• Korean Journal of Labor Studies
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.79-108
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• 2017

Using data sets from the Korean Labour and Income Panel Study (KLIPS) for the period 2003-2015, this study shows that wages of nonunion workers are positively related to the percentage of unionized workers in the same geographic region. A 10 percentage point increase in a region's union density is associated with a 4.9 percent increase in the region's average wage of nonunion workers. It is also shown that this positive spillover effect is observed for various subgroups of nonunion workers, including women, youth, low-educated workers, small firm employees, and those employed under nonstandard work arrangements. In contrast, the average wage of union workers is found to respond insignificantly to changes in a region's union density.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.167-178
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to analyze the direct investment decision factors in the Kaesong Industrial Complex and Vietnam, and to contribute to the creation of domestic jobs and the revitalization of the inter-Korean economy. According to the analysis, most of the Kaesong Industrial Complex and Vietnamese investment companies are entering the complex for the purpose of utilizing cheap labor, cheap factory locations, sales/development of local markets, and bypass export production bases in third countries. This can be divided into production-efficient investors using differences in production price such as labor costs and market-oriented investors to sell and expand the local market, which seems to be consistent with global direct investment patterns such as Nike, Apple, and Amazon. However, even if the North Korea-U.S. denuclearization talks ease or lift sanctions, Vietnamese investors' willingness to invest in the North Korea has been most burdened by the possibility of closing special economic zones due to political risks. Last but not least, it is important to note that those willing to invest in North Korea are mostly smaller enterprises in textiles, sewing, footwear and leather industries-those that benefit from low-cost labor. Since their size is small, they need policy support in financing, especially in the early stages of their business. Even after they grow past the early stages, those without collateral would still need state guarantee letters to get financing. Thus, it is worth considering to use the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund to compensate commercial banks for bad loan loss or for low-interest loans for smaller SMEs. The interviews with SMEs found that red-tape is one of the biggest difficulties they face. Thus, it is recommended that a one-stop service agency should be established to cover all processes and issues related to inter-Korean economic cooperation to eliminate redundancy and expediate government support for SMEs.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.751-762
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• 2002

Korean apparel industry is facing critical moment due to shortage of labor, wage increases and intensive competition among domestic manufactures. In addition, international production has been shifting to China and the other low-wage countries from established locations such as Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Global sourcing has been received considerable attention since firms can enhance their competitive advantage as well as comparative advantage by coordinating their sourcing activities global]y. This studs regarded global sourcing as one of the strategic tools to achieve competitive advantage of Korean apparel firms, and explored the current status by literature reviews and series of in-depth interviews with managers of korean apparel firms. The findings of this study were as follows: 1) Due to geographical advantage, China was the most favored nation for outsourcing for domestic markers. However, exporting firms preferred Latin America (including Mexico) to take advantage of duties, quotas and geographical proximity to the US market. 2) In selecting the global sourcing country, productivity, technical ability, local government regulation, and culture were considered important. 3) Most Korean apparel firms sources production globally, and followed by raw materials and trims. 4) Cost and quality were the most important factors in deciding subcontractors, and experience, productivity, equipment and finances were the next concerns. Academic implications and future directions were suggested based on findings.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.46-60
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to analyze the difference of productivity according to environmental factors among 25 Regional base public hospitals. Also this study is to propose a method to improve the productivity of Regional base public hospitals in the future by improving the public performance and stable management performance by studying the productivity variables affecting profitability. The survey period was based on the last three years, and 25 Regional base public hospitals were selected for the survey. The dependent variable is the total capital medical marginal profitability and the medical profit marginal profitability which are the indicators of profitability. The independent variable, productivity, is classified into three indicators: capital productivity, labor productivity, and value added productivity. The ANOVA analysis method was used to analyze the productivity difference according to the frequency factor and the environmental factors of the Regional base public hospitals. Finally, we conducted a hierarchical regression analysis to examine the productivity variables affecting profitability. The results of this study showed that there were differences in productivity due to environmental factors such as hospital size, competition in the local medical market, and differences in management performance. The difference in productivity and profitability depending on the environmental factors suggests that it is difficult for Regional base public hospitals in each regional base to perform a balanced public service. In order to overcome this, it is necessary to provide balanced medical services such as government financial support expansion, regional medical demand forecasting and facility infrastructure construction.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.37-45
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• 2009

As part of the government's efforts to stabilize the people's livelihood in response to the economic downturn arising from the global financial crisis, this research focuses on a more efficient and appropriate political operation of gift certificate issuance (Onnuri, Hope Labor, regional gift certificates) to support the socially disadvantaged class and increase the income of less affluent regions to stimulate local economy through employment opportunities. This study extends beyond a short-term solution for distributors in traditional markets to provide a framework to improve regional competitiveness.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.103-112
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• 2012

Republic of Korea is recently becoming an advanced country with increasing standard of living. This is causing a lack of employment in the construction industry because of high labor costs and it is resulting rapid increase in foreign labors. Modular Method of Construction can be defined as 50%~90% of the entire process is completed in factory, and transferred to construction field to install. The main purpose of this process is to minimize the entire process that possibly can be done at construction field in order to maximize the quality. The current local usage of Modular Method of Construction started at Shin Ki Elementary School during 2003 and it is widely used for military facilities. It should be used more because it has strengths of spending short time period to complete and low production costs. It can make a change if Modular Method of Construction is applied. Toyota is currently producing vehicle with conveyor system and if Modular Method of Construction is applied, then it is possible to reduce the waste of labor, and automatic production time. Expansion of the modular Market can be expected by applying this method because it will improve producing costs, high quality, and enforced process. This research tried to solve the problem of factory's manufacturing production by applying local Modular Method of Construction to provide suggestions and analyze the profitability with applied conveyor system. It is depending on produced model, but this research's model will take 20 months including assessment of payback period.

• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.17-27
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to analyze the determinants of start-ups by industry based on the theoretical background of entrepreneurship. For this purpose, regional industrial structure and local labor market structure are considered in order to focus on regional factors in addition to economic factors, income factors, and technological innovation factors. As an analyzed result, three theories of entrepreneurship generally agree with the determinants of industry - specific entrepreneurship. During the economic recession, the number of start-ups has increased. The intra-regional consumption and the local government expenditure per capita have also positive effects on the start-up. The incubation center has a positive effect on the start - up in the manufacturing sector. Therefore, the academic-industrial leading various incubation facilities should be activated in addition to the central or local government leading incubation centers, which is a part of the policy to support start-ups of central and local governments. In addition, population growth is a very important factor in terms of potential demand creation, and the characteristics of regional industrial structure and the effect of human capital within the region differ by industry. In the case of the manufacturing industry, the accumulation effect positively influences the start-up of the industry. In other service industries, the human capital variable had the greatest effect on the start-up when all other conditions are constant.

• Archives of design research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.147-156
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• 2004

An enterprise is a basic unit to constitute national economy and a unit of independent production economy to pursue profit based on separation between ownership of production means and labor. Even though price and quantity of production are decided by planned economy in order to survive in the mechanism of market economy, quantity of production and of demands can't be same at all because of consumers' different preferences. An enterprise uses audio-visual media like letters, pictures, and voice in order to grasp consumers' taste, to develop products and to advertise them. Advertising is communication that a company, a non-profit organization or an individual, that is shown in the message of an ad, makes through several media. It is time that a company should appeal its image, not only its products, to consumers as a salesman. Marketing strategy of company identity is to visualize a company's intentions, to formalize its motto, slogan or culture, to build up trust of products and the company in consumers, and then, to have the consumers forever. By the virtue of development of www in 1990s, the media has been expanded to online. Development of www has united the world into a network and the market has been changed to unlimited competition. This paper intends to define the concept and characteristics of web identity and investigates and analyzes how web sites of sports shoes express their identities. In addition, it analyzes influences of multinational companies' web identifies (in Korean version) and of local companies' web identities on local consumers. Through survey, it will analyze the effects of web identity and review its operation.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.29-49
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• 2000

The purposes of this study are to identify the characteristics of inner-city industrial community and to analyse the subsistence mode of small manufacturing enterprises in the industrial community in Taegu Metropolitan area. The case study area, Nowon 1. 2-ga dong, is the typical inner city industrial community, adjacent to old industrial complex, which was recently transformed from semi -industrial to semi-residential zoning district. Now there are many old one story housing, newly constructed multi stories housing and many small factories of metal and machinery products. The conflicts of between residents and small business owners are not serious but latent. The subsistence mode of small manufacturing enterprises in this area is characterized as the network production system. The main attributes of this mode are local integration, horizontal subcontracting and strong industrial linkages in production processes and transactions. These transactions are mainly made by face-to-face contacts. The small business owners' local social networks are seen as series of units which are interconnected through various types of social and business relations. They exchange business information as using social networks. In addition, the majority of them join local social clubs with their local business counterpartners. Finally, the locational advantages of inner-city industrial community are production network, different industrial linkages and characteristic industrial milieu such as social solidarity, informal labor market and incubator effects. But these advantages are being challenged from the contradiction between capital and laned property and the urban gentrification policy. Accordingly, there should be positive redevelopment policy considering the subsistence mode of small business in these areas.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.59-65
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• 2014

Purpose - The competitiveness of logistics in the 21st century rests on ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of its local hub. While considering entry into a niche market in local logistics, it is pertinent to note that Budapest is emerging as a hub in EU enlargement in Eastern Europe. Big, small, and medium-sized businesses in Korea entered Hungary in the early 1990s since then, there has been a significant increase in Korean presence, of approximately 130 times. This study aimed to identify the key distribution issues that have emerged in relation to Eastern Europe. Research design, data, and methodology - This study indicates that 33 major Korean companies were located in Hungary, which serves as an out post to enter the European marketplace. However, Korea's exports to Hungary have declined (-32.0% in 2012) because of a loss of competitiveness against multinational corporations, due to factors such as the rise in current local distribution costs and wages. Hungary, on the other hand, through diversification and expansion of foreign trade with the non-EU markets, including Korea, is increasing its exports. Strategies of emerging countries are compared and reviewed in this study, by examining the vicissitudes of Hungary's distribution methods. Results - There are issues regarding Hungary's innovative ability. Hungary has a history of low wages and high skilled labor. However, the outflow of high-quality human resources for high-wages has become more extensive, and this underlines concerns that the CEE's trade hub is moving to neighboring countries. After the European financial crisis in 2010, the Hungarian economy is now developing, because of the IMF's measures, and it is being transformed into a trade surplus nation, while regaining distribution volumes rapidly. However, if there is continued lack of investment, the supply chain is weakened and exports decline amidst competition with TNCs or with China's distribution networks. Conclusions - It is necessary to create a new logistics approach for increasing trade between Korea and Hungary. First, Korean small and medium enterprises (SMEs) should build trust by working with advanced Hungarian talent, and they should expand into state-of-the-art fields instead of being confined to traditional sectors. Second, this study focuses on limiting and lowering their high expectations for success according to foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and the role in the CEE distribution hub Korea should try to strengthen the distribution hub with its centralized population, using better, more highly educated human resources, thereby sustaining more innovative ability. Further, the positive effects of these measures are manifested in enhanced business on both sides of Hungary, namely, the EU and non-EU nations such as Turkey and emerging markets around Europe, and a better engagement in the core placement of culture and industry. For this, Korea can contribute to, and benefit from, a Hungarian logistics center, for adopting the high-tech cluster systems and commercializing distribution technology such as RFID·USN.