• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.57-63
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• 2009

With an exponential increase in electronic commerce (e-commerce), marketers are attempting to gain a competitive advantage by emphasizing service quality and post interaction service aspects, which leads to customer satisfaction or behavioral consequence. Particularly for apparel, service quality is one of the key determinants in encouraging customer e-loyalty, and hence the success of apparel retailing in the context of electronic commerce. Therefore, this study explores e-service quality (E-SERVQUAL) factors and their unique effects on e-loyalty for apparel online shopping based on Parasuraman et al' s (2005) framework. Specific objectives of this study are to identify underlying dimension of E-SERVQUAL, and analyze a structural model for examining the effect of E-SERVQUAL on e-loyalty for online apparel shopping. For the theoretical framework of service quality in the context of online shopping, literatures on traditional and electronic service quality factors were comparatively reviewed, and two aspects of core and recovery services were identified. This study hypothesized that E-SERVQUAL has an effect on e-loyalty; customer satisfaction has a positive effect on e-service loyalty for apparel online shopping; and customer satisfaction mediates in the effect of E-SERVQUAL on e-loyalty for apparel online shopping. A self-administered questionnaire was developed based on literatures. A total of 252 usable questionnaires were obtained from online consumers who had purchase experience with online shopping for apparel products and reside in standard metropolitan areas, in the United States. Factor analysis (e.g., exploratory, confirmatory) was conducted to assess the validity and reliability and the structural equation model including measurement and structural models was estimated via LISREL 8.8 program. Findings showed that the E-SERVQUAL of shopping websites for apparel consisted of five factors: Compensation, Fulfillment, Efficiency, System Availability, and Responsiveness. This supports Parasuraman (2005)'s E-S-QUAL encompassing two aspects of core service (e.g., fulfillment, efficiency, system availability) and recovery related service (e.g., compensation, responsiveness) in the context of apparel shopping online. In the structural equation model, there are five exogenous latent variables for e-SERVQUAL factors; and two endogenous latent variables (e.g., customer satisfaction, e-loyalty). For the measurement model, the factor loadings for each respective construct were statistically significant and were greater than .60 and internal consistency reliabilities ranged from .85 to .88. In the estimated structural model of the e-SERVEQUAL factors, the system availability was found to have direct and positive effect on e-loyalty, whereas efficiency had a negative effect on e-loyalty for apparel online shopping. However, fulfillment was not a significant predictor for explaining consequences of E-SERVQUAL for apparel online shopping. This finding implies that perceived service quality of system available was likely to increase customer satisfaction for apparel online shopping. However, it was not supported that e-loyalty was determined by service quality, because service quality has an indirect effect on e-loyalty (i.e., repurchase intention) by mediating effect of value or satisfaction in the context of online shopping for apparel. In addition, both compensation and responsiveness were found to have a significant impact on customer satisfaction, which influenced e-loyalty for apparel online shopping. Thus, there was significant indirect effect of compensation and responsiveness on e-loyalty. This suggests that the recovery-specific service factors play an important role in maximizing customer satisfaction levels and then maintaining customer loyalty to the online shopping site for apparel. The findings have both managerial and research implications. Fashion marketers can establish long-term relationship with their customers based on continuously measuring customer perceptions for recovery-related service quality, such as quick responses to problem and returns, and compensation for customers' problem after their purchases. In order to maintain e-loyalty, recovery services play an important role in the first choice websites for consumers to purchase clothing. Given that online consumers may shop anywhere, a marketing strategy for improving competitive advantages is to provide better service quality, maximize satisfaction, and turn to creating customers' e-loyalty for apparel online shopping. From a researcher's perspective, there are some limitations of this research that should be considered when interpreting its findings. For future research, findings provide a basis for the further study of this important topic along both theoretical and empirical dimensions. Based on the findings, more comprehensive models for predicting E-SERVQUAL's consequences can be developed and tested. For global fashion marketing, this study can expand to a cross-cultural approach into e-service quality for apparel by including multinational samples.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.318-332
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• 2015

The maize production in South-eastern Asian countries showed a continuous increase with increasing poultry-livestock from the beginning of the 1990s to early 2010. Also the need for a new variety development of each contries was increased rapidly in the same period. Single-Cross hybrid varieties have been developed and supplied from 2001 instead of multi-cross maize varieties since 1992 in Indonesia. In Cambodia, CP group is mainly manufacturing feeds with most of the forage maize from farmers who are growing its seeds from the company. Cambodian main cultivars are varieties of multinational corporations such as DK8868 from Monsanto, NK6326, NK7328 from Syngenta and CP333 from CP group including local business company. Vietnam is the main maze importing country in South-Eastern Asia which had imported 13 times scale of amount compared to exports in average from 1990 to 2011. Vietnamese government has developed a range of varieties for improving their efficiency in production, such as the LVN-10 with political investments. Their production has been reached to 80% of the total. According to the 2012 MIFAFF (Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) data in Korea, domestic edible maize cultivation area was approximately 15,000ha. It showed 74,399 tons of production, 3.8% of food self-sufficiency in maize and around 0.9% of grain self-sufficiency rate. The consumption of grain is mostly rely on imports in Korea. To overcome the limit of the domestic seed market and increase maize self-sufficiency, the need to develop maze varieties for world-class is increasing at present through analyzing the market trend and prospect of the seed industry in South-eastern Asia.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.71-76
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• 2015

Developed countries have set seed industry as a new growth engine, which demands strong support from the government. Multinational seed companies such as Monsanto and DuPont have made huge financial investment to secure their major roles in the global market. To spur domestic seed industry performance, Korean government laid out the foundation for developing seed industry through policy promotion in the late 2000s. In this paper, I look at the current state of the domestic and international seed market to provide information for improving the efficiency of the propulsion of the Golden Seed Project (GSP) along with its vision. The increasing size of global giant companies has been regarded to monopolize the world seed industry wherein ten renowned companies occupy 73% of the overall global market. In effect, this causes a price hike due to limited seed choices. Domestic seed market has been stuck in a range due to a sustained low agricultural production resulting in decreased seed demand and market size. Though breeding technologies for rice and vegetables are world-class, the technologies for top global crops such as cabbage, paprika, and forage are insufficient therefore professionals in this field are not easily employed. Moreover, there is a lack in appropriate infrastructure set up in the universities which adds to ineffective training of professionals. Being a key-supporting industry for agriculture, seed industry should be granted with strong and sustainable investment support from the government. In view thereof, GSP, which started in 2012, ambitions to spur researches outlined by excellent professionals in universities and seed companies aimed to drive seed export volume and quality and attain domestic seed self-sufficiency through adoption of export- and import-substitution seed types (10 varieties each) development strategies. To develop Korea's seed industry excellent achievement of GSP's goals should be drawn successfully and to do this beside development of high quality seeds, support programs for promotion of seed exports are also needed.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.25-38
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• 2011

After the financial crisis, what has been the rapidly growth of large supermarkets, stores, and restaurants linked to concerns that have already reached saturation point, but the new opening large supermarkets is expected to continue into the future. The major supermarkets are continue to grow outward but growth slowed. And that is expected to continue differentiation of the product, acceptance the customer needs, acquiring high margin of sales products. Then the ongoing development of PB brand is to be positioned effective marketing strategy for overcoming the period of slow growth. In addition, big three local supermarkets continue to launch a clothing PB brand, expansion and operation strategy for the situation and based on this study and the success of the domestic large-Mart's PB and PB identifying problem and the need for differentiation and profit for the successful strategy is to discuss in this study. This research looks at the concept of major market's private brand, the strategy, the success example and the prospects, and views the globally rapid-growing private brands, not only having the limited role of distributing the products as retailers, but also having a control of the distribution channel as a manufacturing company. World's major advanced distribution companies, to differentiate their companies' products and increase the profitability, are putting a lot of efforts into private brand products, and there are many good examples that are globalizing, externally expanding, and creating high financial results. In this research, we presented three major domestic discount stores as examples to show that there is a need for a differentiated private brand management strategy in the saturated discount store industry in Korea. Also, we aim to provide a new product strategy for the future that has been saturated with discount stores to the limit, by providing suggestions that private brand products can be used as weapons with the strongest competiveness in the retail industry through pursuing store differentiations from thorough market analysis and product researches, meeting the customers' needs, and obtaining high margins. PB products, particularly clothing design, a thorough market analysis and product development trends and customer needs to reflect the acquisition of High margin differentiated powerful products and sustainable growth through the stores, large supermarkets, congested, a new breakthrough that can give a good opportunity to provide implications discount stores, new product strategy based on ways to limit proposed. This study discount the major three companies studied, the less strain is a generalization. In the future, domestic and local discount store brand PB, SPA brand that the multinational comparative analysis of the value of the PB expansion strategy centered on clothing, additional studies will be needed.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.83-95
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• 2011

Conventional markets in Korea have played a pivotal role in the vitalization of local communities and economies along with the distribution of products. Although many people believe the markets to be disorderly, they are lively and provide local people with things to enjoy, watch and buy. However, superstores have undergone a mushrooming proliferation since Korea opened its gates to multinational superstores in 1996. This phenomenon has caused a crisis for Korea's conventional markets. They have lost their competitiveness because of this environmental change, inefficient management, and their outmoded facilities. Government efforts to revitalize the markets have centered on redevelopment of the facilities, a perspective that has caused not only the fall of the old business districts but also the decline of the distribution function. Under these conditions, the traditional market has re-entered into competition. The Korean government enacted a special law to revitalize the conventional markets and has been implementing many policies to support them since 2003. In 2009, the government amended the law and adopted the Business Improvement District System. The government also changed the official term from 'old markets' to 'Conventional markets'. Despite this legal amendment, though, we still need to re-establish the concept of the Conventional market. Historically, markets grew up spontaneously to dispose of surplus products. Some manmade markets were established through urban planning or as public facilities. Their businesses transactions have always been based on mutual trust between consumers and trades people, the traditional way of commercial dealing. Conventional markets can be defined, then, as creatures of societal necessity where transactions for services and products are based on mutual trust. Problematically, unlisted markets are left out of government support. Although unlisted markets have performed almost the same functions as listed markets, they exist only as a statistic as far as the special law is concerned. In some areas, there are more unlisted markets than unlisted ones. Therefore, it is necessary to establish systematic management methods for the unlisted markets. Some unlisted markets received support in the form of facility improvement from local governments' budgets in the early stage of the special law's enforcement. The current government also assists with safety issues involving unlisted markets; however, the current special law provides no legal framework for unlisted markets. Moreover, consumers cannot tell the difference between unlisted markets and listed ones. Finding a solution to this problemrequires new standards and a wider scope of support by which the efficiency of the market improvement support system might be enhanced.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.148-162
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• 1993

There is much speculation that modern capi-talist society is undergoing fundamental and qualitative chnge towards flexible specialization. The purpose of this study is to examine this hypothesis. This paper focusses on: the idea of flexible specialization; the significance of this transition; industrial district; and the implicati-ons of this new production system for Korean industrial space. Main arguments of this study are as follows: First, as all different groups of researchers apply the idea of flexible specialization according to their own specifications, the current debate on this topic is not much fruitful. Not surpri-singly, the concept of flexible specialization has overlapped with subocontracting. This intergration of subcontracting into flexible specialization systems, however, is inappropriate because the two concepts have different historical contexts. The other cause of this controversy is its inherent weekness, conceptual ambiguity. Thus, today's flexibility becomes tomorrow's rigidity. Secondly, transition towards flexible speciali-zation has only been partially achieved even in advanced capitalist countries. The application of dualistic explanatory framework, such as rigidity versus flexibiity, mass production versus small-lot multi-product production, and de-skilling versus re-skilling, has resulted in great exaggeration of the transformation, from Fordism to post-Fordism. There is no intermediary part between two places. Considering that the workers allocated to the Fordist mass production assembly line are not as large as one might imagine, the shift from mass to flexible production has only limited implications for the transformation of capitalist economy. Thirdly, 'industrial district' contorversy has contributed to highlighting the importance of small firms and areas as production space. The agglomeration of small firms in specific areas is common in Korea, but it is quite different from the industrial district based on flexible specialization. The Korean phenomenon stems from close interactions with its major parent firm rather than interactions between flexible, specialized, autonomous and technology-intensive smll firms. Most Korean subcontractors are still low-skilled, labour-intensive, and heavily dependent on their mojor parent firms. Thus, the assertion that the Seoul Metropolitan Area adopts flexible specialization has no base. Fourthly, the main concern of flexible speciali zation is small firms. However, the corporate organization that needs product diversification and technological specialization is oligopolistic large corporations typified by multinational corporations. It is because of this that most of these organizations are adoptiong Fordist mass production methods. The problem of product diversification will be resolved naturally if economic internationalization progresses further. What is more important for business success is the quality and price competitiveness of firms rather than product diversification. Lastly, in order to dispel further misunderst-anding on this issue, it is imparative that the conceptual ambiguity is resolved most urgently. This study recommends adoption of more speci-fied and direct terminology (such as, factory automation, computer design, out-sourcing, the exploitation of part-time labor, job redesign) rather than that of ideological ones (such as, Taylorism, Fordism, neo-Taylorism, neo-Fordism, post-fordism, flexible specialization, peripheral post-Fordism). As the debates on this topic just started, we still have long way to go until consensus is reached.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.135-167
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• 2006

Air service agreements between EU Member States and third countries concluded by Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark and the United Kingdom after the Second World War infringe EU law. They authorize the third countries to withdraw, suspend or limit the traffic rights of air carriers designated by the signatory States. According to the Court of Justice of the European Communities (CJEC), these agreements infringe EU law in two respects. On the one hand, the presence of nationality clauses infringes the right of European airlines to non-discriminatory market access to routes between all Member States and third countries. On the other hand, only the EU has the authority to sign up to this type of commitment where agreements affect the exercise of EU competence, i.e. involve an area covered by EU legislation. The Court held that since the third countries have the right to refuse a carrier, these agreements therefore constitute an obstacle to the freedom of establishment and freedom to provide services, as the opening of European skies to third countries' companies is not reciprocal for all EU airlines. In the conclusion, in order to reconstruct these public international air law, The new negotiations between EU member states and third countries, especially the US, must be designed to ensure an adequate set of principles, so that Member States, in their bilateral relations with third countries in the area of air service, should consider following three models. The 1st, to develop a new model of public international air law such as a new Bermuda III. The 2nd, to reconstruct new freedoms of the air, for example, the 7th, 8th, and 9th freedoms. The 3rd, to explore new approaching models, such as complex system theory explored in the recent social sciences, to make access world-wide global problems instead of bilateral problems between EU member states and United States. The example will show any lessons to air talks between European Union and ROK.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.379-391
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• 1993

Present-day world economy is characterized by : technology nationalism, economic regionalism, market protectionism, multinational corporations, efc. All nations are striving for intensifying national economic rivalry and seeking after their own interests above everything else. Many regions of the world are also forming trading blocs, which could negatively affect nonmember states. The ultimate way to meet these difficulties is to establish production facilities in the countries imposing trade regulations. However, as the existing models of direct forrign investment (DFI) do not account for the particular nature of Korean firm's DFI activities, a new point of departure is imperative. It is because of this that Korean firms have only limited firm-specific advantages, the basic precondition of extant DFI theories, compared with their developed counterparts.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.67-73
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• 2002

In light of addressing consumer health concern, coping with anti-tobacco movement, and promoting new product, tobacco industry is actively pursuing to make a new generation of cigarettes with low tar and nicotine deliveries, and less harmful substances. Low tar and low nicotine cigarettes increases their market shares dramatically world wide, especially in KT&G, multinational tobacco companies, EU countries, even in China regulated by CNTC to set up yearly target to lower tar and nicotine deliveries. On the other hand, to design a new cigarette with reduced harmful substances begins to gain speed. The "modified Hoffmann list" publishes thirty plus substances in tobacco leaf and main smoke stream, which is the prime suspect causing health problems. Various ways and means are developed to reduce such components including new tobacco breeds, new curing method, tobacco leaf treatment before processing, selected filtration system, innovated casing system to reduce free radicals, as well as some non conventional cigarette products. In TSRC held this year, the main topic is related to reduce tobacco specific nitrosamines in tobacco leaf. The new generation of cigarette is in the horizon. It still needs a lot help to produce commercial products with satisfied taste and aroma characters. The flavor industry is not regulated by many governments demanding which ingredients might or might not be for tobacco use. However, most of the cigarette companies self impose a list of ingredients to guide flavor suppliers to design flavors. Unfortunately, the number of ingredients in those lists is getting shorter every year. It is understandable that the health is not the only reason. Some cigarette companies are playing safe to protect the company from potential lawsuit, while others are just copying from their competitors. Moreover, it is obvious that it needs more assistance from casings and flavors to design new generation of cigarettes with missing certain flavor components in tobacco leaf and main smoke stream. These flavor components are either non-existed or at lower level at new form of cured tobacco leaf or filtered in the main smoke stream along with reduced harmful substances. The use of carbon filters and other selected filtration system poses another tough task for flavor system design. Specific flavor components are missing from the smoke analysis data, which brings a notion of "carbon taste" and "dryness" of mouth feel. It is ever more demanded by cigarette industry to flavor suppliers to produce flavors as body enhancer, tobacco notes, salivating agents, harshness reducer, and various of aromatic notes provided they are safe to use. Another trend is that water based flavor or flavor with reduced ethanol as solvent is gaining popularity. It is preferred by some cigarette companies that the flavor is compounded with all natural ingredients or all ingredients should he GMO free. The new generation of cigarettes demands many ways of new thinking process. It is also vital for tobacco industry. It reflects the real needs for the consumers that the cigarette product should be safe to use as well as bearing the taste and aroma characters smokers always enjoyed. An effective tobacco flavor system is definitely a part of the equation. The global trend of tobacco industry is like trends of any other industries lead by consumer needs, benefited with new technology availability, affected by the global economy, and subjected for various rules and regulations. Anti-tobacco organizations and media exceptionally scrutinize cigarette, as a legal commercial product. Cigarette is probably the most studied commercial product for its composition, structure, deliveries, effects, as well as its new developmental trend. Therefore, any new trend of cigarette development would be within these boundaries. This paper is trying to point out what it would be like for tobacco industry in the next few yews and what concerns the tobacco industry. It focuses mostly on the efforts to produce safer cigarettes. It is such a vital task for the tobacco industry and its affiliate industries such as cigarette papers, filters, flavors, and other materials. The facts and knowledge presented in this paper might be well known for the public. Some of the comments and predictions are very much personal opinion for a further discussion.

• The Korean Journal of Franchise Management
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.95-110
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• 2011

As global economic conditions are getting uneasy and polarization of our economy is intensified, the economic sentiment of small businesses is still low and unstable. The collapse of worldwide banking systems due to sub prime crisis in 2007 became the catalyst that shakes financial industries in each country in the world; the most sentiment people, small businesspersons, also have hard time facing survival way out, facing a great crisis. All organizing powers including manufactures, wholesales and retails are being gradually greater in mutual relations and dependence, and unstable factors about risks are also increasing. For exterior environmental and physical risk factors which cannot make small businesses survive themselves by developing ways out are eventually increasing, those who cannot cope with these factors face a great crisis. Although the government tries hard to overcome this situation conducting many ways, the effect does not continue. It is the real state that independent business markets including overall employment and establishing business have vicious cycle that they cannot be improved, due to increase of employment centered on short-term labors which lack durability in creation of employment and decline of household income. Recently, growth shows indication of slowdown because of multinational risk factors including financial crisis in each country in Europe, the death of Kim Jung-il, relationship with North Korea, and unstability of war situation in the Middle East Asia. Experts expect that growth rate will be about 4%, and independent business that ordinary people feel is still gloomy. It's reality that there is no adequate alternative for lack of jobs, unstable employment and a means of living after retirement. Also, the fact that large companies enter the market which is narrow and in the excessive competition should be an environmental factor that makes the situation worse. The business concept, a franchise, is the part we should think about whether it is the institutional solution that can guarantee independent businessmen stable life. Major companies are frightfully entering the market today, breaking the barrier to entry and shouting of a win-win with independent businesses. It's the small businesspersons who go through painful domestic recession, cannot predict the future and manage confusing and unstable independent business. It's very important to restore the domestic economy through wisely boosting consumption as soon as possible. It's also important to lead the situation by gathering powers of the government and related organizations, agonizing, suggesting solutions, and establishing accurate directions. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to suggest ways to strengthen competitiveness of small businesspersons by examining small business support policies which are currently implemented.