• The Korean Journal of Franchise Management
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.27-39
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• 2018

Purpose - Recently, the mobile application field has been receiving astronomical attention from the past few years due to the growing number of mobile app downloads and withal due to the revenues being engendered. Especially delivery apps by mobile service market is experiencing rapid growth and competition is intensifying. Therefore, delivery apps' choice attributes has become important as a strategy for survival of franchise firms. Based on previous studies, this research proposed the theoretical framework about the structural relationships among customer satisfaction, trust and revisit intention on delivery apps' choice attributes. Research design, data, and methodology - This study examines the structural relationship between choice attributes of using the delivery app, satisfaction, trust, and revisit intention. More specifically, this study has been examined from the perspective of Generation Y who is enjoying electronic commerce and shopping with mobile phone. In this model, choice attributes of delivery app consists of three sub-dimensions such as service quality, system quality, interaction quality. So as to test the purposes of this study, research model and hypotheses were developed. After excluding 24 invalid respondent questionnaires, 201 valid questionnaires were coded and analyzed using frequency, confirmatory factor analysis, correlations analysis, and structural equation modeling with SPSS 21 and SmartPLS 3.0. Result - The results of the study are as follows. First, service quality and interaction quality had positive effects on satisfaction, and interaction quality had positive effects on trust, but system quality did not have a significant effect on both satisfaction and trust. Second, satisfaction had positive effects on both trust and revisit intention. Third, trust had positive effects on revisit intention. Conclusions - The implications of this study are following as: From the theoretical perspective, this study confirms the effect of delivery apps' choice attributes on satisfaction, trust, and revisit intention. In addition, it is significant that we examined the influence of choice attributes of delivery apps on their attitudes and behaviors of Generation Y familiar with mobile environment. Through this study, we hypothesized that the attributes of service quality and interaction quality of delivery apps have a significant effect on customer satisfaction, and this can be expected to provide meaningful implications for the development of franchise restaurant industry. To encourage continuous repurchase through customer satisfaction, franchise companies need to establish various strategic alliances with delivery app companies and new growth engines by providing diverse and high-quality services to customers in the smart age.

• The Korean Journal of Franchise Management
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.19-29
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• 2018

Purpose - Due to the increase in coffee consumption and competition, domestic coffee franchise companies are currently entering the overseas market. Therefore, coffee franchise companies are pursuing a variety of marketing strategies to meet customer needs and gain competitive advantage in overseas markets. From this perspective, overseas franchise companies need to ensure that their servicescapes meet the needs of their overseas customers. For these purposes, the study is to identify the impact servicescapes on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty focused on Global Coffee Franchise Company "C", which extended its business worldwide in Mongolia. Research design, data, and methodology - The data were collected from customers who had visited the stores of 'C' company in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. 435 valid questionnaires collected through online survey coded and analyzed using frequency, confirmatory factor analysis, correlations analysis, and structural equation modeling with SPSS 24 and SmartPLS 3.0. Result - Firstly, seating comfort, facility aesthetics, and cleanliness, ambient conditions among servicescapes influenced customer satisfaction. Secondly, servicescapes didn't affect the loyalty directly. Third, customer satisfaction had positive effect on loyalty. Fourthly, cleanliness which was ranked lower in Korea had a great effect on customer satisfaction in Mongolia. Fifthly, IPMA(Importance-performance map analysis) shows that the importance of servicescapes is higher for women than for men, and facility aesthetics for female and cleanliness is the most important for male. Conclusions - The results of this study show that there is a positive (+) effect on customer satisfaction in order of cleanliness, ambient conditions, aesthetics, and seating comfort. Therefore, franchise companies considering or advancing into Mongolia should consider importance in order of cleanliness, ambient conditions and aesthetics when entering Mongolia market. For example, franchise managers should select Monday as a "clean day," and all merchants should spend all of their open hours and keep their stores clean in accordance with the head office manual. In addition, franchise managers need to hire a VMD (visual merchandising) experts to build up a physical environment that will effectively highlight the space-specific display of the store so that Mongolian local customers can have a satisfactory climate and aesthetics. And, the IMPA analysis between servicescapes and customer satisfaction shows that women are more susceptible to servicescapes than men. Especially, in the case of women, the importance of esthetics is high, but the performance is low. Thus, if the aesthetics are actively improved, customer satisfaction can be effectively increased.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.75-86
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• 2017

Purpose - The online-to-offline (O2O) business model has brought considerable changes to the traditional Chinese business model. The main difference between O2O and pure online consumption is that O2O offers a richer experience and word-of-mouth. it is easier to trigger online word-of-mouth. However, few scholars have been concerned about the impact of experiential value on customer satisfaction and online word-of-mouth (e-WOM) in the study of O2O. This study takes the O2O business model in China's catering industry as its research object and uses structural equation modelling to analyze the impact of online and offline experiential values on customer satisfaction and e-WOM. Research design, data, and methodology - According to previous researches, consumer experiential value is mainly divided into return on investment (economy and efficiency), service excellence, playfulness and aesthetics. According to the characteristics of O2O in China's catering industry, this study divides the online experience value into efficiency and economy (return on investment). The offline part is divided into return on investment (economy and efficiency), service excellence, playfulness and aesthetics. Using a web-based survey, we collected 303 valid samples. Structural equation modelling was used to create the research model. Results - The results show that efficiency (online) and service excellence (offline) have a significant effect on customer satisfaction. Economics (online) and playfulness (offline) have a positive impact on customers' e-WOM. In addition, the higher the customer satisfaction, the greater the positive impact on the spread by word of mouth. However, aesthetic(offline) and return on investment(offline) have no significant impact to customer satisfaction and e-WOM. Conclusions - The study findings show that the key to boost customer satisfaction in the catering industry is to improve product quality and service. Although traditional competitive strategies such as online discount have been questioned by many scholars about their decreasing effectiveness, they are indispensable means to attract online traffic and trigger e-WOM. The traditional enterprises can reconstruct traditional business processes through the O2O model to effectively improve customer satisfaction and word of mouth by improving the experiential value of economy and efficiency. Additionally, it can be used as the natural advantages of online communication to induce customers to engage in word of mouth and attract more potential customers.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.59-70
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• 2015

Purpose - This study aims to suggest strategies for Korean enterprises advancing into the Vietnam bakery market by analyzing the effects of perceived values on brand preference and purchase intention among Korean and Vietnamese consumers. Research design, data, and methodology - The perceived value model designed includes functional (price, quality), emotional, and social values. The survey collected data from 500 consumers in Seoul (Korea) and HoChiMinh (Vietnam). The SPSS 18.0 package was used for analysis. Results - First, among Vietnamese consumers, perceived value had a positive (+) effect on global brand preference in the order of functional value of quality, social value, and the functional value of price. However, from an ethnocentric trend and brand image origin, emotional value had a negative effect on global brand preference. In contrast, among Korean consumers, perceived value had a positive (+) effect on global brand preference in the order of functional value of quality, the functional value of price, and the social value. However, emotional value had no effect on global brand preference. Second, for both Korean and Vietnamese consumers, perceived value had a significant positive effect on purchase intention. Third, unlike the Korean consumer, for the Vietnamese consumer, global brand preference had a significant effect on purchase intention. Conclusions - The study implies the following. First, the Vietnamese bakery market has a high proportion of middle-aged customers in their 40s (64%). In terms of monthly income, there was a large proportion (40%) of high-income earners (over $325). Therefore, bakery consumption can be seen as concentrated among middle-aged and high-income consumers. Based on this, bakery strategies should include efforts to increase purchase prices as well as ways to attract local consumers (large cities). Second, unlike Korean consumers, among Vietnamese consumers, the resistance to a global brand based on emotional value (the ethnocentric tendency and brand image origin) can be seen as relatively low. Thus, in the case of the Vietnam bakery market, to increase a global brand's preference, the company should develop a differentiated strategy so that Vietnamese consumers can recognize it better, focusing on product quality, good service quality, and price in the local environment and on social value for social development. Third, in the case of the Vietnamese customer, we found that social value exerts the greatest influence on purchase intention. Therefore, a brand that engenders an image of building the local Vietnamese community can achieve a higher social value and influence purchase intention. In addition, although Vietnamese consumers have ethnocentric tendencies in terms of products, we found that if it is a preferred global brand then there are intentions to purchase. Fourth, in the case of Vietnam, if the preference for global brands is formed, consumer awareness may be connected to purchase intention. Therefore, global brands operating in Vietnam should pay attention to how to improve consumer preferences for global brands in order to increase purchase intention.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.83-92
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• 2016

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to identify the relations among perceived organizational support, career planning, and subjective career success (career satisfaction and job satisfaction). In particular, this study focuses on the mediating effect on the career planning between perceived organization and subjective career success. The target cases are employees of a Korean branch of a global company (A), which operates formal career program to support a career development for employees. Research design, data, and methodology - The data were collected from December, 2014 to March, 2015. 211 out of 300 questionnaires were returned (response rate 70.3%). After the data cleaning, 209 questionnaires were used for the data analysis. These data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modeling (SEM). The whole process of the data analysis was accomplished using the SPSS 21.0 for windows and the AMOS 21 program. Results - The findings of the study are as follows: First, the better the organizational support is perceived, the higher career satisfaction and job satisfaction is. That is, the employees' career and job satisfaction is higher, when they feel themselves received more supporting. Second, perceived organizational support has a positive impact on employees' career planning. This result means that it is important to support employees in their career development. Third, career planning has a positive impact on career satisfaction, but not on job satisfaction. Lastly, it is verified that career planning has a mediating effect between the perceived organizational support and career satisfaction. Not only has the perception of an organizational support a direct impact on career satisfaction, but also an indirect impact through career planning. However, there is not an indirect relationship through career planning, just an direct relationship between the perception of an organizational support and job satisfaction Conclusions - Based on the findings of this study, the major conclusion of the study was as follows: The study provides theoretical values and practical implications for the fact that the differences of the subjective perception about organizational support exist among employees, and the differences have an impact on their career planning as well as subjective career success. Furthermore, some recommendations for workplace were suggested: The companies should support the career development for employees in organization level. Even though employment instability makes individual workers themselves to be responsible for their own career development, it is an important issue in organizational level that employees' career success could have positive effects on organizational development and success, as well. However, there is a limit in the study that analyzing results cannot be generalized due to the data from a single company. Some recommendations for future research are suggested: First, a comparative study should be conducted with other various companies. Second, a hierarchical analyzing model needs to be applied to substantiate how organizational context influences on subjective career success of employees.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.50 no.8
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• pp.128-135
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• 2013

This paper presents a high dimming ratio Power-LED driver IC with high power which is capable of controlling LEDs. In order to accomplish a high dimming ratio LED driver, the preloading inductor current methodology is proposed for the power stage of the proposed method to achieve the fast transient response time during the Power-LED load switching. The information containing the current flowing on the LEDs can be utilized to predict the amount of the current on the inductor. The minimum LED current rising time of existing high dimming ratio Power-LED driver is limited by $3{\mu}s$, however that of the proposed high dimming ratio Power-LED driver is reduced about 1/10. The LED driver is implemented with 0.35um 60V BCDMOS 2-poly 4-metal process. The measurement results show that the proposed LED driver system features the minimum rising time as small as 240ns at the dimming frequency of 1KHz with a 12V of input voltage, nine white LEDs and 353mA of LED current. The LED rising time and power conversion efficiency of the chip are measured to be 240ns and 93.72%, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.9 no.4 s.29
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• pp.57-61
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• 2005

The objective of paper is to carry out a comparative Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) of two KOGAS tank designs using a fault tree methodology, a standard 'Full Containment' tank and a 'Membrane' tank. For the membrane tank, both the initial KOGAS design and 4 modified KOGAS designs have been assessed, giving six separate cases. In this paper, the frequencies of releases are quantified using a fault tree approach. For clarity in the analysis, and to ensure consistency, all cases have been quantified using the same fault tree. Logic within the fault tree is used to select each of the cases. Full quantification of risks is often difficult, owing to a lack of relevant failure data, but the aim of this study has been to be as quantitative as possible, with full transparency of failure information. The most significant general cause of external LNG leaks is predicted to be a seismic event, which has been quantified nominally. 4modified KOGAS desiens to Prevent damage of bottom membrane panels that was shown in preparatory estimation could quantitively confirm safety improvement. According to result, the predicted frequencies of an external LNG leak for the full containment and modified membrane tanks are very similar, failures due to dropped pumps are predicted to be significantly greater for the membrane tank with thickened plate than for the full containment tank.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.93-98
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• 2010

The aim of this work was to establish the methodology for event positioning by measuring depth of interaction (DOI) information and to evaluate the system sensitivity and spatial resolution of the new detector for I-125 and Tc-99m imaging. For this purpose, a Monte Carlo simulation tool, DETECT2000 and GATE were used to model the energy deposition and light distribution in the detector and to validate this approach. Our proposed detector module consists of a monolithic CsI(Tl) crystal with dimensions of $50.0{\times}50.0{\times}3.0\;mm^3$. The results of simulation demonstrated that the resolution is less than 1.5 mm for both I-125 and Tc-99m. The main advantage of the proposed detector module is that by using 3 mm thick CsI(Tl) with maximum-likelihood position-estimation (MLPE) method, high resolution I-125 imaging and high sensitivity Tc-99m imaging are possible. In this paper, we proved that our new detector to be a reliable design as a detector for a multi-energy SPECT.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.12 no.11
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• pp.101-111
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• 2014

Purpose - This study aims to verify the construct of the service quality suitable to the characteristics of the business center, to develop the scale that can measure the service quality objectively, compare the diverse business centers in Korea, and present desirable methods of business center management and operation. Research design, data, and methodology - In the first stage, literature research and focus group interviews with current users and actual business experts of business centers were conducted. In addition, 69 early stage scale items were derived. In the second stage, a Delphi survey was conducted on the experts of business and academic circles. The measurement items in the early stage were supplemented and revised. The content validity rate (CVR) of 69 measures was computed and then the experts' opinions were used. As a result, the business center service quality scale, made up of 9 organizing factors and 36 measurement items, was constructed. In the third stage, a survey was conducted on the occupants who were currently using the business center. It was to confirm if the developed business center service quality scale could be actually utilized. The data of 435 samples collected were used. To refine the scale items, the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted repeatedly. Results - The business center service quality scale, made up of 8 factors and 33 items, was developed again. The 8 factors are reliability, speed, kindness, specialty, responsibility, appearance, convenience, and public interest. The reliability coefficient (Cronbach's Alpha) of each factor is greater than .7. Thus, it was confirmed that there was reliability in the measurement items. Further, the model suitability was verified using the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and the convergent validity and the discriminant validity were verified. This proved the construct validity. Through this process, the Korea Business Center Service Quality Scale was developed. Based on factor analysis, the developed business center service quality (BCSQ) scale consists of 4 aspects, 8 factors, and 33 items, comprising the "process quality" aspect: reliability (3 items), speediness (4 items), kindness (3 items) factors, the outcome quality aspect: expertise (3 items), responsibility (5 items) factors, the environment quality aspect: appearance (5 items), convenience (3 items) factors, and the public interest aspect: public interest (7 items) factor. However, according to CFA, the BCSQ scale consists of a total of 4 aspects, 8 factors, and 33 items, comprising the "process quality" aspect: reliability (3 items), speediness (3 items), kindness (3 items) factors, the outcome quality aspect: expertise (2 items), responsibility (4 items) factors, the environment quality aspect: appearance (3 items), convenience (2 items) factors, and the public interest aspect: public interest (3 items) factor. Conclusions - The BCSQ scale could serve as a diagnostic tool that will allow business center managers to determine service areas that are weak and in need of attention, and to improve the service quality of the business center.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.93-100
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• 2015

Purpose - The objective of this research is to investigate whether national culture influences consumers' service evaluations. The services industry is receiving increasing attention from academia and practitioners as its position grows in global markets. Standardization or localization is a traditional managerial decision in global business. As the boundaries of services expand across national borders, firms are required to decide whether to standardize services or adjust to local needs. Though it is imperative to reflect global perspectives in marketing theories, these perspectives are mostly based on Western conceptualization of the world. Through a comparison of consumer groups from two culturally remote countries, service quality evaluation mechanisms are examined based on similar stimuli. The study tries to expand service marketing perspectives across national borders. Research design, data, and methodology - Eastern and Western countries are known to be culturally distinct. One Eastern and one Western country were chosen: an Anglo-Saxon country (the U.S., England, and Australia) and South Korea. In Hofstede's cultural dimensions, the differences between the two are pronounced. The Anglo-Saxon based countries share many similarities. Samples of the same sites are targeted. Questionnaires using a service quality scale (SERVQUAL) and a customer satisfaction scale were distributed. Utilizing Hofstede's typology of culture, the service evaluation mechanisms of the respondents from the two groups are evaluated. Three hypotheses are proposed from the review of the literature. These are service evaluation habits, importance of service quality dimensions for the individualistic/collectivistic countries, and strong/weak uncertainty avoidance cultures. Consumers from the individualistic countries are considered to care about themselves and demand a higher level of responsiveness and assurance. On the other hand, consumers from high uncertainty avoidance cultures are assumed to rely more on tangible questions of service quality, as these are the only predictable service quality indicators. A t-test and regression analysis are applied to validate the constructs. Results - The respondents from the Anglo-Saxon countries are more generous on service evaluations than Koreans. Researchers have indicated that Americans tend to give higher service evolution scores than European, Mexican, and Korean counterparts. The tendency is the same here. The sample from Anglo-Saxon countries demonstrated higher service evaluation scores on every dimension of SERVQUAL. For the second hypothesis, the respondents from the collectivistic culture rely less on core service dimensions (assurance and responsiveness) due to their tendency to place more value on group harmony than individual interest. However, the third hypothesis was not validated. Conclusions - The study attempted to expand the scope of service marketing to reflect cross-national perspectives. Service quality is known to have a strong influence on customer satisfaction and loyalty behavior. However, this research demonstrated that individuals from different cultural territories respond heterogeneously to the same stimuli. Scholars argue that national cultures are main factors in such deviated behavior. Scholars and global managers should be aware of differences in consumer value judgment mechanisms such as satisfaction, expectations, and perceptions.