• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.655-674
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• 2023

This study examined whether the "self-guided interpretation" media in the Yeoncheon area of the Hantangang River UNESCO Geopark are intelligible for visitors. Accordingly, two on-site investigations were conducted in the Hantangang River Global Geopark in September and November 2022. The Yeoncheon area, known for its diverse geological features and the era of geological attraction formation, was selected for analysis. We analyzed the readability levels, graphic characteristics, and alignment with science curriculum of the interpretive media specific to geological sites among a total of 36 self-guided interpretive media in the Yeoncheon area. Results indicated that information boards, primarily offering guidance on geological attractions, were the most prevalent type of interpretive media in the Yeoncheon area. The quantity of text in explanatory media surpassed that of a 12^th-grade science textbook. The average vocabulary grade was similar to that of 11^th- and 12^th-grade science textbooks, with somewhat reduced readability due to a high occurrence of complex sentences. Predominant graphic types included illustrative photographs, aiding comprehension of the geological formation process through multi-structure graphics. Regarding scientific terms used in the interpretive media, 86.3% of the terms were within the "Solid Earth" section of the 2015 revised curriculum, with the majority being at the 4^th-grade level. The 11^th-grade optional curriculum terms comprised the second largest portion, and 13.7% of all science terms were from outside the curriculum. Notably, variations in the scientific terminology's complexity was based on geological attractions. Specifically, the terminology level on the homepage tended to be generally higher than that on information boards. Through these findings, specific factors impeding visitor comprehension of geological attractions in the Yeoncheon area, based on the interpretation medium, were identified. We suggest further research to effect improvements in self-guided interpretation media, fostering geological resource education for general visitors and anticipating advancements in geology education.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.77-90
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• 2023

This study aims to investigate the potential of alternative credit assessment through Social Networking Sites (SNS) as a complementary tool to conventional loan review processes. It seeks to discern the impact of SNS usage characteristics and loan product attributes on credit loan repayment. To achieve this objective, we conducted a binomial logistic regression analysis examining the influence of SNS usage patterns, loan characteristics, and personal attributes on credit loan conditions, utilizing data from Company A's credit loan program, which integrates SNS data into its actual loan review processes. Our findings reveal several noteworthy insights. Firstly, with respect to profile photos that reflect users' personalities and individual characteristics, individuals who choose to upload photos directly connected to their personal lives, such as images of themselves, their private circles (e.g., family and friends), and photos depicting social activities like hobbies, which tend to be favored by individuals with extroverted tendencies, as well as character and humor-themed photos, which are typically favored by individuals with conscientious traits, demonstrate a higher propensity for diligently repaying credit loans. Conversely, the utilization of photos like landscapes or images concealing one's identity did not exhibit a statistically significant causal relationship with loan repayment. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between the extent of SNS usage and the likelihood of loan repayment. However, the level of SNS interaction did not exert a significant effect on the probability of loan repayment. This observation may be attributed to the passive nature of the interaction variable, which primarily involves expressing sympathy for other users' comments rather than generating original content. The study also unveiled the statistical significance of loan duration and the number of loans, representing key characteristics of loan portfolios, in influencing credit loan repayment. This underscores the importance of considering loan duration and the quantity of loans as crucial determinants in the design of microcredit products. Among the personal characteristic variables examined, only gender emerged as a significant factor. This implies that the loan program scrutinized in this analysis does not exhibit substantial discrimination based on age and credit scores, as its customer base predominantly consists of individuals in their twenties and thirties with low credit scores, who encounter challenges in securing loans from traditional financial institutions. This research stands out from prior studies by empirically exploring the relationship between SNS usage and credit loan repayment while incorporating variables not typically addressed in existing credit rating research, such as profile pictures. It underscores the significance of harnessing subjective, unstructured information from SNS for loan screening, offering the potential to mitigate the financial disadvantages faced by borrowers with low credit scores or those ensnared in short-term liquidity constraints due to limited credit history a group often referred to as "thin filers." By utilizing such information, these individuals can potentially reduce their credit costs, whereas they are supposed to accrue a more substantial financial history through credit transactions under conventional credit assessment system.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.127-139
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• 2024

This study investigates the impact of edutech characteristics and both tangible and intangible educational services on the intention to re-enroll, which is directly related to the management performance of private institutes. The study aims to propose strategies to improve re-enrollment intentions and management performance based on the findings. Private education has grown continuously, complementing the limitations of public education and increasing parental dependence. This study tested the hypothesis that edutech characteristics, intangible services, and tangible services, increasingly utilized with the development of information and communication technology, would influence re-enrollment intentions. It also examined whether rapport-building behavior with parents would have a moderating effect on this relationship. The hypothesis testing results showed that among the edutech characteristics, content, intangible services such as reliability and empathy, and tangible services such as tangibility and payment accessibility positively impacted re-enrollment intentions. The hypothesis that rapport-building behavior would moderate the relationship between educational services and re-enrollment intentions was supported for empathy in intangible services and tangibility in tangible services. Based on these findings, the study proposed three strategies to improve management performance of private institutes. First, in terms of improving and managing edutech characteristics, it suggested introducing and updating edutech content and ensuring operational stability. Second, for improving and managing intangible services, it recommended managing instructor recruitment and training to enhance quality and competence, maintaining professionalism through continuous education by credible institutions, and providing level-based education for students based on the qualitative improvement of educational programs. Third, to improve and manage tangible services, it suggested setting appropriate tuition fees, offering various payment methods (online, mobile, card, bank transfer) unrestricted by time and place, and equipping interiors and facilities that enable focused learning. Additionally, considering the moderating effect of rapport-building behavior, it emphasized that improvements and management requiring costs are necessary, but making parents feel a high level of tangibility through rapport-building is also important. Furthermore, given the increasing importance of edutech based on information and communication technology, the study highlighted the need for various support measures such as government technological support and venture certification system support for institutes with an entrepreneurial spirit aiming to introduce innovative technologies such as AI technology based on large language models and AR/VR-applied metaverse environments. This study is expected to help improve the management performance of private institutes by specifically suggesting items and methods for improvement and management in the educational field.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.1-33
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• 2019

The small and medium sized enterprises (hereinafter SMEs) are already at a competitive disadvantaged when compared to large companies with more abundant resources. Manufacturing SMEs not only need a lot of information needed for new product development for sustainable growth and survival, but also seek networking to overcome the limitations of resources, but they are faced with limitations due to their size limitations. In a new era in which connectivity increases the complexity and uncertainty of the business environment, SMEs are increasingly urged to find information and solve networking problems. In order to solve these problems, the government funded research institutes plays an important role and duty to solve the information asymmetry problem of SMEs. The purpose of this study is to identify the differentiating characteristics of SMEs that utilize the public information support infrastructure provided by SMEs to enhance the innovation capacity of SMEs, and how they contribute to corporate performance. We argue that we need an infrastructure for providing information support to SMEs as part of this effort to strengthen of the role of government funded institutions; in this study, we specifically identify the target of such a policy and furthermore empirically demonstrate the effects of such policy-based efforts. Our goal is to help establish the strategies for building the information supporting infrastructure. To achieve this purpose, we first classified the characteristics of SMEs that have been found to utilize the information supporting infrastructure provided by government funded institutions. This allows us to verify whether selection bias appears in the analyzed group, which helps us clarify the interpretative limits of our study results. Next, we performed mediator and moderator effect analysis for multiple variables to analyze the process through which the use of information supporting infrastructure led to an improvement in external networking capabilities and resulted in enhancing product competitiveness. This analysis helps identify the key factors we should focus on when offering indirect support to SMEs through the information supporting infrastructure, which in turn helps us more efficiently manage research related to SME supporting policies implemented by government funded institutions. The results of this study showed the following. First, SMEs that used the information supporting infrastructure were found to have a significant difference in size in comparison to domestic R&D SMEs, but on the other hand, there was no significant difference in the cluster analysis that considered various variables. Based on these findings, we confirmed that SMEs that use the information supporting infrastructure are superior in size, and had a relatively higher distribution of companies that transact to a greater degree with large companies, when compared to the SMEs composing the general group of SMEs. Also, we found that companies that already receive support from the information infrastructure have a high concentration of companies that need collaboration with government funded institution. Secondly, among the SMEs that use the information supporting infrastructure, we found that increasing external networking capabilities contributed to enhancing product competitiveness, and while this was no the effect of direct assistance, we also found that indirect contributions were made by increasing the open marketing capabilities: in other words, this was the result of an indirect-only mediator effect. Also, the number of times the company received additional support in this process through mentoring related to information utilization was found to have a mediated moderator effect on improving external networking capabilities and in turn strengthening product competitiveness. The results of this study provide several insights that will help establish policies. KISTI's information support infrastructure may lead to the conclusion that marketing is already well underway, but it intentionally supports groups that enable to achieve good performance. As a result, the government should provide clear priorities whether to support the companies in the underdevelopment or to aid better performance. Through our research, we have identified how public information infrastructure contributes to product competitiveness. Here, we can draw some policy implications. First, the public information support infrastructure should have the capability to enhance the ability to interact with or to find the expert that provides required information. Second, if the utilization of public information support (online) infrastructure is effective, it is not necessary to continuously provide informational mentoring, which is a parallel offline support. Rather, offline support such as mentoring should be used as an appropriate device for abnormal symptom monitoring. Third, it is required that SMEs should improve their ability to utilize, because the effect of enhancing networking capacity through public information support infrastructure and enhancing product competitiveness through such infrastructure appears in most types of companies rather than in specific SMEs.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.37-55
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• 2008

This study aims to enhance work efficiency and satisfaction by offering data that make a physical therapist cope with stress coming from the job efficiently by identifying and analyzing the job satisfaction and work stress perceived by a physical therapist, and the level of reaction of a physical therapist. The study distributed survey questionnaires to 300 physical therapists working in medical institutions in Busan via mail and by visit from March 3, 2007 by selecting them simply and randomly from the physical therapist list, and collected the questionnaires by March 20, 2007, 103 respondents were working at 17 general hospitals including a university hospital, 65 respondents at 12 medical centers, and 79 respondents at 39 doctor's offices. The study collected 251 copies, which showed the collection rate of 83.7%, and analyzed 247 copies (82.3%) excluding 4 copies of insincere answers. As a research tool for measuring job satisfaction the study used a tool employed for research into the job satisfaction of physical therapists who work at medical institutions in Gwangju, Jeonnam, and Jeonbuk by Kim Hee-Gwon(1992) and research regarding job satisfaction by Jeong Jeong-Hee(2004) as well as research regarding the factors of job satisfaction by Flippo(1980) & Seberhagen(1970) after adjusting the research tools to the purpose of the study. Also for questions about work stress, the study employed nurses' job stress measurement tool developed by Kim Mae-Ja and em Mi-Ok(1984) by modifying the tool to the purpose of the study, and for a measurement tool for reaction to stress, the study used a tool employed for research into reaction to stress of nurses at general hospitals by Choi Eun-Deok(2005) without modification. For data analysis, the study used the SPSS12.0 as a statistical method, and then used t-test or ANOVA for verifying actual numbers, percentile, average :score, standard deviation, rank, and difference. Also, the study conducted which is a post-test method for variables that show a significant difference at the level of p<.05 level after the analysis. The findings include the following. 1) The respondents' job satisfaction score was 3.21 points on the average (out of 5 full points). The peer relationship ranked the highest, posting 4.02 points on the average, and the job satisfaction with rewards was proven the lowest, posting 2.51 points. For the job satisfaction level by characteristics, there were significant differences (p<.05) in gender, hospital type, weekly working hours, monthly working days, number of patients per day, department in charge of therapy, and number of peers, and there was no significant difference in characteristics other than that. 2) The respondents' work stress score was 2.72 points (out of 5 full points) on the average. The respondents were shown to be under the highest stress when they suffered from excessive workload, posting 3.49 points on the average, and they were shown to be under the least stress when they had a conflict with peers at another department, recording 1.90 points on the average. for the job stress level by the characteristics of job, there was a significant difference in the reflection of job assessment(p<.05). 3) 1n respondents' reaction to stress, most of them were shown to make efforts in coping with stress, posting 2.80 points (out of 5 full points). For their experience of being wider stress, they answered that 'they felt depressed (2.85 points)" for their experience of coping with stress, they answered that 'they were indifferent to it or thought about something else' (2.62 points). Also, for their efforts in coping with stress, they answered that 'they were motivated to remove their strain by taking leave, playing, or using their preferences' (3.52 points), which ranked higher. For the level of reaction to stress by characteristics, there were significant differences by age, gender, marital status, total service years as a physical therapist, monthly working days, and department in charge of therapy(p<.05). It is necessary to offer correct information by conducting an in-depth analysis of the stressful situations of physical therapists who exert efforts in rehabilitating patients at hospitals by factor, and seeking management plans based on the research results. Also, it is necessary to develop a program for coping with stress efficiently for removing stress and to conduct research into the understanding and cooperation of administrators and persons in charge of physical therapists for reducing physical therapists' stress at hospitals.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2010

In the age of globalization, effective and efficient corporate management is becoming more important as domestic and international business circumstances changes. In the middle of endless changes in business circumstances, fast reaction to customers and market, and offering customized goods and service became essential. In this respect, CRM designed to utilize customer information scientifically and systematically, has become an essential system and marketing strategy to enhance corporate competitiveness. CRM has placed the importance of customers in the front of marketing and has focused every process and business minds on customers. Recent change in the market and the trend of establishing and introducing CRM system has lead us to concentrate on the introduction of CRM in the financial institutions. This study searched for several views about CRM in academic and industrial papers. Through theoretical approach on CRM, the background of the introduction of CRM, the purpose of CRM, the characteristic and application of CRM, and the expected effect of CRM will be discussed. This study is focused on financial institutions where CRM is widely used. And through documents about examples of the introduction of CRM, the status of the establishment of domestic CRM and the necessity and trend of CRM will be discussed. Also the problem of CRM in the financial institutions and the improvement of CRM in domestic banks will be analyzed. When discussing CRM in the financial area, customers are the main source of corporate profit and through relationship management with the customers enhancing loyalty and maximizing profit can be obtained. Especially in CRM in financial institutions, maintaining existing customers makes higher profit ratio, so repurchasing and cross selling becomes important for obtaining lifetime value of existing customers who contribute to most of the profit of corporations. As a result, CRM should be completely customer oriented. CRM in financial institutions is not merely marketing work, but organizational competence which is made up of standardized work process through total process integration inside the corporation. Corporations which plan to introduce CRM should analyze the characteristics and conditions of corporations and establish purpose and strategy of CRM. And they need long term view to find out the factors which best fit for the introduction of CRM. To enable this, strategy composed of daily marketing activity and CRM concept is necessary. Also continued improvement through drill and training for operating organization should be followed to maintain CRM well. And corporate culture must settle customer as the center of corporate value. The race for introducing and improving CRM has already begun. CRM should not be regarded as a choice. It should be accepted as something essential. In this reality financial institutions should solve subdivision problem of customers and necessity of customers with the mind of 'customer's profit is my profit'. Customer focused management should not be emphasized only by words. Efforts like viewing from the customer's point must be nurtured to provide methods to help customers. That is, we should not just follow what is done in foreign countries. We should solve the problem of our customers according to the situation of our country, our industry, our corporation. Then we can gain the trust of customers, and the value derived from the customers will become the background of CRM which will lead the corporation to success.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.143-167
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to analyze changes of innovation activities and their performance in pre-IPO and post-IPO of KOSDAQ IPO listed companies in medical and pharmaceutical fields, which require high R&D investment, from 2000 to 2005 in Korea. The innovation efficiencies of the IPO companies were measured before and after three years based on the DEA model. The financial data and patent information of the listed company during total 6 years, which were 3 years before IPO and 3 years after IPO, were collected. The main results of this research are as follows. First, it took an average 12.86 years until IPO in the start-up of the IPO companies in the pharmaceutical sector, and innovation was on average more active than the IPO before. R&D investment was higher than the IPO before, and the number of the applied patent during 3 years after IPO was 16.67 which was increased from 8.43 during 3 years before IPO. In addition, the average scope of technology of the IPO companies was expanded from 11 to 22 technology fields during previous 3 year and after 3 year each, and financial growth after IPO was lower than the previous IPO. Second, the financial performance of R&D investment and the performance of patent activity were weakened in the efficiency after the IPO, and the integrated performance from the patenting activities and the R&D investment was decreased after the IPO. Finally, the efficiency of the financial performance of the patenting activity was lower than the efficiency of the financial performance of the patent and R&D investment and patent activities under the R&D investment. In particular, the inefficiency of the firms' patenting activities performance after the IPO was caused by the decreasing return to scale, according to the results of this study. This results implicate that the expansion of R&D investments through the IPO had not lead to the financial performance of the market, and that the overall inefficiency since the IPO is due to the inefficiencies at the stage for the outcome of innovation activity rather than the output obtained through the R&D investments that appear to lead the performance of the market.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2010

Purpose: PET/CT combines functional and morphologic data and increases diagnostic accuracy in a variety of malignancies. Especially reconstructed Fusion PET/CT images or MIP (Maximum Intensity Projection) images from a 2-dimensional image to a 3-dimensional one are useful in visualization of the lesion. But in Fusion & MIP 3D reconstruction image, due to hot uptake by urine or urostomy bag, lesion is overlapped so it is difficult that we can distinguish the lesion with the naked eye. This research tries to improve a distinction by removing parts of hot uptake. Materials and Methods: This research has been conducted the object of patients who have went to our hospital from September 2008 to March 2009 and have a lot of urine of remaining volume as disease of uterus, bladder, rectum in the result of PET/CT examination. We used GE Company's Advantage Workstation AW4.3 05 Version Volume Viewer program. As an analysis method, set up ROI in region of removal in axial volume image, select Cut Outside and apply same method in coronal volume image. Next, adjust minimum value in Threshold of 3D Tools, select subtraction in Advanced Processing. It makes Fusion & MIP images and compares them with the image no using Region Cut Definition. Results: In Fusion & MIP 3D reconstruction image, it makes Fusion & MIP images and compares them by using Advantage Workstation AW4.3 05's Region Cut Subtraction, parts of hot uptake according to patient's urine can be removed. Distinction of lesion was clearly reconstructed in image using Region Cut Definition. Conclusion: After examining the patients showing hot uptake on account of volume of urine intake in bladder, in process of reconstruction image, if parts of hot uptake would be removed, it could contribute to offering much better diagnostic information than image subtraction of conventional method. Especially in case of disease of uterus, bladder and rectum, it will be helpful for qualitative improvement of image.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.1615-1634
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• 2004

A review was undertaken to obtain information on the sustainability of pig free-range production systems including the management, performance and health of pigs in the system. Modern outdoor rearing systems requires simple portable and flexible housing with low cost fencing. Local pig breeds and outdoor-adapted breeds for certain environment are generally more suitable for free-range systems. Free-range farms should be located in a low rainfall area and paddocks should be relatively flat, with light topsoil overlying free-draining subsoil with the absence of sharp stones that can cause foot damage. Huts or shelters are crucial for protecting pigs from direct sun burn and heat stress, especially when shade from trees and other facilities is not available. Pigs commonly graze on strip pastures and are rotated between paddocks. The zones of thermal comfort for the sow and piglet differ markedly; between 12-22$^{\circ}C$ for the sow and 30-37$^{\circ}C$ for piglets. Offering wallows for free-range pigs meets their behavioural requirements, and also overcomes the effects of high ambient temperatures on feed intake. Pigs can increase their evaporative heat loss via an increase in the proportion of wet skin by using a wallow, or through water drips and spray. Mud from wallows can also coat the skin of pigs, preventing sunburn. Under grazing conditions, it is difficult to control the fibre intake of pigs although a high energy, low fibre diet can be used. In some countries outdoor sows are fitted with nose rings to prevent them from uprooting the grass. This reduces nutrient leaching of the land due to less rooting. In general, free-range pigs have a higher mortality compared to intensively housed pigs. Many factors can contribute to the death of the piglet including crushing, disease, heat stress and poor nutrition. With successful management, free-range pigs can have similar production to door pigs, although the growth rate of the litters is affected by season. Piglets grow quicker indoors during the cold season compared to outdoor systems. Pigs reared outdoors show calmer behaviour. Aggressive interactions during feeding are lower compared to indoor pigs while outdoor sows are more active than indoor sows. Outdoor pigs have a higher parasite burden, which increases the nutrient requirement for maintenance and reduces their feed utilization efficiency. Parasite infections in free-range pigs also risks the image of free-range pork as a clean and safe product. Diseases can be controlled to a certain degree by grazing management. Frequent rotation is required although most farmers are keeping their pigs for a longer period before rotating. The concept of using pasture species to minimise nematode infections in grazing pigs looks promising. Plants that can be grown locally and used as part of the normal feeding regime are most likely to be acceptable to farmers, particularly organic farmers. However, one of the key concerns from the public for free-range pig production system is the impact on the environment. In the past, the pigs were held in the same paddock at a high stocking rate, which resulted in damage to the vegetation, nutrient loading in the soil, nitrate leaching and gas emission. To avoid this, outdoor pigs should be integrated in the cropping pasture system, the stock should be mobile and stocking rate related to the amount of feed given to the animals.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.39-48
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• 2011

One of the major reasons for fierce competition among firms is that they strive to increase their own market shares in the same market with similar and apparently undifferentiated products in terms of quality and perceived benefit. Due to such changes in the marketing environment, differentiated after-sales service and diversified promotion strategies have become more important in the race to gain a competitive advantage. Price discount is one of the popular promotion strategies that most retailers use, especially to increase sales, but offering a price discount does not always lead to the expected result. If marketers apply an identical price-promotion strategy without considering the characteristic differences in products and consumer preferences, the discounted price itself may make people skeptical about the quality of the product. Moreover, the changes in perceived value may appear differently depending on factors such as consumer involvement. This implies that variables such as the level of consumer involvement, brand loyalty, and external reference prices, in reality, would have different effects on how consumers perceive the value of price discounts. The variables that affect consumers' perceived values and buying decisions are diverse and complicated. Several studies have examined the effects of such variables as external reference price, selling price, and brand on consumers' perceived value of products. Results have not shown consistent patterns. Therefore, we must note that the factors affecting consumers' value perceptions and buying behaviors are diverse and that the results of studies on the same dependent variable come out differently depending on what that variable is. This study focused on the level of consumer involvement as a salient variable that supposedly affects the perceived value of a product, willingness to buy, and search intentions. We tried to examine whether a price discount affects the perceived value-such as perceived acquisition value and perceived transaction value-in different ways depending on the level of consumer involvement. In addition, we proposed managerial implications that marketers need to consider as a whole, for instance, product attributes, brand loyalty, and involvement and then established a differentiated pricing strategy, case by case, in order to effectively enhance consumers' perceived values. As a result, we found that perceived transaction value positively affects perceived acquisition value and when discounting the price of a high-involvement product enhances the consumer's willingness to buy, but perceived acquisition value does not affect the search intentions significantly. In the case of discounting prices of low-involvement products, on the other hand, the perceived transaction value has a positive effect on the willingness to buy, but the negative effect of perceived acquisition value on the search intentions was not significant. We suppose that people doubt a product's quality because of a declined perceived quality derived from a price discount. Even though the price discount enhanced the transaction value, people eventually increased their level of searching for additional product information. From the results of this study, we suggest that marketers ought to establish an appropriate value-enhancing strategy based on the understanding of which perceived value consumers rely on more when they conduct purchasing behavior because consumers perceive the degree of importance of acquisition value or transaction value differently, depending on their level of involvement.