=.942, RMSEA=.095 indicating good fit. In details, all the paths hypothesized in the research model were found significant except for the path from social brand identity to loyalty. Personal brand identity leads to loyalty while both confidence benefit and special treatment benefit have a positive relationships with personal and social identities. As well, confidence benefit has a direct positive effect on loyalty. The results indicates the followings. First, personal brand identity plays an important role for credit/debit card usage. Therefore even for the products which are not shown to public easy, design and emotional aspect can be important to fit the customers' lifestyles. Second, confidence benefit and special treatment benefit have a positive effects on personal brand identity. Therefore it will be needed for marketers to associate the special treatment and trust and confidence benefits with personal image, personality and personal identity. Third, this study found again the importance of confidence and trust. However interestingly enough, social brand identity was not found to be significantly related to loyalty. It can be explained that the main sample of this study consists of college students. Those strategies to facilitate social brand identity are focused on high social status groups while college students have not been established their status yet.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.43-61
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• 2016

Customer reviews help potential customers make purchasing decisions. However, the prevalence of reviews on websites push the customer to sift through them and change the focus from a mere search to identifying which of the available reviews are valuable and useful for the purchasing decision at hand. To identify useful reviews, websites have developed different mechanisms to give customers options when evaluating existing reviews. Websites allow users to rate the usefulness of a customer review as helpful or not. Amazon.com uses a ratio-type helpfulness, while Yelp.com uses a count-type usefulness index. This usefulness index provides helpful reviews to future potential purchasers. This study investigated the effects of sentiment and readability on useful votes for customer reviews. Similar studies on the relationship between sentiment and readability have focused on the ratio-type usefulness index utilized by websites such as Amazon.com. In this study, Yelp.com's count-type usefulness index for restaurant reviews was used to investigate the relationship between sentiment/readability and usefulness votes. Yelp.com's online customer reviews for stores in the beverage and food categories were used for the analysis. In total, 170,294 reviews containing information on a store's reputation and popularity were used. The control variables were the review length, store reputation, and popularity; the independent variables were the sentiment and readability, while the dependent variable was the number of helpful votes. The review rating is the moderating variable for the review sentiment and readability. The length is the number of characters in a review. The popularity is the number of reviews for a store, and the reputation is the general average rating of all reviews for a store. The readability of a review was calculated with the Coleman-Liau index. The sentiment is a positivity score for the review as calculated by SentiWordNet. The review rating is a preference score selected from 1 to 5 (stars) by the review author. The dependent variable (i.e., usefulness votes) used in this study is a count variable. Therefore, the Poisson regression model, which is commonly used to account for the discrete and nonnegative nature of count data, was applied in the analyses. The increase in helpful votes was assumed to follow a Poisson distribution. Because the Poisson model assumes an equal mean and variance and the data were over-dispersed, a negative binomial distribution model that allows for over-dispersion of the count variable was used for the estimation. Zero-inflated negative binomial regression was used to model count variables with excessive zeros and over-dispersed count outcome variables. With this model, the excess zeros were assumed to be generated through a separate process from the count values and therefore should be modeled as independently as possible. The results showed that positive sentiment had a negative effect on gaining useful votes for positive reviews but no significant effect on negative reviews. Poor readability had a negative effect on gaining useful votes and was not moderated by the review star ratings. These findings yield considerable managerial implications. The results are helpful for online websites when analyzing their review guidelines and identifying useful reviews for their business. Based on this study, positive reviews are not necessarily helpful; therefore, restaurants should consider which type of positive review is helpful for their business. Second, this study is beneficial for businesses and website designers in creating review mechanisms to know which type of reviews to highlight on their websites and which type of reviews can be beneficial to the business. Moreover, this study highlights the review systems employed by websites to allow their customers to post rating reviews.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.195-221
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• 2009

According to an industry report, a large number of organizations have invested in Organizational Information System(OIS) in the past few years. Several research results indicate that successful investments in OIS lead to productivity enhancement, while failed ones result in undesirable consequences such as financial losses and dissatisfaction among employees. In spite of huge investments, however, many organizations have failed in achieving the hoped-for returns from OIS. Thus, understanding user acceptance, adoption, and usage of new IS(Information Systems) is an important issue for IS practitioners. Indeed, study of the user acceptance of new information system has been one of the most important research topics in the contemporary IS literature. Several theoretical models are tested to examine 'user acceptance' and 'usage behavior' in IS context. While many research models incorporate 'ease of use' or 'usefulness' as important factors in explaining user acceptance, Technology Acceptance Model(TAM) has been one of the most widely applied models in user acceptance and usage behavior. Even in recent IS studies that employ theories of innovation diffusion in the area of IS implementation, a major focus has been on the user's perception of information technologies. In this research, we study 'voluntariness' as an important factor in IS acceptance by users. Voluntariness is defined as "the degree to which the use of the innovation is perceived as being voluntary, or of free will" When examining the diffusion of accepting OIS, a thoughtful consideration should be given to 'perceived voluntariness.' Current article has following research questions: 1) What models are appropriate to explain the success of OIS? and 2) How does the 'voluntariness' affect the success of OIS? In order to answer these questions, a research model is proposed to describe the detailed nature of association among three independent variables (IT usage level, task interdependency, and organizational support), a mediating variable (IS usage), a dependent variable (perceived performance), and a moderating variable(perceived voluntariness). The central claim of this article is that organizations hardly realize expected returns from OIS investments unless perceived voluntariness is effectively managed after operating OIS. As an example of OIS in this study we have selected the Intranet of Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF). ROKAF has implemented the Intranet in an attempt to improve communication and coordination within the organization. To test our research model and hypotheses, survey questionnaires were first sent out to 400 Intranet users. With the assistance of ROKAF, Intranet users were initially identified among its members, and subjects were randomly drawn from the pool. 377 survey responses were finally returned. The unit of measurement and analysis in this research is a personal level. Path analysis based on structural equation modeling was used to test research hypotheses. Construct validity represents accordance between the theoretical base concept of constructs and its measurement items. Tests for the reliability and discriminant validity are accepted, thus verifying our survey instrument. In this research, we have proposed a conceptual framework to highlight the importance of perceived voluntariness after organization deploys OIS. The results of our analysis present several key finding. First, all three independent variables (IT usage level, task interdependency, and organizational support) have significant effects on IS usage, which will eventually improve performance. Thus, IS usage plays a mediating role between antecedent variables (IT usage level. task interdependency, and organizational support) and performance improvement. Second, the effect of the task dependency was the highest for IS usage among the three antecedent variables. This is highly plausible since one of the Intranet's major capabilities is to facilitate communication among members within an organization. Accordingly, we conclude that the higher the task dependency, the higher Intranet usage. The effect of user's IT usage level was the second, while the effect of the organizational support was the third. Finally, the perceived voluntariness plays a pivotal role in enhancing perceived performance in personal level after launching the Intranet. Relationships among investigated variables were significantly different between groups with a high level and a low level of voluntariness. The impact of the Intranet usage on the performance was greater in the higher level voluntariness group than in the lower one. For the lower level voluntariness group, the user's IT usage had the highest effect on the Intranet usage among the three antecedent variables. In short, our study suggests that the higher the perceived voluntariness is the more IS usage will be. Perceived voluntariness was found to have a moderating effect on the relationships among user IT usage level, task interdependency, IS usage, and perceived performance, supporting all the hypotheses on the moderating effect. Most of all, user IT usage level has the strongest influence on IS usage, indicating that users with superior IT usage are more likely to enjoy a high level of perceived performance.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.211-238
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• 2005

Korea is far behind other OECD countries in economy-wise productivity: Korea's labor productivity in terms of GDP per hour worked is the lowest among OECD countries. Against the existing productivity gap, there is a worrying sign in Korea's investment trend - rapid fall in machinery and equipment investment with slow increase in R&D investment. The challenge facing Korea is how to transform her economy from catching-up model to a knowledge-based one. The paper shows that, in tandem with the structural changes that today's Korean industries are experiencing, industry's innovation system is also changing. Innovation networks are emerging as the result of economy-wise restructuring since the financial crisis of 1997 and, though still not a dominant force, the newly emerging innovation networks will be the main threads of industry's innovation activities in the future. The changes in industrial innovation system would positively contribute in raising the productivity of the Korean economy. The paper contains a case study on Korea's automobile industry in order to highlight some of main characteristics of the structural changes, in addition to a chapter that gives an overview of the evolutionary paths of the Korea's industrial innovation. The paper assesses that changes can be considered as a positive sign of future growth perspective; but there are further challenges to make the Korea's industrial innovation system effective. The list of such challenges includes strengthening upstream sectors of currently leading industries, expanding the innovation base to SME and promoting technological co-operation between domestic firms and foreign firms.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.113-138
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• 2012

This study examined the determinants of export performance of small and medium sized manufacturing companies in Korea. Depending on the existing research, taking entrepreneurship and product differentiation capabilities as antecedents of export performance. In addition, the product differentiation capabilities examined whether the role of the mediating effects between entrepreneurship and export performance. Thus, the purpose of the study is look at the integrated model of entrepreneurship, product differentiation capabilities and export performance building and their relationship. On 152 domestic companies, empirical analysis was performed. Empirical analysis was conducted using the PLS(Partial Least Square). And analysis tools were used SmartPLS2.0. In the results of the analysis, risk tolerance and innovativeness of small and medium sized manufacturing businesses, entrepreneurs and product differentiation competence have positive impact export performance in both. Product differentiation capabilities also confirmed that it have a positive impact on the export performance of small manufacturing export enterprises. In analysis of the mediated effect in product differentiation capacity showed a significant mediated effect between innovativeness and export performance. But mediated effects did not indicate a significant risk tolerance. these results suggests the need to actively pursue innovation that more product differentiation capabilities required in export companies to small and medium-sized manufacturing. In other words, when attempting to highlight product differentiation, based on innovation, rather than risk tolerance. In terms of analyzing the mediated role of product differentiation capabilities, this study has theoretical implications for the future research to look at the antecedents of export performance from the perspective of dynamic capabilities and competitive advantage. Also, practical implications in this regard as the innovativeness and taking risks to all important to CEO of small manufacturing enterprises but, stranger in the foreign market competition environment, the role of innovation product is required on raising product differentiation capabilities are presented.

• BMB Reports
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• v.51 no.11
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• pp.584-589
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• 2018

Secondary prevention via earlier detection would afford the greatest chance for a cure in premalignant lesions. We investigated the exomic profiles of non-malignant and malignant changes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and the genomic blueprint of human papillomavirus (HPV)-driven carcinogenesis in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Whole-exome (WES) and whole-genome (WGS) sequencing were performed on peripheral blood and adjacent non-tumor and tumor specimens obtained from eight Korean HNSCC patients from 2013 to 2015. Next-generation sequencing yielded an average coverage of $94.3{\times}$ for WES and $35.3{\times}$ for WGS. In comparative genomic analysis of non-tumor and tumor tissue pairs, we were unable to identify common cancer-associated early mutations and copy number alterations (CNA) except in one pair. Interestingly, in this case, we observed that non-tumor tonsillar crypts adjacent to HPV-positive OPSCC appeared normal under a microscope; however, this tissue also showed weak p16 expression. WGS revealed the infection and integration of high-risk type HPV16 in this tissue as well as in the matched tumor. Furthermore, WES identified shared and tumor-specific genomic alterations for this pair. Clonal analysis enabled us to infer the process by which this transitional crypt epithelium (TrCE) evolved into a tumor; this evolution was accompanied by the subsequent accumulation of genomic alterations, including an ERBB3 mutation and large-scale CNAs, such as 3q27-qter amplification and 9p deletion. We suggest that HPV16-driven OPSCC carcinogenesis is a stepwise evolutionary process that is consistent with a multistep carcinogenesis model. Our results highlight the carcinogenic changes driven by HPV16 infection and provide a basis for the secondary prevention of OPSCC.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.343-352
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• 2018

This study was conducted to identify the factors influencing patient safety behavior and performance of infection control in nursing students. This study was a descriptive survey based on data collected from August 28, 2017, to September 22, 2017 from 174 third and fourth year nursing students at E university located in S city of Gyeonggi. The collected data were analyzed using the PASW 23.0 program to conduct an independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, post-hoc Scheffe's test, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression. The average scores of patient safety behavior and performance of infection control were $4.00{\pm}0.55$ and $4.31{\pm}0.50$, respectively. Patient safety behavior and performance of infection control showed a strong positive correlation. Patient safety behavior was positively influenced by confidence levels of patient safety and awareness of the infection control, and the explanatory power of the model (R2)[ED highlight - should this be R2? If so, change throughout the paper.] was 55.1%. Predictors of the performance of infection control were patient safety knowledge, confidence levels regarding patient safety, and awareness of infection control, and the R2 was 68.1%. Common factors influencing patient safety behavior and infection control performance were patient safety confidence and development of effective clinical practicum education programs to increase confidence in patient safety and infection control.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.99-109
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aims to develop and empirically analyze a research model in order to comprehend the relationship among the service quality of market-wholesaler system, re-transaction intention, and recommendation intention of forwarder. Further, we suggest new six factors reflecting the service quality of market-wholesaler system and highlight market expansion of forwarder as a mechanism in the relationship. Research design, data and methodology: The authors developed the new scales measuring the service quality of market-wholesaler system (i.e. trade price, price fluctuation, payment receipt, settlement period, trade information, and customer service) and conducted a cross-sectional survey for 439 forwarders in a wholesale market. And then we performed a series of path analyses to test hypotheses. The hypotheses are as follows. [H1] The service quality of market-wholesaler system will positively affect forwarders' market expansion, [H2] Forwarders' market expansion will positively affect their re-transaction intention, [H3] Forwarders' market expansion will positively affect their recommendation intention, [H4] Forwarders' re-transaction intention will positively affect their recommendation intention. Results: The results showed that all the six factors for the service quality of market-wholesaler system were positively related to market expansion of forwarders. There was a differential effectiveness in the six factors of the service quality. More specifically, the positive effect of customer service factor was the strongest on market expansion of forwarders. And the respective effects of trade price, price fluctuation, settlement period, trade information factors were followed in order. The positive effect of payment receipt factor was the weakest on market expansion of forwarders. Also, market expansion of forwarders was positively related to their re-transaction intention and recommendation intention. Furthermore, market expansion of forwarders was indirectly related to recommendation intention through re-transaction intention as well. Conclusions: The research findings provide important theoretical and practical implications. This study is the first to attempt to test the perception of forwarders for the service quality of market-wholesaler system by developing and using the new scales. Also, there has been a sharp controversy about the effectiveness of market-wholesaler system. The findings support that market-wholesaler system would be activated by empirically verifying the effectiveness of the service quality on the various outcomes.