• Title/Summary/Keyword: Industry Characteristics

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Impact of Net-Based Customer Service on Firm Profits and Consumer Welfare (기업의 온라인 고객 서비스가 기업의 수익 및 고객의 후생에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Eun-Jin;Lee, Byung-Tae
    • Asia pacific journal of information systems
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    • v.17 no.2
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    • pp.123-137
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    • 2007
  • The advent of the Internet and related Web technologies has created an easily accessible link between a firm and its customers, and has provided opportunities to a firm to use information technology to support supplementary after-sale services associated with a product or service. It has been widely recognized that supplementary services are an important source of customer value and of competitive advantage as the characteristics of the product itself. Many of these supplementary services are information-based and need not be co-located with the product, so more and more companies are delivering these services electronically. Net-based customer service, which is defined as an Internet-based computerized information system that delivers services to a customer, therefore, is the core infrastructure for supplementary service provision. The importance of net-based customer service in delivering supplementary after-sale services associated with product has been well documented. The strategic advantages of well-implemented net-based customer service are enhanced customer loyalty and higher lock-in of customers, and a resulting reduction in competition and the consequent increase in profits. However, not all customers utilize such net-based customer service. The digital divide is the phenomenon in our society that captures the observation that not all customers have equal access to computers. Socioeconomic factors such as race, gender, and education level are strongly related to Internet accessibility and ability to use. This is due to the differences in the ability to bear the cost of a computer, and the differences in self-efficacy in the use of a technology, among other reasons. This concept, applied to e-commerce, has been called the "e-commerce divide." High Internet penetration is not eradicating the digital divide and e-commerce divide as one would hope. Besides, to accommodate personalized support, a customer must often provide personal information to the firm. This personal information includes not only name and address, but also preferences information and perhaps valuation information. However, many recent studies show that consumers may not be willing to share information about themselves due to concerns about privacy online. Due to the e-commerce divide, and due to privacy and security concerns of the customer for sharing personal information with firms, limited numbers of customers adopt net-based customer service. The limited level of customer adoption of net-based customer service affects the firm profits and the customers' welfare. We use a game-theoretic model in which we model the net-based customer service system as a mechanism to enhance customers' loyalty. We model a market entry scenario where a firm (the incumbent) uses the net-based customer service system in inducing loyalty in its customer base. The firm sells one product through the traditional retailing channels and at a price set for these channels. Another firm (the entrant) enters the market, and having observed the price of the incumbent firm (and after deducing the loyalty levels in the customer base), chooses its price. The profits of the firms and the surplus of the two customers segments (the segment that utilizes net-based customer service and the segment that does not) are analyzed in the Stackelberg leader-follower model of competition between the firms. We find that an increase in adoption of net-based customer service by the customer base is not always desirable for firms. With low effectiveness in enhancing customer loyalty, firms prefer a high level of customer adoption of net-based customer service, because an increase in adoption rate decreases competition and increases profits. A firm in an industry where net-based customer service is highly effective loyalty mechanism, on the other hand, prefers a low level of adoption by customers.

The Effect of working Noise Exposure and Military Background on the Hearing Threshold (특수병과의 과거 군 소음 노출이 소음 노출 작업자의 청력에 미치는 영향)

  • Chung, Ho-Keun;Kim, Kyoo-Sang
    • Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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    • v.36 no.2
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    • pp.137-146
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    • 2003
  • Objectives : Impaired hearing is a prevalent occupational hazard, not only in industry, but also in the armed forces. In military life, noise has unusual characteristics, and constitutes a serious hazard to hearing. The aim of this study was to analyze the hearing threshold data in order to compare the hearing loss among shipyard workers, representing different workers, and a military service background. Methods : A cross-sectional audiological survey, combined with a questionnaire study, was conducted on a stratified random sample of 440 shipyard workers, with long-term exposure to noise. The employees were divided into four groups, according to their working and military service backgrounds, in relation to their exposure to noise. Results : As expected, the working and military noise exposure group (Group I) had significantly poorer hearing than the other groups. The high frequencies (2-8 kHz) showed the greatest difference in terms of poorer fearing in both ears. The prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) was highest in Group I. A logistic regression analysis was applied to determine the dependence of the NIHL in relation to age, smoking, drinking, working duration, ear protection, past history of ear diseases, and working and military sonics backgrounds, on the noise exposure The important factors found to be related to the NIHL, in relation to noise exposure were: age, work duration, and working and military service backgrounds. The adjusted odds ratio estimates for NIML in the right ear were 4.5 times greater (95% CI 1.7-11.6) for the military noise exposed group, and 7.9 times greater (95% CI 2.0-31.3) for the working noise exposed group than in the controls. The hearing thresholds at the pure-tone average and 4 kHz were significantly increased with age and work duration with both the working and military service backgrounds. Conclusions : From these results, specific preventive programs were planned, which should be assessed by epidemiological surveillance of the military noise exposed population.

Use of Chicken Meat and Processing Technologies (가금육의 이용과 가공기술)

  • Ahn, Dong-Uk
    • Proceedings of the Korea Society of Poultry Science Conference
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    • 2003.07b
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    • pp.67-88
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    • 2003
  • The consumption of poultry meat (chicken and turkey) grew the most during the past few decades due to several contributing factors such as low price. product research and development. favorable meat characteristics, responsive to consumer needs, vertical integration and industry consolidation, new processing equipments and technology, and aggressive marketing. The major processing technologies developed and used in chicken processing include forming/restructuring, tumbling, curing, smoking, massaging, injection, marination, emulsifying, breading, battering, shredding, dicing, and individual quick freezing. These processing technologies were applied to various parts of chicken including whole carcass. Product developments using breast, thigh, and mechanically separated chicken meat greatly increased the utilization of poultry meat. Chicken breast became the symbol of healthy food, which made chicken meat as the most frequent menu items in restaurants. However, the use of and product development for dark meat, which includes thigh, drum, and chicken wings were rather limited due to comparatively high fat content in dark meat. Majority of chicken are currently sold as further processed ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat forms. Major quality issues in chicken meat include pink color problems in uncured cooked breast, lipid oxidation and off-flavor, tenderness PSE breast, and food safety. Research and development to ensure the safety and quality of raw and cooked chicken meat using new processing technologies will be the major issues in the future as they are now. Especially, the application of irradiation in raw and cooked chicken meat products will be increased dramatically within next 5 years. The market share of ready-to-eat cooked meat products will be increased. More portion controlled finished products, dark meat products, and organic and ethnic products with various packaging approaches will also be introduced.

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Determination of Grades and Design Strengths of Machine Graded Lumber in Korea (국내 기계등급구조재의 등급구분체계 및 기준설계값 결정방법 연구)

  • Hong, Jung-Pyo;Lee, Jun-Jae;Park, Moon-Jae;Yeo, Hwanmyeong;Pang, Sung-Jun;Kim, Chul-Ki;Oh, Jung-Kwon
    • Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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    • v.43 no.4
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    • pp.446-455
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    • 2015
  • Based on comparative studies on standards and grading procedures of machine graded lumber in Korea and other countries, this study proposed a procedure of determining the grade classification and design strengths of domestic machine graded lumber. Differences between machine stress rated lumber and E-rated laminations were detailed in order to clarify the need for the procedure improvement. To this improvement the use of average MOE requirement for grading was introduced instead of the fixed minimum MOE requirement which is currently used in the Korean standards. It was found that the fixed minimum MOE requirement method was easier for an inspector to grade but, less efficient as a strength predictor than the average MOE requirement method. The advantage of average MOE requirement method is statistically MOR-MOE regression-based MOR prediction and highly efficient in quality control though it requires a computer-aided operation system in an initial setup. A major weakness of the current Korean grading system was found that different strength characteristics depending on wood species were not reflected on the grade classification and the tabulated allowable design stress. The proposed procedures were developed taking advantages of respective merits of both methods and based on MOR-MOE regression analysis. Through this procedure, the grades of machine stress rated lumber should be revised to become interchangeable with E-rated lamination, which would be beneficial to the cost competitiveness of domestic machine graded lumber and glued laminated timber industry.

Comparison in Seed and Sprout Quality under Different Cropping Patterns in Mungbean (재배방식에 따른 녹두 종실과 나물의 품질변화)

  • Kim, Dong-Kwan;Son, Dong-Mo;Choi, Jin-Gyung;Shin, Hae-Ryong;Chon, Sang-Uk;Lee, Kyung-Dong;Jung, Ki-Yeol;Rim, Yo-Sup
    • KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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    • v.56 no.3
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    • pp.212-218
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    • 2011
  • This study was performed to determine the relative quality of mungbeans harvested in bulk after applying a labor-saving cultivation (LSC) method, compared to mungbeans harvested three different times under the conventional cultivation condition. There was no significant difference in starch, crude protein, and vitexin or isovitexin content of seed according to the cropping system or harvest time. The mungbeans grown under the LSC method had the highest crude fat content, followed by mungbeans from the third-, the second- and the first-harvest mungbeans under the conventional cultivation. No significant difference was found in the composite ratio of saturated fatty acids to unsaturated fatty acids according to cropping system or harvest time. The second-harvest mungbeans grown under the conventional cultivation condition had 17 different types of fatty acids, while the third-harvest mungbeans grown under the conventional cultivation and those grown under the LSC condition had the fewest types of fatty acids with 12. Of the major saturated fatty acids, palmitic acid and arachidonic acid had the highest composite ratio in the first conventional cultivation followed by the second, the third and the LSC. However, stearic acid showed the opposite tendency. Of the major unsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid had the highest composite ratio in the first conventional cultivation, followed by the second and third conventional cultivation and the LSC. Amylogram characteristics of the mungbeans were significantly different according to cropping system and harvest times. The mungbeans harvested after the first conventional cultivation had significantly higher pasting temperature, peak viscosity, holding strength viscosity, final viscosity and breakdown, while mungbeans harvested after the third conventional cultivation had significantly higher setback viscosity. In contrast, the mungbeans harvested under the LSC methods had a significantly lower amylogram value. When harvest rate, color values and amino acid content of sprout were measured, mungbeans grown under the LSC conditions had a low harvest rate of sprout, but had Hunter's color values and amino acid content of sprout similar to those of mungbeans grown under the conventional cultivation condition.

The Study on Geology and Volcanism in Jeju Island (II): Petrochemistry and $^{40}Ar/^{39}Ar$ Absolute Ages of the Volcanic Rocks in Gapado-Marado, Jeju Island (제주도의 지질과 화산활동에 관한 연구 (II): 가파도와 마라도 화산암류의 암석화학 및 $^{40}Ar/^{39}Ar$ 절대연대)

  • Koh, Gi-Won;Park, Jun-Beom
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.43 no.1
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    • pp.53-66
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    • 2010
  • We report petrologic characteristics including $^{40}Ar-^{39}Ar$ absolute ages of the subsurface lavas recovered from borehole cores in two islets, Marado and Gapado, off the southwestern coast of Jeju in southernmost Korea and discuss on the volcanism in the region. The lavas in Gapado are apparently divided into one unit with bright colored, aphanitic texture and sheet jointed, and another unit with dark colored and massive. The outcrops often show differentially weathered pattern due to textural difference. While, the lavas in Marado have vesicular and glomerporphyric texture, even though each lava flow unit in Marado has slight unique texture with variation of vesicularity and phenocrysts. The chemical composition of rock core samples from Gapa borehole and Mara borehole shows that the lavas from Gapado and Marado are classified into basaltic trachyandesite($SiO_2$ 52.6-53.6 wt%, $Na_2O+K_2O$ 7.3-7.5 wt%) and tholeiitic andesite($SiO_2$ 51.7-52.8 wt%, $Na_2O+K_2O$ 3.6-4.1 wt%), respectively. The measured $^{40}Ar-^{39}Ar$ plateau ages range from $824{\pm}32\;Ka$(MSL -69 m) to $758{\pm}\;Ka$(MSL 19 m) for core samples of Gapa borehole and $259{\pm}168\;Ka$(MSL -26 m) for a core sample of Mara borehole, respectively. The absolute age of Gapado basaltic trachyandesite is well correlated with that of Sanbangsan trachyte(Won et al., 1986). Meanwhile, the age of a sample in Marado has $259{\pm}168\;Ka$(MSL -26 m) with poor plateau age formation and high error range. We report the data in caution but the rock composition and absolute age of Marado tholeiitic andesite are relatively correlated with those of lava units from Duksu and Sangmo-2 boreholes, indicating the volcanism during 260-150 Ka. On the basis of interpretation of occurrences of exposed and subsurface volcanic rocks of the study area, stratigraphic relationship with adjacent borehole cores and the bathymetry chart of surrounding area, it indicates that the lavas in Gapado were formed around 800 Ka during relatively early stage of volcanic activity in Jeju Island. Meanwhile, Marado may have originated around 260-150 Ka during relatively young stage of volcanism in Jeju Island. It is inferred that the volcanisms have originated in land and these islets were individual ancient volcanoes. The apparent topography has been re-shaped by tidal erosion due to transgression.

Breeding of 'Joyskin' Pear as fruit for Eating with the Skin (껍질째 먹는 배 '조이스킨' 육성)

  • Kim, Yoon-Kyeong;Kang, Sam-Seok;Cho, Kwang-Sik;Won, Kyung-Ho;Shin, Il-Sheob;Kim, Myung-Su;Ma, Kyeong-Bok;Lee, In Bog
    • Horticultural Science & Technology
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    • v.34 no.6
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    • pp.959-965
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    • 2016
  • In 1994, a new cultivar 'Joyskin' was created from a cross between the cultivars 'Whangkeumbae' and 'Waseaka' at the Pear Research Institute of the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, Rural Development Administration. In 2006, the 'Joyskin' was selected from among the 317 seedlings resulting from the cross for its skin and taste qualities. Regional adaptation tests were conducted in nine regions and in ten experimental plots from 2006 to 2011. The cultivar was named in 2011. 'Joyskin' showed a vigorous growth habit and semi-spread characteristics similar to 'Whangkeumbae'. The average full bloom date for 'Joyskin' was April 21st, which was also similar to 'Whangkeumbae'. The optimum fruit ripening time was September 6-8th, which was six or eight days earlier than 'Whangkeumbae'. The fruit was round in shape and the skin was a golden yellow color at maturity. The average fruit weight was 320 g and the flesh firmness was $2.5kg/8mm{\varphi}$. The firmness of the fruit skin determined by a blade-type plunger of texture analyzer was 22.9 N, which was significantly different from that of 'Whangkeumbae' 29.9N. Stone cell analysis of 'Joyskin' by phloroglucinol-HCl, showed that 'Joyskin' stone cells were small in size and few in numbers cpmpared to those of cultivars of was 'Manpungbae', 'Niitaka', and 'Whangkeumbae'. The patent application for 'Joyskin' was submitted in April, 2012 (Grant No. 2012-337). In 2016, 'Joyskin' (Grant No. 5895) was registered as a separate record, with uniformity and stability per Korean Seed Industry Law.

Effects of a Mixed Proportion of Alaska Pollack, Chicken Breast Surimi and Starch on Textural Properties of Sausage (명태 및 닭가슴살수리미와 전분의 혼합비율이 소시지의 조직학적 특성에 미치는 영향)

  • Jin, Sang-Keun;Kim, Il-Suk;Yang, Mi-Ra;Hur, In-Chul;Jung, Hyun-Jung;Yang, Han-Sul;Choi, Yeung-Joon
    • Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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    • v.50 no.4
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    • pp.543-550
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    • 2008
  • This study was conducted to determine the effect of different proportions of Alaska pollack surimi, chicken breast surimi and starch on textural properties of sausage. Sausage were manufactured such as Alaska pollack surimi(control), T1(90.91:0:9.09), T2(80:0:20), T3(62.5:37.5:0), T4(58.82:35.3:5.88), T5 (40:60:0) and T6(36.36:54.55:9.09) depending on different proportions of Alaska pollack surimi, chicken breast surimi and starch. Brittleness, breaking force and gel strength were significantly higher in T1 than the control(P<0.05), and breaking force, gel strength and folding test were significantly higher but sensory evaluation was significantly lower in T2 than the control(P<0.05). Breaking force, gel strength and jelly strength were significantly higher in T3 and T4 than the control(P<0.05). Gel characteristics and sensory scores were significantly higher but texture properties were significantly lower in T5 and T6 than the control(P<0.05). The T3 and T4 had similar textural and sensory properties in the surimi- sausage compared to the control. Therefore, the results of this study indicated that textural properties of sausage can be acceptable when chicken breast surimi replaced Alaska pollack up to 35%.

A Study on the Validity of Technology Innovation Aid Programs for IT Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: Focusing on the Dynamic Characteristics and Relationship (IT중소기업 기술혁신 지원사업의 타당성 연구: 동태적 특성 및 연관성을 중심으로)

  • Park, Sung-Min;Kim, Heon;Sul, Won-Sik
    • The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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    • v.33 no.10B
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    • pp.946-961
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    • 2008
  • This study aims to provide guidelines on future policy for restructuring the scheme of aid programs associated with If small and medium-sized enterprises (i.e. SME) in Korea. For this purpose, we investigate an empirical dataset of recent aid programs deployed by Ministry of Information and Communication (i.e. MIC) for the last four years First, it is examined that the programs are practiced in accordance with their own policy objective by comparing matching samples between two groups such as program beneficiary and non-beneficiary companies. Second, positioning transition of programs within a same category is visualized in terms of two business portfolio analysis matrices. Third, an affiliation network matrix of (he programs is newly developed and then we attempt to analyze the programs relationship by the application of multidimensional scaling method to the affiliation network matrix. The empirical dataset is composed of two different kinds of corporate datasets. One is a corporate dataset of 8,994 beneficiary companies that are aided by MIC during the year of '03-'06. The other is also a corporate dataset of 18,354 non-beneficiary companies that have no records of the program supports during the years at all. Particularly, the matching samples of non-beneficiary companies are prepared in order to have comparable corporate age years (i.e. CAY) against beneficiary companies' CAY. Results show that; 1) up-to-date, the programs are properly assigned to IT SME conforming to their own policy objective; 2) however, as the year goes on, the following two distinct positioning transitions are revealed such as (1) both CAY and corporate sales (i.e. SAL) are increased simultaneously, (2) ratio of intangible assets (i.e. RIA) is decreased and ratio of operating gain to revenue (i.e. ROR) is increased. Hence, the role of the programs gets weakened with regard to providing seed money to technology innovation-typed IT SME so that a managerial adjustment of the programs is required consequently; 3) even though the model adequacy is not satisfactory through the analysis of multidimensional scaling method, the relationship of indirect-typed programs can relatively be stronger than that of direct-typed programs.

Distribution of Zooplankton by ADCP's Echo Intensity in the Coastal Water used Yellow Loess (다층 도플러 유속계(ADCP)를 이용한 황토 살포 해역의 플랑크톤 평가)

  • Park, Ju-Sam;Choo, Hyo-Sang;Moon, Sung-Ryong
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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    • v.16 no.2
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    • pp.141-151
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    • 2010
  • Harmful algal blooms (HABs), commonly known as red tides, are aquatic phenomena caused by the rapid growth and accumulation of certain microalgae, which can lead to marked discoloration of surface waters, and severe impacts on public health, commerce, and the environment. In South Korea, the red tides have been a serious and recurrent problem, especially along the south coast. Plenty of yellow loess was used to control an outbreak of the red tides for 15 years from 1996 until now. Yellow loess was almost sprayed in the vicinity of a large fish farming industry. In this research, the distribution characteristics and density distribution of zooplankton were investigated in autumn (Oct. 2008) and spring (Apr. 2009) using volume backscattering strength (SV) calculated by the zooplankton collected with north pacific standard (NORPAC) net and the echo intensity measured with ADCP at stations on the study area in the spraying ocean of yellow loess (SOYL), and the non-spraying ocean of yellow ocean (NOYL) by the red tide generating every year. The species number and the individuals per unit volume of the zooplankton collected in NOYL was high and it which was collected in SOYL was low. As a result of comparing the volume backscattering strength ($SV_c$) calculated by species and length of the zooplankton collected with NORPAC net with the volume backscattering strength ($SV_m$) calculated by the echo intensity measured with ADCP at stations on the study area, although $SV_c$ and $SV_m$ of NOYL were generally in agreement, $SV_m$ of SOYL was higher than $SV_c$ 4.3dB, i.e. ADCP is greatly influenced by suspended solid in SOYL. The horizontal distribution map of $SV_m$ at the study area in autumn (Oct. 2008) and spring (Apr. 2009) was drawn. $SV_m$ of SOYL is higher than NOYL and autumn is higher than spring. $SV_m$ can suppress the overestimate or underestimate of $SV_c$.