• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.605-615
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• 2008

The principal objective of this study was to categorize service attributes on the basis of the asymmetric and non-linear relationship existing between service attributes and customer satisfaction. Researchers generally assume that service attribute performances and customer satisfaction are both symmetrical and linear. That is to say, improvements in attribute performance will inevitably result in increased customer satisfaction. However, this is not always the case. Certain attributes have been shown not to create satisfaction even when improved, and others do not create dissatisfaction even when their performance ratings become negative. Understanding this relationship is crucial not only to researchers, but also to service managers. Service managers can arrange their priorities with regard to which attributes must be improved or promoted first, in an environment of limited technical, financial, and human resources. Many studies into this asymmetric and non-linear relationship have recently been conducted, beginning with Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory (1976) and the disconfirmation theory, which was eventually developed into Kano's model (1984). This study attempted to determine the impact level of service attributes on incidents of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. It used 30 service attributes generated by Park (2008) in the CIT research into family restaurants. The data were collected from 600 participants, 300 incidences of satisfaction and 300 incidents of dissatisfaction, via an online survey. The t-test was used to confirm the difference between the satisfaction group's and dissatisfaction group's attributes. 11 attributes were found to be significant at a level of p>0.05. This indicates that the 11 attributes exerted different impacts on satisfaction and dissatisfaction, which confirmed the asymmetric and non-linear relationship. 14 attributes were categorized into the core service, 1 attribute into the quality service, 7 attributes into the basic service, and 8 attributes into the neutral service. Strategic customer service management was recommended for the 'A' family restaurant as an example, on the basis of the asymmetric and non-linear relationship and the characteristics of the four service factors.

• Archives of design research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.77-86
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• 2004

User-Centered Design Approach plays important role in dealing with usability issues for developing modern technology products. Yet it is still questionable whether the User-Centered approach is enough for the development of successful consumer contents since the User-Centered Design is originated from the software engineering field where meeting customers' functional requirement is the most critical aspect in developing a software. However, modern consumer market is already saturated and in order to meet ever increasing consumer requirements, the User-Centered Design approach needs to be expanded. As a way of incorporating the User-Centered Approach into the consumer product development, Jordan suggested the 'Pleasure-based Approach' in industrial design field, which usually generates multi-dimensional user requirements: 1)physical, 2)cognitive, 3)identity and 4) social. It is the current tendency that many portal and community service providers focus on fulfilling both functional and emotional needs for users when developing new items, contents and services. Previously fulfilling consumers' emotional needs solely depend on visual designer's graphical sense and capability. However, taking the customer-centered approach on withdrawing consumers' unknown needs is getting critical in the competitive market environment. This paper reviews different types of user research techniques and categorized into 6 ways based on Kano(1992)'s product quality model. Based on his theory, only performance factors, such as suability, can be identified through the user-centered design approach. The user-centered design approach has to be expanded to include factors include personality, sociability, pleasure, and so on. In order to identify performance as well as excellent factors through user research, a user-research framework was established and tested through the case study, which is ' the development of new online service for teens '. The results of the user research were summarized at the end of the paper and the pros and cons of each research techniques were analyzed.

• Journal of Service Research and Studies
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.159-175
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• 2023

Mass production has long been the most important production paradigm in establishing a company's strategy as a method of producing various products. However, mass production cannot now be the most important paradigm as companies' competitive environment and consumer needs diversify. In particular, consumers' needs are becoming more diverse and rapidly changing, making it difficult for companies to respond to consumers' needs. Mass customization is the most notable paradigm reflecting this trend, and mass customization aims to produce a variety of products tailored to the needs of customers at a low cost. In this study, the theory and concept of a product architecture system were used to specify a method of realizing mass-customized services, and a case study was conducted focusing on the internal furniture model of a camping car. In particular, unlike previously when companies developed product platforms and modules focusing on productivity, a method of developing and configuring product platforms and modules was suggested by reflecting consumer requirements first, and its effectiveness was considered. As a result of the study, it was confirmed that it was effective in replacement, recyclability, line-up, and chargeability by designing through internal factors of the product architecture system and verifying the effectiveness of the results with external factors. It is expected that further empirical research will be led through a design process using a product architecture system in the future.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.71-79
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• 2015

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to find out the effect of changes in the differentiated "servicescape" on the business performance in the hair salon industry using a case study. For this, we selected hair salon M located in Suwon. The shop is innovatively different from existing shops in terms of spatial layout and functionality. We conducted in-depth research, beginning with the launch of the shop concept through investment and ongoing stable sales. Research design, data, and methodology - The M hair salon is a start up shop providing a differentiated servicescape (physical environment where the service takes place) located in Suwon, Yeongtong-gu. We conducted research to investigate how spatial layout and functionality of the servicescape impact customers' perceived quality. The interview period and case analysis was May 2014 through March 2015, covering 11 months. To conduct the case analysis, we analyzed the spatial layout and functionality of existing shops and interviewed customers and experts about the difference between hair salon M and existing shops. Results - Our results found clues to the positive effect of spatial layout and functionality among servicescape factors on perceived service quality at the salon. The shop showed a fast payback of the principal investment, growth potential in contrast to competitors near the salon, and 45 percent returning customers. The problem with the spatial layout at existing shops was that customers were aware of the way other people were looking at them, since viewing angles overlapped, therefore there was a limitation to the relationship intensity with an exclusive hair designer. In contrast, the layout of the stands at the M salon kept the number of dressing stands limited to maximize the customer's emotional response. Additionally, because of the new layout of dressing stands hiding other customer voices and appearance in the salon, customers perceived their service space as independent. Therefore, they did not have to focus on their personal emotional response, which was one of the advantages of the new layout. Conclusions - This study conducted case study analysis by offering a new perspective focusing on spatial layout, previously not considered as an independent variable of quality evaluations and customer satisfaction in existing literature on hair salon management. Therefore, this study contributes to the field by offering an opportunity to discover the causal relationships between the overlooked physical environment and a customer's perceived quality. However, a process objectifying the results of the study through empirical analysis and hypotheses is needed to overcome the limitations of the case study approach and generalize the results. Moreover, it would be beneficial to conduct further empirical study of the relationship between the spatial layout provided in the case and a customer's emotional response and change in mood. In addition, an analysis is needed regarding how customers feel about the factors using the Kano Model. These suggestions would be considered in further study.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.134-141
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• 2018

Purpose: Postoperative pancreatic fistula is a serious and fatal complication of gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Blunt trauma to the parenchyma of the pancreas can result from an assistant's forceps compressing and retracting the pancreas, which in turn may result in pancreatic juice leakage. However, no published studies have focused on blunt trauma to the pancreas during laparoscopic surgery. Our aim was to investigate the relationship between compression of the pancreas and pancreatic juice leakage in a swine model. Materials and Methods: Three female pigs were used in this study. The pancreas was gently compressed dorsally for 15 minutes laparoscopically with gauze grasped with forceps. Pancreatic juice leakage was visualized by fluorescence imaging after topical administration of chymotrypsin-activatable fluorophore in real time. Amylase concentrations in ascites collected at specified times was measured. In addition, pancreatic tissue was fixed with formalin, and the histology of the compressed sites was evaluated. Results: Fluorescence imaging enabled visualization of pancreatic juice leaking into ascites around the pancreas. Median concentrations of pancreatic amylase in ascites increased from 46 U/L preoperatively to 12,509 U/L 4 hours after compression. Histological examination of tissues obtained 4 hours after compression revealed necrotic pancreatic acinar cells extending from the surface to deep within the pancreas and infiltration of inflammatory cells. Conclusions: Pancreatic compression by the assistant's forceps can contribute to pancreatic juice leakage. These findings will help to improve the procedure for lymph node dissection around the pancreas during laparoscopic gastrectomy.