• World Technopolis Review
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.21-42
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• 2019

The purpose of this research was to investigate the factors influencing global expansion/scalability of Kenyan Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Factor analysis and multiple/multivariate regression analysis to determine the functional relationship between independent variables (factors) and the dependent variable was used. The independent variables were: innovation & technology, fitness/appropriateness of management, global marketing strategy; and support environment and the dependent variable, global expansion/scalability. Data was collected from a survey of randomly selected firms of 205, drawn from a population of 440 firms from Kenya Manufacturers Directory, with 175 firms responding. The key findings from the research in relation to Kenyan SMEs were that: there is a functional relationship between global market strategy and global expansion; there is a functional relationship between innovation and technology orientation and global expansion, there is no significant functional relationship between supportive environment of firms and their global expansion; and there is no significant functional relationship between fitness/appropriateness of management and global expansion/scalability. The implications for practice is that the ranking of the factors in order of priority supports focusing concern on the orientation of business strategy toward global market strategy, market research geared at obtaining foreign market intelligence, innovation and technology, product adaptation, service orientation, collaborative ventures, and long-range vision as key factors in making Kenyan firms successful in the international market. The implication for policy and practice is that there is need for collaboration between industry and government in pursuing policies for global expansion/scalability and among SMEs and large enterprises particularly in areas of rapid technological change.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.91-112
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• 2019

The IoT environment has led to explosive growth of existing enterprise data, and how to utilize such big data is becoming an important issue in the management field. In this paper, major factors affecting the decisions of companies to utilize big data have been studied. And also, the effect of big data utilization on the management quality is studied empirically. During this process, we have studied the difference according to the award of Korean national quality award. As a result of the study, we confirmed that the five factors such as cost from technology, organization and environment perspective, compatibility, company size, chief officer support, and competitor pressure are key factors influencing big data utilization. Also, it was confirmed that the use of big data for management activities has an important influence on the six management quality factors based on MBNQA, and that the management quality level of Korean national quality award companies is relatively high. This paper provides practical implications for companies' use of big data because it demonstrates for the first time that big data utilization has an impact on management quality improvement.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.207-216
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• 2021

Background: Good patient experience is positively associated with adherence to treatment recommendations, better clinical effectiveness, and health outcomes. This study aims to find out the key factors affecting positive patient experience to improve the quality of care using nationally representative survey data. Methods: The data was collected from the 6th National Health Nutrition Survey in 2015. Four patient experience items were investigated for patients with visiting outpatient care over the past year. Positive patient experience was defined as a case of responding always or usually yes. The t-test, chi-square test, and multiple logistic regression were performed to determine the key factors affecting the outpatient experience. Results: More than 80% of the respondents reported their care experience as positive excluding doctor spending enough time during the consultation. Male, poor health status, and single/divorced, and the longer time interval between outpatient care visit and survey were found to be significantly correlated with negative care experiences in the multiple logistic regression. Patients who received outpatient care at the oriental medicine clinic had a positive experience compared to those received outpatient care at the general hospital. However, patient factors including age, income, job, and insurance type had no significant association with patient experience. Conclusion: Health care providers should prioritize patients who report negative patient experiences and implement management decisions to improve the patient experience.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.99-108
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• 2022

Purpose: The wide distribution of smartphones has changed life and user behavior. This phenomenon has both advantages and disadvantages for users. As smartphones become a part of our daily lives, smartphone addiction has recently become a social issue in many countries. This study explores factors that affect smartphone addiction and the consequences of addictive behaviors. Research design, data and methodology: Our model hypothesizes that four key factors determine addictive behavior: flow, enjoyment, preference for online social life, and escape reality. Commitment and compulsive use are mediating variables that connect key drivers and addictive results. Based on the SEM (structural equation model) analysis of 497 survey responses, these four driving factors each have a significant effect on the compulsive use of smartphones directly or indirectly; the compulsive use of smartphones directly influences the three results Results: We conducted a reliability and validity analysis, and the results were successful. In the hypothesis test, every path is accepted as expected at the significance level of 0.05. Conclusions: Among the four driving factors, escape reality is the vital factor influencing smartphone addiction and its consequences. And anxiety is the number one consequence influenced by the compulsive use of smartphones.

• Journal of Koreanology Reviews
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.9-17
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• 2023

The primary objectives of this study is to examine and identify the historical factors that have significantly contributed to the growth/ expansion and prosperity of SMEs in the Republic of Korea and to evaluate and assess the impact of historical factors on the economic progress/ development, innovation, and job creation within SMEs in South Korea. To achieve the purpose of the current study, the present author has investigated the comprehensive literature investigation and figured out a total of four Key historical factors of SMEs for Economic Growth in the Republic of Korea, such as (1) Government Policies, (2) Technological Advancements, (3) Access to Finance, (4) International Trade. In conclusion, this study has undertaken a thorough investigation into the four critical historical factors that have significantly affected the development and achievements of SMEs in the Republic of Korea. By addressing a notable gap in current scholarly work, this study not only adds to the existing pool of knowledge but also provides valuable insights for various stakeholders. Practitioners/ professionals should proactively participate in government support initiatives/ programs and financial aid. SMEs can benefit from monetary incentives and donations/ grants intended to stimulate research and development, creativity, and international trade ventures.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.116-120
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• 2012

In this paper, ZnO-Epoxy nanocomposites (NEP) were prepared and epoxy composites that contain 5 wt% micro ZnO (MEP) and deliberately not well dispersed nano ZnO (NDNEP) were also prepared for purpose of comparison. The effects of the particle size and dispersion of ZnO on dielectric properties of epoxy resin were chiefly studied. Test results showed that: at a loading of 5 wt%, the three epoxy composites seem to have no significant difference on resistivity compared to epoxy resin; Dielectric constants of all the epoxy composites are also basically the same but they are bigger compared to that of the pure epoxy resin (unfilled); Dielectric dissipation factors ($tan{\delta}$) of NDNEP is greater than that of NEP and MEP. NEP has the minimum dielectric loss factor, whereas dielectric loss factors of the three epoxy composites are larger than that of the pure epoxy resin. The decreasing order of electrical breakdown strength for the three epoxy composites and for the pure epoxy resin is as follows: NEP>MEP>NDNEP>EP. Finally, in order to explain the experimental results the aggregation interface phase was proposed. Furthermore, addition of well dispersed nano filler has proved to have a positive effect on the improvement of the dielectric properties of epoxy resin.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1669-1674
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• 2005

Maximum likelihood methodology was applied to analyze the efficiency and statistical power of interval mapping by using a threshold model. The factors that affect QTL detection efficiency (e.g. QTL effect, heritability and incidence of categories) were simulated in our study. Daughter design with multiple families was applied, and the size of segregating population is 500. The results showed that the threshold model has a great advantage in parameters estimation and power of QTL mapping, and has nice efficiency and accuracy for discrete traits. In addition, the accuracy and power of QTL mapping depended on the effect of putative quantitative trait loci, the value of heritability and incidence directly. With the increase of QTL effect, heritability and incidence of categories, the accuracy and power of QTL mapping improved correspondingly.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Machine Tool Engineers
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.125-132
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• 2007

Inherent dynamic interaction between flexible disk and workpiece creates partially non-flat surface profile. A flat zone was defined using minimum depth of engagement. Several key parameters were defined to explain the characteristics of the zone. Process conditions including disk rotation speed, initial depth of cut and feed speed were varied to produce product profile database. Correlation between key factors was examined to find the characteristic dependencies. Trends of key parameters were displayed and explained. Higher flat zone ratio was observed for lower depth of cut and higher disk rotation speed. Ratio of minimum depth of cut against target depth of cut increased for higher feed speed and disk rotation speed but was insensitive to the depth of cut variation. The process transition was visualized by continuously displaying instantaneous orientation of the deflected disk and the location of key parameters were clearly marked for comparison.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.15-24
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• 2016

Purpose - Key account management is a supplier company initiated relational approach that has received great attention from both academics and practitioners manifested in the business-to-business relationship literatures. However, there is widespread debate and contention on what should be the underlying theoretical base for defining this vital part of relationship marketing. With the insights from the social exchange theory, present paper explores how social exchange affects the dynamic nature of key account management relationship at the organizational level. Research design, data, and methodology - The paper follows a comprehensive review approach to examine the relationship between social exchange theory and key account management approach. Conceptual arguments and findings are assessed across studies with the main objective of showing how social exchange theory develops the governance mechanism in maintaining the key account relationship. Results - Since relational norm is considered as a glue for the maintenance of buyer-seller relationship in social exchange theory, factors develop the non-contractual governance mechanism 'relationship' in business-to-business relationship and this norm replaces or supplements more formal governance mechanisms such as contracts are explored. Conclusions - This paper advances central relational norm to manage the company's most important key customers and demonstrates how this norm can be developed in buyer-seller key account relationship. Implications from this new perspective are forwarded.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.694-705
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• 2023

Panax ginseng Meyer is a traditional Chinese medicine that is widely used as tonic in Asia. The main pharmacologically active components of ginseng are the dammarane-type ginsenosides, which have been shown to have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, neuroprotective, and metabolic regulatory activities. Moreover, some of ginsenosides (eg, Rh2 and Rg3) have been developed into nutraceuticals. However, the utilization of ginsenosides in clinic is restrictive due to poor permeability in cells and low bioavailability in human body. Obviously, the dammarane skeleton and glycosyls of ginsenosides are responsible for these limitations. Therefore, improving the oral bioavailability of ginsenosides has become a pressing issue. Here, based on the structures of ginsenosides, we summarized the understanding of the factors affecting the oral bioavailability of ginsenosides, introduced the methods to enhance the oral bioavailability and proposed the future perspectives on improving the oral bioavailability of ginsenosides.